14-50 outlet, electrician installed 20 Amp Double-Pole Type QP Circuit Breaker...

[Rocky_H]

Not sure this is accurate. Maybe if you prominently label it as 40 amp max. Because as you say future users would expect it to have a 50 amp max. A normal 14-50 should be still a 50 amp.installation.

Never heard of an outlet not being able to draw the max allowed from it. Especially when it’s only a few feet from the panel.

This is a specifically laid out condition in NEC. For 40A circuits, that are going to have to have an outlet put on them to plug in something like an oven that only needs a 40A circuit, what type of outlet would you attach to that? There is no 14-40 or 6-40. There just aren't any 40A outlet types. So the code officially says that the 50A outlet types are to be used on either 40 or 50 amp circuits.

 

[ucmndd]

This is a specifically laid out condition in NEC. For 40A circuits, that are going to have to have an outlet put on them to plug in something like an oven that only needs a 40A circuit, what type of outlet would you attach to that? There is no 14-40 or 6-40. There just aren't any 40A outlet types. So the code officially says that the 50A outlet types are to be used on either 40 or 50 amp circuits.

Agreed that yes, this is a well-defined special case given the non-existence of standard 40 amp receptacles.

However, I think relying on this exception for general use 14-50s in accessible locations is poor judgment and ill advisable in nearly all scenarios. The intent of the exception was really for purpose-built circuits for things like electric ranges, where their accessibility and location generally precludes any rando from walking by and plugging something in that may well try and draw full power.