There are many reasons behind it which is why we have listed some of the reasons down below: Overloading or overheating: Wire gauge holds the most important part of the circuit. You can mix the two different gauges in a 15 amp circuit because the circuit will draw less power than the capability of the two different gauges. You shouldn’t mix the two gauges in a 20 amp circuit because 14 gauged wires cannot take overloading in a 20 amp circuit. However, there are some restrictions that you will need to know which are very important. Therefore, people mix the 12 and 14 gauge wires in order to distribute the power through both of the gauges and prevent the wires from overheating. Sometimes due to the overloading or drawing of more power by the circuit burns the wire because of the low gauge which might cause a potential fire pssibility. Therefore, people mix the two different gauges to carry the overloading of power. Sometimes in the circuit, the circuit fails to operate its function to control current which is why the circuit can draw more power than usual. Well, the main reason people mix 12 and 14 gauge is that to prevent overloading. There are two main reasons why people mix 12 and 14 gauge wire and we have explained the reasons down below: Overloading: What happens if you mix 12 and 14 gauge wire? In the case of a 15 amps circuit, you can use both 12 and 14 gauge-sized wires. ![]() However, it is really crucial that you make sure that you are using the correct gauge wire for the number of amps in the circuit.Īlthough you can have the idea of the gauge by simply looking at the wire because the smaller the gauge the thinner the wire will be.īut you should never ever guess the amp capacity of the circuit by simply looking at the gauge rather you should have a proper idea about circuit power as well as the right gauge size for different amp-rated circuits.īefore mixing the gauges make sure that you are not wiring 14 gauge in a 20 amp circuit rather you can use 12 gauges in a 20 amp circuit. It’s completely okay to mix 12 and 14 gauge wire especially if you want to prevent overloading or overheating. To avoid the confusion between amperage and gauge, you just need to plug a higher amp-rated circuit with heavier gauge wires which will draw neither more nor less power, just the required amount of power. It is highly recommended that you should only use 14 gauge wire in a 15 amp circuit, not in a 20 amp circuit. However, you can also connect 12 gauge wire in a 15 amp but you will need to be assured that the circuit is actually rated 15 amp of power. ![]() 15 amp circuit:įor a 15 amp circuit you will need to wire the whole circuit with 14 gauge wire. If you place an air cooler that has a capacity of 20 amp and connects it to a 15 amp circuit with a 14 gauge wire then there will be a high chance of fire accident.Īs if the circuit breaker fails to control the current flow then the 20 amp circuit will draw more power that can burn the wire and can cause a fire risk. It is highly recommended that you shouldn’t use 14 gauge wire in a 20 amp circuit, rather you should use 12 gauge wire in a 20 amp circuit. However, you can connect the wires differently such as you can 12 gauge wire for a circuit that has an amp capacity of either 20 amp or 15 amp. It is highly important that you shouldn’t mix the wires if you want to connect them in a circuit without knowing the amperage.
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