If you can match the ampacity to the correct gauge, you cannot go wrong. The white wire is neutral.Īs you can see, the size of the wire doesn’t change regardless of the nature of the application. The cable has red, black, white, and green wires. The 2-pole 50A breaker uses 6-gauge wire. If your home uses 240V, you know that it requires two wires. Therefore, you can trust it to carry 50 amps without overheating. 6AWG copper wire is rated for 55 amps (you need 4AWG wire for an aluminum conductor). You need a 6AWG conductor to accommodate a 50A circuit breaker.Ī thinner wire is dangerous because the current will generate hazardous amounts of heat that the conductor cannot withstand. I expect you to buy thicker wires once the length exceeds 55 feet. But those estimate applies to wires of 55 feet or less. 50-Amp Subpanel Wire Sizeĥ0A subpanel requires sizes ranging from 6 to 3AWG. The best option is to get the correct gauge. The inconvenience is worth it to keep your family safe from fire and electrocution hazards. Admittedly, larger gauges produce stiff and heavy cables that are difficult to install.īut you don’t have to worry about those thick wires overheating. However, there are no consequences for using a thicker wire than the circuit requires. People don’t want to use thick wires because they are expensive. Besides ruining your appliance, you could start a fire. A lower gauge number translates into a thicker wire with a larger diameter. Note: While calculating this wire size, I’ve taken 3% of voltage drop into considerationĪ higher gauge number translates into a thinner wire with a small diameter. However, the wire size may fluctuate depending upon building code, potential voltage drops, material, duty cycle, and ambient temperature. Otherwise, you could burn your house down. For that reason, you have to use the correct gauge for a 50A circuit. People use 50A circuits to run heavy-duty appliances like kitchen ovens and dryers. The ampacity takes conditions like the temperature and length into account. The ampacity is a measurement that shows you the maximum electrical current a conductor can continuously transmit.
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