electrical question 15 v 30 amp and wire size

Linwood

Active Member
This is inspired by another question, plus something I saw in my panel.

I found that we have 10/2 run to an outside area where once was to be a outdoor kitchen. It was removed, and only some lights installed instead, and at the exterior 14/2 was spliced into the 10/2.

Some electrician at some point fixed this in a way that I think is legal but am now curious. The 10/2 enters the panel and there the white and bare go to the terminal strips, the black is connected to a black 14 guage wire (with a wire nut) going to a 15A breaker.

In interpreted this as their way of indicating that somewhere on that branch circuit is 14 guage wire, so no one owuld connect it to a 30A break based on the size of the wire entering the panel.

But it seems a bit hokey also. Setting aside whether it was well done -- is it up to NEC code?

I assume the alternative is a separate subpanel breaking out to two 15A breakers to join the 14G wire, somewhere "out there" instead of just a splice, but is it required?
 
Although a bit "hokey" as you say, but nevertheless, is up to code. It was not necessary to put the 14AWG pigtail in the panel, but I agree with you, this probably serves as an indicator that there is more 14AWG wire in the circuit, but it could also be that the circuit breaker is not listed for using size 10AWG wire.
 
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