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New Electrical Work
Electrical work ranges from the installation of new electrical components to the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. It may also include wiring airplanes, ships and other mobile platforms.
4,938 Questions
How far away should the disconnect for an air conditioner condensing unit be?
The IRC states that an AC unit should have "A readly accessable disconnect within sight from unit as the only allowable means".
Can you use a 2 pole 60 amp breaker to feed one circuit?
No, you cannot use one in place of the other.
What kind of wire is used for water heaters?
It depends on the electricity consumtion of the hot water tank either 10/2 or 12/2 and on the lengh of the run from the panel to the tank.
How far is the required distance between electrical outlet and sink in an office building?
Before the code requiring all outlets to have GFCI protection that at within 6' of a water source you were required to install the outlet at least 6' from the sink. Now, there is no minimum distance but all outlets must be GFCI protected that are installed within 6' of a water source.
What wire size for 125 amp service?
The short answer, if using copper, is 0 AWG, commonly referred to as 1/0 or "one ought".
Type of wire depends on location & temperature, but in my common scenario I am using 1/0 THHN inside a 2" schedule 40 PVC conduit (3 - 1/0 wires plus a 4 ga bare ground) to run indoors, a distance of about 25 feet from my main panel to a sub for upstairs.
I could go into more detail regarding outdoor, direct burial, grounding, aluminum wire, etc but would need more details.
What amps will 12-2 electrical wire carry at 150 feet?
On a voltage drop question, the voltage of the system needs to be stated. The answer is for a three wire 240 volt North American system.
A 3/0 copper conductor will limit the voltage drop to 2% or less when supplying 200 amps for 150 feet on a 240 volt system.
What size and type of wire is used for ground in 200 amp service?
Minimum size grounding conductor for a 200 amp service entrance is #6 bare copper.
The conductor connected to a metal water pipe, or whatever your primary grounding electrode is, is required to be #4 copper. This size requirement is often missed.
The conductor connected to a ground rod is only required to be #6 regardless of the size of service. Typical installation is #6 bare solid copper.
How do you change a fuse box to a circuit box in your home?
1. First, find out why the fuse tripped. It could be that you plugged in a heater or drill or saw and caused the fuse to blow. If you know when it happened and what caused the fuse to blow, then go on to Step 2. FUSES DO NOT TRIP FOR NO REASON! A BLOWN FUSE COULD INDICATE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH A ELECTRICAL DEVICE, AN APPLIANCE, OR THE WIRING IN YOUR HOUSE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO FIND OUT WHY THE FUSE TRIPPED. 2. Now that you have found why it blew and have eliminated the reason the fuse blew, go to your fuse box. Look for a glass plug fuse with a discolored area that indicates a bad fuse. Some fuses have indicators that show when it has tripped. Make sure your hands are dry, and that the floor around the fusebox is dry. Glass plug fuses have a metal screw-shell base similar to an incandescent light bulb. Try not to touch the metal base as you unscrew the fuse. Grasp the fuse by the kurled glass or plastic edge of the top part that protrudes out from the fuse box. Using only one hand (to minimize the chance of a fatal shock), remove the bad fuse and replace it with a new one of the same size. You cannot mix-and-match--you must use the correct size of fuse. Using a larger size than the circuit was designed for is a proven method to burn down your house. The fuse must not allow more current than your wiring can withstand. Generally you should have 15 Amp fuses for 14 AWG and 20 Ampere fuses for 12 AWG, and 30 Ampere fuses for 10 AWG. 3. If the fuse is a cartridge type, the fuse holder will have a handle or ring. Grasp the handle and pull strongly outwards to remove the fuse holder. Once the holder is removed, you will see one or two cartridge fuses. Using an ohmmeter, check to see if one fuse is bad. If so, replace it with the same type and size. Then replug the fuseholder into the box. 4. While you still know which circuit this fuse controls, look in the fusebox Circuit Directory to make sure the circuit is labeled (showing what and where it is wired). If it is not labeled, get a pen and carefully label the circuit, so that the next time there is a problem you will know where that particular fuse is wired.
What gauge wire do you need for 220v 100a power?
I would recommend 1/0 just to be sure you have very little line loss.
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It depends on whether the 100 amp panel is rated at 100% or 80% loading.
If the panel is only rated for 100% loading, meaning that a full 100 amps can be drawn from it, the wire size will be #2 copper conductor which is rated at 130 amps. The feeder can only be loaded to 80 present so will have a working amperage of 130 x .8 = 104 amps.
