What Size Cable Is Needed For 100 Amp Service

what size wire do I need for a 100 amp sub panel

Stuck on what wire size for 100 amp sub panel to employ? Does a 100 amp sub panel wire size correspond to a 100 amp wire? Or take you ever wondered what wire size for 100 amp service or what size wire exercise I need for a 100 amp sub panel?

Desire to know the short reply? A 100 amp sub panel wiring size requirement is #4 for copper wires and #2 for aluminum wires. Now, you may question what you should use for your wiring installation and what are the advantages and disadvantages of 1 wire type from another. We'll talk over these issues beneath.

Wire Sizes

Wiring size requirements differ per amp rating of the circuit. For example, you may use a 10 AWG or American Wire Judge for a 30 amp appliance, and a size viii AWG for a 45 amp device. The size of wire you volition apply will differ also depending on what particular electrical installation or servicing you lot will be doing.

Before reading wire sizes, information technology is important to know the basic technicalities of electrical installations. Many newbies or students without experience or advanced knowledge may miss these easily and crusade serious damages to appliances and or components.

American Wire Judge is the standard when measuring wire sizes. Guess simply describes the thickness of the wire through numbers. The smaller the number, the thicker the wire will be and vice versa.

By that, we can say that the thicker the wire, the more amperage a wire tin support and deliver. Knowing this aspect or property of wire can save y'all or your appliances from electric damage, especially curt circuits or even fire.

Choosing the Right Wire

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Depending on your preference, you may choose wires that yous recall will adjust your projection with respect to safety and burn hazard. Most manufacturers put labels on wire coatings or insulation indicating the textile's type and guess.

Most houses use copper wires for wiring installations, including sub-panels and other electrical components. Bigger infrastructures, including electrical posts, use aluminum wires instead of copper.

Aside from fire safety, infrastructure owners also take into consideration the economical aspect when choosing the correct blazon of materials for their wiring system.

Due to affluence, the employ of aluminum wire, although less conductive, is widely accepted because it offers a cheaper cost, different copper wire. Sacrificing a picayune bit of efficiency for the purpose of economical gain may be a tough call simply a worthy shot.

For the purpose of comparing, hither are the characteristics of copper and aluminum wires. This may aid y'all decide what to choose for your sub-panel installation and also provide boosted data that you may use for hereafter electric servicing.

Copper Wire

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Copper wires are extensively used in mod houses and infrastructures due to the wire's great conductibility and stability. Its stability and effectiveness in conducting electricity cannot exist closely compared to aluminum wires or any other material, giving copper the best output when talking about efficiency in power, next to argent.

Silver wire is a better choice in electrical conductivity than copper, merely it is not widely used in houses and other buildings or infrastructures due to its disadvantages in other properties, such as a lower melting indicate compared to copper and a higher cost than any other usual conductors nosotros are using.

Although silverish is not that feasible in homes, its employ was widely accepted when it comes to technology. Special wirings and critical components are loaded with silver wires because of the material's high conductive property.

Another factor why you should consider choosing copper wire instead of aluminum wire is that copper wire possesses high tensile strength — meaning it has much higher resistance and protection confronting breakage. It as well expands less at high temperatures compared to aluminum.

One drawback of choosing copper wire instead of aluminum wire is that copper wire somehow is heavier than aluminum when using the same volume. Copper wire is also costlier than aluminum wires, giving information technology a prominent disadvantage economically.

Aluminum Wire

100-amp-wire

If you decided to use aluminum wire for your 100 amp sub console, y'all should therefore use #2 aluminum wires to avert malfunctions such every bit short circuits that may cause electrical impairment to your components.

Aluminum wires are way cheaper than copper wires because of the material'south abundance and disadvantages compared to copper wires. Information technology is too lightweight, making it much lighter compared to copper.

Looking on the negative side, aluminum wires are inefficient in conducting electricity. It is also malleable but non ductile, and decumbent to galvanic corrosion because information technology oxidizes faster than copper. All these aspects, among others, brand aluminum less desirable in residential buildings.

Electric malfunctions come up after human errors and from the usage of inappropriate wire sizes, materials, and substandard components. Moreover, opting for safer and more efficient materials will significantly contribute to run a risk reduction and mitigation.

Fire Safety

If you are planning on installing or fixing sub-panels and came beyond a decision where y'all have to choose whether to use copper or aluminum wires, these are the things yous should consider.

Copper is more often than not safer to use in electrical installations such as sub-panels because compared to aluminum, copper does not expand hands like aluminum wires when current runs through the wires.
The conductive property of copper makes it efficient in transmitting ability or electric current from one end to another. Hence, the manual does not crave much energy that can exist lost in the procedure or transformed into a different form of free energy such as heat that may atomic number 82 to a burn.
Materials you buy, may it be copper or aluminum wire, should laissez passer the standard ready along by your authorities. This will give yous enough confidence that you are beginning your project on the right path.

Considering all safety precautions, it is also all-time to know what yous are really doing and the things you are virtually to deal with. Aside from fire prophylactic, your physiological safety should be the meridian priority. In other words, before doing whatever electrical installations, you should be attentive to things like:

If you are not ready to exercise it, practise non force yourself to practise it.
Equip yourself with more than knowledge before engaging in these kinds of jobs.
Gain feel and guidance from experienced individuals regarding the servicing you are about to do.
Call a professional electrician to do the job for you.

Conclusion

Hopefully, y'all tin now answer the question "what size wire do I need for a 100 amp sub panel?"

Bated from that knowledge, know what precautions to accept when installing or servicing your sub-panels or any other blazon of electrical components.

If you happen to be afraid of risking electrical damages, keep in mind:

If you are not prepare to practice it, do not force yourself to do it.
Equip yourself with more noesis before engaging in these kinds of jobs.
Proceeds feel and guidance from experienced individuals regarding the servicing you are near to exercise.
Telephone call a professional electrician to practise the job for y'all.