How many electrical outlets can you add to one 15 AMP breaker (See Below)?

Question

Essentially I have a house that was built in the 70s. I don't know what electrical code was in the 70s but there isn't enough electrical outlets in each room. I was going to chain more electrical outlets to each other in each of the rooms. I know that each room is on a different breaker also the electrial has been updated as far as the fuse box has been replaced with an actual circuit breaker. It is confusing because technically you could overload just one outlet by plugging in something that takes more then 15AMPS right???

Answer 1

Erniemigi can be held liable for any damages caused by his post.

There is no limit to the number of outlets on a branch circuit. The recommended load, however, should not exceed 80% of the circuit capacity.

Answer 2

emiemigi said that he put in a bigger breaker. CousinJim mentions the circuit capacity. Here are some additional parts of the circuit you should care about.

If one device is overloading a circuit, that outlet needs to be rated for 20 amps.
The wire needs to match ie. 15 amp requires 14 Guage,
20 amp requires 12 guage.

And like Jim said, the total circuit should not expect to carry more than 80% of that load. The amount of outlets unused does not matter.

Listen to CousinJim so you won't have to talk to FriendFireFighter.

Answer 3

Potentially, yes, it could be. Standard household distribution for common wall outlets is 15 amps for the complete circuit being protected by any individual circuit breaker. 15 amps, at 120 volts, gives a capability of 1800 watts. If you were drawing that much, however, the breaker might still open because of power load fluctuations that could cause an over load. Personally, I would not advise going over 14 amps on any 1 circuit. You need to do a tally of all of the devices for what their rated wattage is. If it is under that 1800, then you are okay. That 1800 watts, by the way, is based on a voltage of 120 volts. The biggest issue is that you do not exceed 15 amps, my preference, 14 amps. All of your loads need to be checked for their wattage, as well as the current rating on them. One sure fire way to find out is to turn everything on at 100% operating capability. If the circuit breaker pops, and everything goes black, then you'll know that you are over loaded. One very important point, those 3 outlets are wired in parallel. If you have loads in all 3, then your maximum load for all 3 outlets is only 5 amps for each outlet. The circuit breaker is set for 15 amps, maximum for the total circuit that it protects, not 15 amps per outlet. So, this is a point that you need to keep in mind.

Answer 4

You are correct. You can overload a circuit if you plug something in that draws more than 15 amps. So you need to think about each room and what you will have running. Your kitchen will be the most challenging. For example you could not run a toaster and a microwave at the same time on the same circuit. You could probably run them one at a time.

Now for bedrooms and bathrooms where you only have lights.

To calculate current demand the demand for a 120 volt circuit the formula is power=volts times amps. Or rearranging...

Amps=power divided by volts.

So a 120 watt bulb will draw 120 watts divided by 120 volts or
1 amp.

Generally it's not a problem adding more outlets if you are just trying to avoid extension cords. But if you're look for more devices, then do the arithmetic as described above. Each applicance will generally have a power rating or amperage requirements on the device somewhere.

Answer 5

If you are in the U.S.A. The code to my knowledge was the same in the 70s as now. For room receptacles , place within 6' of any opening such as a doorway. and not more then 12' apart. They can be as close as you want.The code puts no limits on the number of outlets on a 15amp or 20 amp circuit. There is a formula for the number of circuits per sq. footage. but you don't have to worry about that.The most important thing is that the correct size breakers are used for the wire guage( #14 copper on 15amp breaker and #12 copper on a 20 amp breaker). If breakers are sized correctly ,they will trip when they are supposed to without damage. If you are planning on using a particular appliance such as an air conditioner, you may want to run a dedicated line for it. Good luck. P.S. Aluminum wire was used for 15amp and 20amp circuits from about 1968 to 1973. If you have aluminum wire on these gauges have it looked at by a professional.

Answer 6

You are correct. In Tennessee, when I wired my house, 5 outlets and two overhead lights were the limit with 12 gauge wire and 20 amp breakers! One hairdryer could draw 10 or 12 amps, though. At least with breakers, they're easily reset. If you've got 14 gauge wiring with those 15 amp breakers, I'd add some new breakers & lines.

Answer 7

One solution is to add a new circuit with one outlet in each room. This is actually pretty common in remodeled houses. If you do this, keep a floor plan with each outlet clearly marked near the breaker box for future reference.

Whatever you do, DO NOT just replace the breaker as suggested above. A 20-amp breaker with 14 guage wires is a fire waiting to happen.

Answer 8

Erniemigi is soooo wrong. It is so dangerous to do that. 14 gauge wire on a 20 Amp circuit?

Do the job right. Bring out a new circuit from the panel (12/3 cable is good for two circuits) and run new receptacles.

Answer 9

In California you can have six outlets on one 20 amp breaker. Outlets should be on 20A, lights on 15A.

Answer 10

Check with your local inspector or Fire Marshall as some localites limit the number of devices per circut. In my area we are limited to 6 duplex outlets per circut per local code, local code can be stricter than the NEC. There will also be a diference between residential and commericial/industrial.