Electrician needed in MD

[dmatt56]

Hello everyone

 

I am in desperate need of an electrician to replace a breaker for me. I'm in Odenton, MD. Anyone know a guy or know a guy who knows a guy that could swap breakers for me?

 

I may also need to upgrade from a 15 to 20 amp breaker.

 

Thanks

Matt

Edited December 9, 2013 by Coral Hind
combined threads

[Geoffwehler]

Piece of cake. Most just snap in. Don't touch anything but the breaker until it's off the panel.

 

 

 

[Scott_LM]

Replacing a breaker is pretty simple.  There are U-tube videos that show you how.  Normally just a screw or snap-in.  Make sure you get the right size.  Copy down panel info (make,model etc)and if possible take the old one with you.  You should turn off the main breaker (big one usually will say 200/250/there-abouts on it).  The individual breakers will not be hot any more, but keep in mind the large wires (normally 3; 2 hots 1 neutral) will still be energized.

 

You cannot simply replace a 15 amp with a 20.  All the outlets and wire that feed them are rated for 15 amps thus placing them on a 20 amp breaker will make them burn up before the breaker trips (NOT WHAT YOU WANT) defeating it's purpose.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Scott_LM

[wildcrazyjoker81]

I can come by tomorrow and do it for you if you want.

[Big Country]

I've used Clarified Electric in Catonsville 410-788-9034

[dave w]

You don't want to swap a 15 for a 20 amp breaker.  The breaker is there to keep the wire from overheating and causing a fire.  The wire size determines the breaker amps.  Upgrading a higher amp breaker for wire that can only take 15 amps can cause a fire inside the wall.

[pizzaguy]

Speaking from experience definitely do not try to put in a bigger breaker.

[John Ford]

As long as there are more than one 15 amp outlet it's perfectly fine/legal to have them on a 20 amp breaker. You have to make sure the wire from the breaker all the way to the last device is rated for a 20 amp breaker.

Very rarely do breakers go bad usually it's because they are overloaded or there is a short somewhere. I would help out if you were a bit closer.

[John Ford]

I will try to keep an eye on this thread today if I can help id be more than happy to give my advice.

 

What is the breaker feeding anyways?

[paul b]

[John Ford]

This one cracks me up too

[Origami]

I was always under the impression that a 20A circuit required 12 gauge wire. Most 15A circuits are wired using 14 gauge (smaller) and thus cannot be compliant with the NEC (National Electrical Code) using a simple breaker swap. Can any professional electrician chime in on this? I believe that it's Code section 310....

[Origami]

You don't want to swap a 15 for a 20 amp breaker.  The breaker is there to keep the wire from overheating and causing a fire.  The wire size determines the breaker amps.  Upgrading a higher amp breaker for wire that can only take 15 amps can cause a fire inside the wall.

+1. See your other thread. I believe that that the National Electrical Code requires 12 gauge wire for a 20A circuit. Most builders wire 15A circuits using  (smaller)14 gauge wire. Confirm your wire size on the circuit before swapping breakers like this.

[paul b]

Tom, I have only been a professional electrician for 40 years but #12 wire is required for 20 amps and #14 wire is fine for 15 amps.  It is a violation to put a 20 amp breaker on #14 wire but it is stupidly done in many places.  It "probably" would not cause a fire if you ran 20 amps through #14 wire but it would get nice and hot.  Anyplace where there would be a kink or splice in that configuration, the wire would probably melt and that could cause a fire.  It is illegal anyway.

You can put a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit (I think, I am retired and forgot a lot) the copper in the 15 amp receptacle is not rated for 20 amps so it may get a little hot if you tried to draw 20 amps out of it.

 

 

Very rarely do breakers go bad

This is true, there was a big circuit breaker company named Federal Pacific Circuit Breakers that were the exception.  On the job we used to install them and arc weld with the wire as you couldn't trip those breakers.  By the way, fuses are much safer than breakers but most people will argue about that.

Edited December 8, 2013 by paul b

[Scott_LM]

I stand corrected on the 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp breaker.  I just looked it up in the NEC.

 

Ref  section 210.21 Outlet Devices. 2008 NEC  

 

a little outdated but the only reference I could find (quick search).    The section does mention that it is against code to place only 1 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp breaker/circuit, but this is rarely done.  I will stand by my argument though.  It seems irresponsible to mismatch ratings like that.  This implies that the 15 amp rating for the receptacle is worthless.  I do not want to assume that noone would ever plug a 15+ amp device into this outlet.

