20 Amp GFI on 15 Amp breaker?

[ltj2489]

Hello everyone, first post!

My question is:
I just had an electrician install a new 15 amp breaker to my panel up to a dedicated GFI receptacle. When I looked at the receptacle I noticed that it is 20 amps!

From everything I have read the amps of the GFI and the breaker should match. Is there a reason other than error that this was done? The 20 amp GFI must have been more expensive than a 15 amp so he obviously did not do it to cut costs...

Thanks for your help!

[kactuskid]

That's a great catch. A 20 amp GFCI cannot be installed on a 15 amp circuit, however a 15 amp GFCI can be installed on a 20 amp circuit. In your case the receptacle should definatly be replaced with a 15 amp GFCI. The difference in price is only a couple bucks so the electrician may of just grabbed the wrong one.

[ltj2489]

Well its interesting....After doing some more research I am no longer convinced its a 20 AMP GFI. What got me thinking that it was a 20 amp is that on the side of the receptacle it says "20 Amp".

However, while researching online I learned that a 20 amp receptacle has an extra slot on the left side -|| as opposed to 15 amp || in order to allow for high amperage drawing things to be plugged into it. My supposed 20 amp GFI does not have this extra slot.

I then went to my panel in the basement because I remembered it has a GFI plug right off of it. I checked the breaker and it is 15 amp. Removed the face plate for the GFI and sure enough it says "20 Amp".

So now I am thoroughly perplexed. I went up to my kitchen where I knew there was a true 20 amp GFI because it has the extra slot. I removed its faceplate and sure enough it says "20 Amp".

So, does Leviton just imprint 20 amp on every GFI it makes, even though it is not truly 20 amp unless it has that extra slot?

[kactuskid]

You are correct in that 20 amp receptacles do have the additional little slot. The only thing I can think of is that on most 15 amp receptacles it will also say "20 amp feed thru" meaning that the 15 amp recep can be used on a 20 amp circuit. Does it stipulate feed thru?

[ltj2489]

It doesn't say "feed through". I think I'll go to the hardware store, open a box for a 15 amp recepacle, and see what it says.

The fact that it doesn't have the slot makes me feel comfortable that it really is only a 15 amp GFI. That and the fact that the one coming off my panel also says "20 amp" even though it too is connected to a 15 amp breaker.

I can't imagine two electricians making the same mistake...[8D]

[PhillyVolt]

GFIC's come in 15/20 amp so that they can be used in Kitchens, where all receptable circuits must be 20 amps. There are different GFCI's with 15 and 20 amp configurations, but they are the exact same products as the 15 amp ones. Seeing how you cannot plug a 20 amp plug into your new 15amp GFCI, you do not need to be concerned about it. The "guts" are the rated the same, but the plug shape is not; probably cheaper to manufacture this way.