What size wire is needed for a 50 Amp RV service?
Every electrician knows that a 50-amp wire has to have a larger diameter than a 20-amp or 30-amp one, and it's a good thing because undersizing an electrical wire can start a fire.Amp is a measure of electrical current, which is similar to a flow of negatively charged particles called electrons.The more water particles pass a given point per unit time, the more power the river has.The strength of the current is determined by the number of electrons that pass a given point per unit time.
The wire size is similar to the riverbed.When you try to pass too much current through a wire, it can cause water to spill over the sides and erode the banks.The smaller the wire, the higher the resistance and the more heat it produces.Too strong of an electrical current through a wire can cause overheating, which can melt the wire insulation and cause a fire.The National Electrical Code has a wire size chart.
The gauge number is the number of wires that can pass through a hole.Smaller gauge numbers refer to thinner wires, and larger gauge number refers to fatter wires.The gauge numbers correspond to a particular cross-sectional diameter or area.14-gauge wire has a cross-sectional area of 1.63mm and a diameter of 2.59mm, while 10-gauge is larger with a width of 5.26mm.
A limit on how many Amps can be safely passed through a wire is established by the NEC.Although aluminum wire isn't commonly used in residential wiring, the ratings chart distinguishes between it and copper wire.
In residential wiring, 12 AWG is the most common wire gauge, used for wiring a light fixture as well as a standard or GFCI receptacle, and many electricians use it even when 14AWG wire would be acceptable.Standard 12-gauge 2-conductor cable (which also includes a ground wire, which isn't counted as a conductor) is identified on the sheathing as 12/2 cable, and if the cable has a third conductor, it's needed for special applications such as three-way light switches.
A 240-volt appliance, such as a water heater, air conditioner or stove, draws more current than a 120-volt light or receptacle and calls for a lower wire gauge.An electric dryer needs to be wired with 10-gauge cable, while an electric range or hot tub needs 8-gauge copper wire.Some energy efficient home air systems draw only 40 Amp and can be wired with 8-gauge cable, while less efficient ones may draw 60 Amp.
Two or three-conductor cable is required for some appliances.They need two wires that can carry 120 and 240 volts.Three-conductor cable is used for wiring circuits that need a neutral conductor.The hot wires form a leg of the circuit and must be controlled by a separate circuit breaker device, and the two breakers are coupled to make sure that if one leg trips, the other does as well.A double-pole circuit breaker is usually used.The large-diameter wire is held by a heavy-duty lug on each half of the breaker.The NEC requires most appliances to be controlled by dedicated circuits, and the breaker rating must correspond to the current draw of the appliance.
Smaller-gauge aluminum wires can be used at higher temperatures because they have a lower temperature rating and are cheaper than copper.It fell into disuse due to the fact that it rusts, which doesn't happen with copper.It requires special connections because of the lower conductivity, which can cause overheating.
The performance of electrical equipment can be affected by the length of a long wire.The solution is to increase the wire gauge.To avoid the effects of voltage drop, the 50-amp wire size should be increased to 6 AWG.
When you run too many appliances, drawing current that is below the rating of your 50-amp breaker but above the capacity of the wire, you won't notice any effect until the day you wire an electrical circuit with an undersized wire.The insulation on the wire can melt, exposing bare conductors that can pass electricity between them.A short circuit can cause a fire if it creates high temperatures and arcs.Since there is no danger in oversizing wires, it's always safer to use a lower wire gauge.What size wire is needed for a 50-amp circuit?Is anything larger than 8 gauge.