Difference between revisions of "Conductor size"
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Wires come in standard sizes depending upon the location. The proper wire size for a particular circuit depends on two important considerations: | Wires come in standard sizes depending upon the location. The proper wire size for a particular circuit depends on two important considerations: | ||
#The amount of current that they can safely carry given the conditions in which they will be used, which is called [[wire ampacity|wire ampacity]]. | #The amount of current that they can safely carry given the conditions in which they will be used, which is called [[wire ampacity|wire ampacity]]. | ||
| − | #The amount of voltage that will be lost under operation, which is called [[voltage drop|voltage drop]] | + | #The amount of voltage that will be lost under operation, which is called [[voltage drop|voltage drop]] |
| + | |||
| + | The wires for an off-grid system must will be sized and selected based upon the [[Load evaluation|load evaluation]] and the [[Physical evaluation|physical evaluation]] for a particular site. This process must be done in conjunction with the sizing and selection of the [[:Category:Overcurrent protection|overcurrent protection device]] - see [[:Category:Wire and overcurrent protection sizing and selection|Wire and overcurrent protection sizing and selection]] for more information. | ||
The two most common standards for wire size are American Wire Gauge (AWG) and mm². These two systems are not directly equivalent. | The two most common standards for wire size are American Wire Gauge (AWG) and mm². These two systems are not directly equivalent. | ||
| Line 11: | Line 13: | ||
! Standard metric equivalent (mm²) | ! Standard metric equivalent (mm²) | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | |18 AWG |
| − | | .82 mm² | + | |.82 mm² |
|1 mm² | |1 mm² | ||
|- | |- | ||
|16 AWG | |16 AWG | ||
| − | | 1.31 mm² | + | |1.31 mm² |
|1.5 mm² | |1.5 mm² | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 14 AWG | | 14 AWG | ||
| − | | 2.08 mm² | + | |2.08 mm² |
|2.5 mm² | |2.5 mm² | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | | + | |12 AWG |
| − | | 3.31mm² | + | |3.31mm² |
| − | | 4mm² | + | |4mm² |
|- | |- | ||
|10 AWG | |10 AWG | ||
Revision as of 12:12, 27 November 2020
Wires come in standard sizes depending upon the location. The proper wire size for a particular circuit depends on two important considerations:
- The amount of current that they can safely carry given the conditions in which they will be used, which is called wire ampacity.
- The amount of voltage that will be lost under operation, which is called voltage drop
The wires for an off-grid system must will be sized and selected based upon the load evaluation and the physical evaluation for a particular site. This process must be done in conjunction with the sizing and selection of the overcurrent protection device - see Wire and overcurrent protection sizing and selection for more information.
The two most common standards for wire size are American Wire Gauge (AWG) and mm². These two systems are not directly equivalent.
| Standard AWG | Metric equivalent | Standard metric equivalent (mm²) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 AWG | .82 mm² | 1 mm² |
| 16 AWG | 1.31 mm² | 1.5 mm² |
| 14 AWG | 2.08 mm² | 2.5 mm² |
| 12 AWG | 3.31mm² | 4mm² |
| 10 AWG | 5.26 mm² | 6 mm² |
| 8 AWG | 8.37 mm² | 10 mm² |
| 6 AWG | 13.3mm² | 16mm² |
| 4 AWG | 21.2 mm² | 25 mm² |
| 3 AWG | 26.7 mm² | |
| 2 AWG | 33.6 mm² | 35 mm² |
| 1 AWG | 42.4 mm² | 50 mm² |
| 1/0 AWG | 53.5 mm² | |
| 2/0 AWG | 67.4 mm² | 70 mm² |
| 3/0 AWG | 85 mm² | 95 mm² |
| 4/0 AWG | 107 mm² | 120 mm² |
