DIY question..20a or 15a for swimming pool

[Bobby G]

Hey there,

My swimming pool has a 1.5 HP motor (120v,15a) that is plugged into a 15a duplex outlet. It's on a dedicated 20a GFCI (in the breaker panel) and it's fed using 12 gauge wire. I recently bought a new timer (sight unseen) that turned out to be a 120v,20a timer with twist lock connections.

Would it be safe/unsafe to swap out my 15a outlet and plugs and convert them to a 20a twist lock plug and receptacle so that I can use the new timer ??

Thanks in advance,
Bobby

 

[Megawatt]

Hey there,

My swimming pool has a 1.5 HP motor (120v,15a) that is plugged into a 15a duplex outlet. It's on a dedicated 20a GFCI (in the breaker panel) and it's fed using 12 gauge wire. I recently bought a new timer (sight unseen) that turned out to be a 120v,20a timer with twist lock connections.

Would it be safe/unsafe to swap out my 15a outlet and plugs and convert them to a 20a twist lock plug and receptacle so that I can use the new timer ??

Thanks in advance,
Bobby

Bobby welcome to the forum and as long as all power is off yes you can change them out. If it was me and it’s just 120vac I would just change the male plug on the cord and leave the receptacle like it is. The twist lock plug and receptacle is pretty expensive. Good luck my friend

 

[Bobby G]

Bobby welcome to the forum and as long as all power is off yes you can change them out. If it was me and it’s just 120vac I would just change the male plug on the cord and leave the receptacle like it is. The twist lock plug and receptacle is pretty expensive. Good luck my friend

Megawatt,

Thanks for the reply...Unfortunately the male and female plug receptacle on the timer are both twist lock, so I'd have to do both unfortunately....My big concern was plugging the 15a motor with a 20a twist lock plug into a 20a twist lock plug and not having the 20a burn out the motor.

 

[davesparks]

Having a 20A socket amd plug does not push 20A into the pump.
The pump motor will draw whatever power it requires, regardless of what size plug/socket you connect it to a pump which requires 14A will only draw 14A unless sometjing goes wrong.

 

[Megawatt]

Megawatt,

Thanks for the reply...Unfortunately the male and female plug receptacle on the timer are both twist lock, so I'd have to do both unfortunately....My big concern was plugging the 15a motor with a 20a twist lock plug into a 20a twist lock plug and not having the 20a burn out the motor.

Bobby you shouldn’t have any problems changing to 20 amp plug and receptacle. I thought you was going to have to buy both. As Dave said it’s not going to draw more amps than it already does