Electrical question 4 gauge wire

Aeroknow

Aeroknow

Well-Known Member
patrickkawi37 said:
Am I at a fire risk? I wish I could call the guy and ask for my money back
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Well, I only hook shit up the rite way. If I'm in too deep, I have my electrician brother do it. If my brother did me, like that dude did you, I'd fucking murder him.
The guy who put that 100A breaker on that wire is a fucking retard.

To your question:
running too large of a breaker on a too thin gauge wire, is always going to increase chance for fire. I can't say for sure it will happen of course. But yes, no good.
I would immediately find out what breaker is acceptable for that wire/run, and install it.
 
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patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
Aeroknow said:
Well, I only hook shit up the rite way. If I'm in too deep, I have my electrician brother do it. If my brother did me, like that dude did you, I'd fucking murder him.
The guy who put that 100A breaker on that wire is a fucking retard.

To your question:
running too large of a breaker on a too thin gauge wire, is always going to increase chance for fire. I can't say for sure it will happen of course. But yes, no good.
I would immediately find out what breaker is acceptable for that wire/run, and install it.
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The dude kept telling me to quit asking questions as if I was insulting his intelligence . Now I'm out a lot of money and even more headaches. I am scared shitless too. I will upgrade the wire asap thankyou muxh for your information
 
Aeroknow

Aeroknow

Well-Known Member
patrickkawi37 said:
The dude kept telling me to quit asking questions as if I was insulting his intelligence . Now I'm out a lot of money and even more headaches. I am scared shitless too. I will upgrade the wire asap thankyou muxh for your information
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Again drop down to proper breaker. I'm not sure what it is, due to the long length of the run you got. I would call my brother and find out for you, but I already want to murder him.

If, after having the proper breaker, you trip the breaker, i would pull an additional run into a new subpanel.
 
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patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
Aeroknow said:
Well, I only hook shit up the rite way. If I'm in too deep, I have my electrician brother do it. If my brother did me, like that dude did you, I'd fucking murder him.
The guy who put that 100A breaker on that wire is a fucking retard.

To your question:
running too large of a breaker on a too thin gauge wire, is always going to increase chance for fire. I can't say for sure it will happen of course. But yes, no good.
I would immediately find out what breaker is acceptable for that wire/run, and install it.
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If I put a smaller breaker isn't there a chance it will be popping because there isn't enough juice? Which is better? Bigger breaker than the wire or maxing out the breakers. Fuck fuck fuck.
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
Is your 100FT of wire one way? Or the total of both the hot/return wire? At 200ft of REAL 4 guage COPPER you want to stay below 3500 watts (80% wire efficiency at that current level) anything that runs for more than an hour at a time should have headroom by utilizing a heavier guage wire for longer runs. How many watts do you need at the end of the wire?

Voltage (Drop) = wire resistance x amps of current (E=IR)
 
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patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Is your 100FT of wire one way? Or the total of both the hot/return wire? At 200ft of REAL 4 guage COPPER you want to stay below 3500 watts (80% wire efficiency at that current level) anything that runs for more than an hour at a time should have headroom by utilizing a heavier guage wire for longer runs. How many watts do you need at the end of the wire?

Voltage (Drop) = wire resistance x amps of current (E=IR)
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It is 100 feet one way and I'm doing a lot more than 3500 :(
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
patrickkawi37 said:
It is 100 feet one way and I'm doing a lot more than 3500 :(
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Give me a total wattage of what you need and i will give you a safe zone. 100FT one way of 4 guage is actually 200FT. Thats already a 10/15% loss through the wire at 4000 watts. The heat is generated by resistance of too long/small of a wire. If this were a television or bathroom light then it would be okay. But a constant load on that long of a 4 guage will greatly reduce the life of your wires and terminals and may even be a fire hazard eventually once the wire looses its conductivity through constant heat.
 
