Do I Need A 15 Amp Or 20 Amp Light Switch

If a lighting circuit has a 10 amp load operating at 125 volts ac the switch that controls that circuit must be rated at a minimum of 125 volts 10 amps ac even on a circuit with a 20 amp circuit breaker.

Do i need a 15 amp or 20 amp light switch.

In fact it would be advisable to install a single 20 amp receptacle instead of the duplex receptacle. National electric code 404 14 specifies that a switch may control a load that does not exceed the rating of the switch. 20 amp outlets have a special pin configuration which allows a device drawing 20 amps to be plugged in. 99 of all switches in a residence are 15 amp as per code if the circuits supplies more than one outlet this includes switches as it s an outlet for electricity it is not considered a special.

You might not think it s a huge price difference but when bidding jobs every penny counts. If the 20 amp device requires 20 amps to operate it would not be advisable to connect another device to the receptacle. This will help to accomodate for those brown out conditons caused by voltage drops if that s your issue and nothing in the code. Be sure that your switches are rated for 20 amp thru 15 amp use.

This would at the very least trip the 15 amp breaker. That ll tell you which switch to go with. Second yes you can safely use a 20 amp switch on a 15 amp circuit. At worst it could be a fire.