If the panel is only rated at 80 percent loading then a #3 copper conductor can be used. A #3 copper conductor with an insulation factor of 90 degrees C is rated at 115 amps. 115 x .8 = 92 amps.
A #8 copper conductor with an insulation factor from 75 to 90 degrees C is rated at 45 amps.
As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.
Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
Can you use 120 volt bulb in 130 volt socket?
All other things being equal, an incandescent light should not "flicker" whether it is connected to 120 or 130 VAC.
How do you wire a 3 way dimmer switch that has two black wires and one green?
You need to first determine where wires go. If you Google 3 Way Switch you can get a diagram. Each switch has 3 contacts.. Think about a kids teeter totter. Each end represents a switch contact and the center is a common point. You connect the ends to either end on the 2nd switch. The common contact on one switch goes to supply power hot side and on the other switch the common point goes to the load. Then the neutral of supply connects to the load neutral and the supply ground connects to the ground of the load.
What size ground wire is required for 80 amp service?
Ground is sized based on the size of the feeder wire and not the amps of the service!
However, for a 600 amp service 1500MCM copper wire is one option (NEC 310.16) ;therefor, ground wire is 3/O copper (NEC 250.66)
or
another option is a two sets of 350 MCM copper wire then a #2 copper (since the biggest feeder wire is 350MCM).
What is the amp load of a 12 gauge wire?
It depends upon the distance, but typically a short to medium run (0-50 feet) of 12 gauge can carry 20 amps safely. There are charts that list the gauge of wire and the length of runs that can carry amperages safely. For instance, a 12 gauge wire run 150 feet can only carry 15 amps safely instead of 20. The longer the run, you need to drop a gauge as a general rule.
What is the green and yellow wire in a plug called?
that's the earth plug and it must be connected, otherwise circuit protection will not operate properly.
How deep do you need to put conduit in the ground?
Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.
There are a lot of different rules that apply to your question. Generally, when buried on residential property, conduit may be buried as little as 12 inches, measured from the TOP of the conduit to the SURFACE of the soil at its shallowest point.
When buried on commercial or industrial property the general rule is 18 inches, but that can vary depending on the voltage involved, what type conduit is used, and what the surface material is.
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As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.
Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
What size wire for a 100 amp sub panel 40 ft away?
A #1 copper conductor is rated at 140 amps with an insulation rating factor of 90 degrees C at 240 volt single phase, will give you a full 100 amps at 200 feet. #4 wire should give you 95 amps. Anything over 200 feet you will start loosing more amps.
What size transformer do you need too feed two 200 amp panels?
You could do it with a 10kVA transformer, provided you're not operating either panel at anywhere near full capacity (as in most residences). If you're setting up a commercial installation, you might need closer to 70kVA to operate at full rated capacity (i.e., 80 percent of the load center rating).
What is largest wire you can use in 150 amp breaker panel?
A 1/0 copper conductor with an insulation factor of 75 and 90 degrees C is rated at 150 and 155 amps respectively. Any size larger that 1/0 can be used but no conductor smaller that 1/0 will be approved for connection.
What size wire to use for a 800 ft run on 20amp circuit?
To answer this question you have to know the voltage and load type. If this was a 110 Volt lighting application 12-2 should work. If this was a 220 Volt motor load 10-2 might be a better choice.
<><><> Copper wire 120 volts #6, at 240 volts #8. Aluminium wire 120 volts #4, at 240 volts #6. <><><> As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed. Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
How many degree bend permitted in conduit run?
Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.
A total of 360 degrees between openings, regardless of distance, is the NEC's limitation. From experience I know that any time you go beyond 270 degrees you are going to have a difficult pull regardless of what other steps you take.
360 degrees = 4 - 90 degree bends
270 degrees = 3 - 90 degree bends
<><><>
As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.
Before you do any work yourself,
on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,
always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB
SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY
REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
Can you use a 600 watt amp on a 300 watt speaker?
AS long as the impedance is a match you can use any speake with any amp. But if the power ratings are too mismatched don't expect it to sound that good. If the amp is stronger than the speaker, the speaker can be damaged if you crank the amp up high. And if you hook an amp to a too strong speaker the amp might have trouble powering it properly.
What color wire is attached to the narrowest slot in a duplex receptacle?
I do not know what you mean by long slot. The bare ground copper wire connects to the green screw or the ground screw. The black wire attaches to the copper or gold colored screw and the white wire connects to the silver or chrome screw. Both the gold and silver screws are on the side of the outlet. The ground screw will be on one end of the outlet.
