Difference between revisions of "Conductor size"
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[[File:Wiresize201127.png|thumb|right|A comparison of standard mm² wire sizes and standard AWG wire sizes. AWG decreases as wire size increases, mm² increases as wire size increases.]] | [[File:Wiresize201127.png|thumb|right|A comparison of standard mm² wire sizes and standard AWG wire sizes. AWG decreases as wire size increases, mm² increases as wire size increases.]] | ||
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: |
Revision as of 14:51, 30 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.
- 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 | Cross sectional area | Standard metric equivalent |
---|---|---|
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 |