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RE: Cable current capability



Original poster: "Mccauley, Daniel H by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <daniel.h.mccauley-at-lmco-dot-com>



If you are installing permanent wiring (to / from load centers etc...), you
need to make sure it not only meets the current
requirements of what you are powering, but also meets the code requirements.
Also, you need to find out the maximum service current entering your house
to see if even a 50A 240V line can be added.  I would have doubts a 50A line
would be able to sufficiently provide 10kW of output on a pole transformer,
if you were attempting that.  Without some sort of PFC front end, you most
definitely need to go to a 100A line to achieve 10kW output power.

6 AWG wire can handle up to 100A in free air or up to about 60A if it is
bundled with other conductors (not as easy to dissipate heat).  This wire
should be no problem if you are drawing only 50A.  Depending on length, you
may have some voltage drop due to the ac resistance of the wire, but that
shouldn't affect you too much.

The Captain



 > Hi all,
 >
 > I have two AC cables. One is 50 feet of 6/4 the other is 20
 > feet 4/4. I'd
 > like to use the longer one, 50ft. 6/4, to power a 10Kva pig,
 > 240vac. Is
 > that cable heavy enough considering it's length? I've never
 > done house
 > wiring of any kind and this hobby really challenges the limit of my
 > knowledge of 240vac supply handling. There's an empty slot in
 > the breaker
 > box where I can install an extra 50 amp tandem breaker so getting the
 > 240vac in the first place shouldn't be a problem as far as I can see.
 >
 > Thanks!
 >
 > Rick W.
 >
 >