[davelin315]

I wouldn't simply replace a breaker with a higher amperage unless you know the wires are designed for it.  With what we do in our tanks, you're courting disaster by simply swapping out a breaker.  When it trips, it's because you're reaching the limitations of the wiring and it's preventing it from getting too hot, if you skip over this you'd probably be OK, but why take that risk?  Eventually you'll pay the price for it... also, you would need to replace your sockets and any GFCI devices on there are probably designed for the 15 amp breaker, so any time you switch it on and off, you'll trip all of the circuits.

[John Ford]

Federal pacific electric was always called "Fire Prone electric" I had a 400a panel board blow up in my face years again and the bucket didn't trip in the main electric room. Lost all the hair on the side of my head and burnt the fronts of my fingers. Kind of getting off topic here though...

 

I would bet if 95% of the people reading this this would go in their kitchen right now and look at their outlets they are 15 amp outlets. They are on 20amp breakers. There's two 20a circuits required for each kitchen and one of those circuits has to extend Into the dinning room. Not that I agree with it but it's just the way things are done. The code book is a bare minimum requirement. Which all contractors, well 95% of contractors go by.

 

It's correct to say 14 wire on a 15 amp breaker or 12 wire on a 20 amp breaker unless you get into motor control centers but that's a different convo also. I don't have 40 years in the trade but I do have a solid 15 years of experience, and have my Virginia Masters

[AlanM]

The only 20A outlet I have ever seen in any house is the one I had added by my favorite master electrician for my espresso maker which requires a 20A and has the special plug configuration to go into a 20.

 

That same electrician put 15A breakers on the 4 counter circuits in my kitchen he added which are also all 20A circuits. Hope he did it right.

[John Ford]

By the way, fuses are much safer than breakers but most people will argue about that.

A agree with that all the way. Circuit breakers that are not tested or even turned off and back on after many years have the tendency to not trip at all. Fuses will always burn out after their rating no matter how old they are.

[John Ford]

That same electrician put 15A breakers on the 4 counter circuits in my kitchen he added which are also all 20A circuits. Hope he did it right.

I don't understand how he put 15amp breakers on all 20amp circuits

 

The code was made for the appliances everyone use in their kitchens. One of those circuits go into the dinning room for the chance someone plugs a hot plate in or equivalent.

[John Ford]

You mean he used 15 amp breakers but used 20 amp plugs?

[AlanM]

I don't understand how he put 15amp breakers on all 20amp circuits

The code was made for the appliances everyone use in their kitchens. One of those circuits go into the dinning room for the chance someone plugs a hot plate in or equivalent.

  

You mean he used 15 amp breakers but used 20 amp plugs?

Sorry, meant to say he put 15A outlets. on all 20A countertop circuits. Mixed up words.

[John Ford]

Your fine. That's how it's done across the US most of the time, unless the sparky goes above the minimum.

[paul b]

 I don't have 40 years in the trade

 

I did almost all commercial work in Manhattan and mostly big jobs like the Trade Center, Empire State Blds, Chrysler etc.  I was the foreman for most of those years.  Of course some of the jobs I would have done for free like the New York Playboy Club which I worked on for 2 years and Penthouse Magazine for another 2 years which I was also the foreman of.  But they paid me for some reason.   But like in homes we still had to install 14 amp and 20 amp outlets and the code is still the same.  We used to have to go by the New York City code which was stricter than the national code but that is gone now and we all go by the federal code.  I retired five years ago and some small things changed already.

Edited December 8, 2013 by paul b

[John Ford]

Nice! Playboy and Penthouse would have been a good one!

 

Before coming to Fairfax county public schools I built a lot of data centers for the dept of Education, Dept of Labor, NOAA, and the biggest one was the remodel at the Treasury Annex in DC. I also got to build a Data center up here for NASA in case a hurricane was in Florida they would fly up here and give the astronauts support from Chantilly. I worked hand and hand with the City Of Fairfax and Dominoin power getting rid of their overhead lines to underground.

I remodeled ever Ruby Tuesday from Elizabeth City NC to Harrisburg Pa when they changed their look to a bistro look. That sucked and acually kind of did me in. That's a year of my life I can not get back...

Edited December 8, 2013 by John Ford