JHZR2
Staff member
There definitely is logic in that. I doubt most folks with relatively modern electric systems ever trip a breaker on overload, unless there are a lot of hair dryers or space heaters operating.The builder who built my house seems to have found it preferable to add more 15-amp circuits rather than fewer 20-amp circuits. Less of the outlets go dead if a breaker trips, and 14AWG wire is much, much easier to work with than 12AWG wire. Part of this includes not putting lighting and receptacles in the same room on the same breaker, so that if something plugged into a receptacle trips the breaker, the whole room isn't plunged into darkness.
As far as working with 12AWG, I wanted to strangle the electrician who thought it was a swell idea to join 4 12AWG romex cables in a kitchen outlet box where a GFCI was installed. That's just STUPID design right there. I could've done it better using LESS cable because the non-GFCI outlet (but fed from a GFCI) in the chain is right above the load center.
More circuits is prudent since when one goes there’s more opportunity for others to be operating and providing light.
The only time I’ve ever tripped a breaker is when fluorescent lights are plugged into GFCI/AFCI/combination breakers.