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patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Give me a total wattage of what you need and i will give you a safe zone. 100FT one way of 4 guage is actually 200FT. Thats already a 10/15% loss through the wire at 4000 watts. The heat is generated by resistance of too long/small of a wire. If this were a television or bathroom light then it would be okay. But a constant load on that long of a 4 guage will greatly reduce the life of your wires and terminals and may even be a fire hazard eventually once the wire looses its conductivity through constant heat.
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9k watts 48kbtu AC on 240v . Everything else is on 120v and its 3 dehumidifiers 15 wall fans 4 inline fans . I estimate 60 amps 240v and 30 ish amps 120v
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
patrickkawi37 said:
9k watts 48kbtu AC on 240v . Everything else is on 120v and its 3 dehumidifiers 15 wall fans 4 inline fans . I estimate 60 amps 240v and 30 ish amps 120v
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Ok. 9000 watts from JUST the 120v line correct? You are looking at double 0 guage. The very minimum atleast 1/0 guage. At 9000 watts that 4 guage must be around 80f! Which is considered hot for a 24/7 load. Now you could run 0 guage half way and split the line if its cheaper for you. Just dont pull 75a from that single 4awg 200FT line!! You dont notice weak lights and fans?
 
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patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Ok. 9000 watts from JUST the 120v line correct? You are looking at double 0 guage. The very minimum atleast 1/0 guage. At 9000 watts that 4 guage must be around 80f! Which is considered hot for a 24/7 load. Now you could run 0 guage half way and split the line if its cheaper for you. Just dont pull 75a from that single 4awg 200FT line!! You dont notice weak lights and fans?
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I don't really know what im talking about . But the lights and the acs are not on 120v. They are 240v with the weird looking plugs. I think the line is split because there are 2 legs or something? One leg is the 8lights and AC on the 240v . The other leg is everything else and the one light. Does this sound more reasonable ?
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Ok. 9000 watts from JUST the 120v line correct? You are looking at double 0 guage. The very minimum atleast 1/0 guage. At 9000 watts that 4 guage must be around 80f! Which is considered hot for a 24/7 load. Now you could run 0 guage half way and split the line if its cheaper for you. Just dont pull 75a from that single 4awg 200FT line!!
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patrickkawi37 said:
I don't really know what im talking about . But the lights and the acs are not on 120v. They are 240v with the weird looking plugs. I think the line is split because there are 2 legs or something? One leg is the 8lights and AC on the 240v . The other leg is everything else and the one light. Does this sound more reasonable ?
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Your 4 guage line is running to a sub panel the sub panel is wired to your lights and fans right? If its just a single 4 guage powering the sub panel that is still not cutting it. Why did he convert the a/c and lights to 240v? Makes no sense if its all coming from the same panel. Unless you live where 240v is native voltage. Regardless, 9000 watts is too much for 200FT of 4 guage. Dont let the amperage trick you, it means nothing without voltage.
 
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patrickkawi37

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Your 4 guage line is running to a sub panel the sub panel is wired to your lights and fans right? If its just a single 4 guage powering the sub panel that is still not cutting it. Why did he convert the a/c and lights to 240v? Makes no sense if its all coming from the same panel. Unless you live where 240v is native voltage. Regardless, 9000 watts is too much for 200FT of 4 guage. Dont let the amperage trick you, it means nothing without voltage.
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He did 240 because it is less amps I guess. I've always used 240 for my lights and the ACs don't have a 120 option. I used a whole roll of wire and I think a roll is 500 feet . There is 2 wires going into the subpannel one for each leg I think . I will take a picture tonight if that will help . Thanks for helping
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
patrickkawi37 said:
He did 240 because it is less amps I guess. I've always used 240 for my lights and the ACs don't have a 120 option. I used a whole roll of wire and I think a roll is 500 feet . There is 2 wires going into the subpannel one for each leg I think . I will take a picture tonight if that will help . Thanks for helping
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I could see him using 240v becauee he count find a breaker big enough for 120v. Anyways, regardless 120vX50a=6000watts 240vX25a=6000 watts. The wire will still get equally warm. Pics from your power source to the sub panel including breaker wiring.
 
HydroRed

HydroRed

Well-Known Member
If you are running 240 you are pulling 120V from each leg. If your sub is good, but your wiring is insufficient, couldnt you run lower amperage breakers, but just do more of them since your not exceeding the subpanels max? More breakers, but less juice to each one? Then you can just add instead of unfucking everything your "electrician" did.
 
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BuzzD2Kill

Well-Known Member
You have two legs into your subpanel, maybe your overloading one side. Remember thats 50 each leg, if you can move a breaker to the other leg "cooler wire". Turn the 100 amp off at your main GG.
 
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