Copper and aluminum have different strengths and weaknesses: 1). Does Material (Copper/Aluminum) Affect 6AWG Amp Rating? But the insulation is unlikely to matter for everyday applications in a conventional home. Knowing the gauge allows you to determine the amps, which, in turn, shows you the amount of power the cables can safely carry. If the conductors transmit more electricity than they can withstand, they will melt and start a fire. The gauge matters because it doesn’t take much to overwhelm a wire with electricity. The gauge tells you the amount of current a conductor can safely carry. Does Voltage Affect 6-Gauge Wire? Voltage But what if you don’t? What if the information on the jacket rubbed off? You can still determine the gauge by making a perpendicular cut and measuring the cable’s diameter. If you want to pair 6AWG with a breaker, don’t forget to multiply the breaker size by 125 percent to get the appropriate ampacity.Īll this assumes that you know the wire gauge. In other words, your decision to use 6AWG will depend on the load. How much power do you want 6AWG conductors to carry? If 6AWG can safely withstand 55A, you cannot attach a load that exceeds 55 amps. Pay attention to the load if the breaker size is not an issue. Otherwise, the breaker will trip too frequently or not at all. You must find an appropriate wire size for every breaker. I want you to emphasize the breaker size because wires and breakers go hand in hand. You can find these tables all over the internet. Once you know the wire size, you can compare it to the information in the NEC tables that I have published above.

Therefore, you don’t have to wonder how the manufacturer expects you to identify a 6AWG wire.īelieve it or not, determining the wire size is the most challenging step. In fact, if you ask a retailer for electrical wire, they will ask you to specify the gauge. The manufacturer will include this information on the jacket. To be clear, it is not your job to measure the wire gauge. For instance, 2AWG is thicker than 20AWG. The smaller the number, the greater the gauge. But the gauge is still popular because of its convenience. It stands for ‘American Wire Gauge.’ Some countries use mm to measure wire size. 6-Gauge Wire Compatibility Check Amp RatingĪWG is a unit of measurement.

The electrician will remember to look at the material, setting, and temperature rating. You will most likely focus your attention on the gauge and its related amp rating. This is why many homeowners prefer to leave this question in the hands of a licensed electrician.

You must account for all the factors that can increase or reduce the wire’s amp rating. However, that figure jumps to 50A for aluminum and 65A for copper once you raise the from 140 degrees F to 167 degrees F.Īs you can see, determining the amp rating of 6AWG conductors is not straightforward. You can see that 6AWG can withstand 55 amps if you have copper wire.īut if the cables consist of aluminum conductors, the amp rating falls to 40A, which doesn’t sound quite as impressive. How does this relate to 6-gauge wire? What breaker size suits this gauge? It may permit the wires to overload and melt before it takes action, which is problematic. It will deprive your home of electricity whenever you attempt to run it.īut if the breaker size exceeds the wire size, the breaker won’t trip fast enough. If the breaker trips too early because you connected an appliance that dramatically exceeds the wire’s rating, that appliance will become a nuisance. People don’t realize that the timing matters. Otherwise, the circuit breaker will trip too early or too late. Therefore, the wire size should match the breaker size. If you have aluminum (or copper-clad aluminum), it can carry 40A at 60 degrees C, 50A at 75 degrees C, and 55A at 90 degrees C.Ī circuit breaker will trip when you overload the wires it is supposed to protect. How Many Amps Can 6 Gauge Wire Handle?Īccording to NEC, 6AWG copper wire can accommodate 55A at 60 degrees C, 65A at 75 degrees C, and 75A at 90 degrees C. Therefore, do not proceed until you know everything there is to know about 6AWG wires. If you pair a conductor with a heavier load than it can carry, you may start a fire. Cables are designed to accommodate specific loads.

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