Wire Size Answers
Common amperage and distance questions, generated from the same sizing engine as the calculator. Use these as starting points, then run the calculator with the actual installation conditions.
Common Questions
40 curated wire-size pages, not a cartesian product.
- What Size Wire for 15 Amps?For a non-continuous 15 amp load under the default short-run assumptions, start with 14 AWG copper. The calculator also shows 12 AWG aluminum when listed aluminum terminations are available, but aluminum is uncommon on small branch circuits.amps
- What Size Wire for 20 Amps?For a non-continuous 20 amp load under the default short-run assumptions, start with 12 AWG copper or 10 AWG aluminum. This is the common branch-circuit page where the 12 AWG copper small-conductor limit is the key constraint.amps
- What Size Wire for 25 Amps?For a non-continuous 25 amp load under the default short-run assumptions, start with 10 AWG copper. The calculator also shows 10 AWG aluminum only where listed aluminum terminations are available.amps
- What Size Wire for 30 Amps?For a non-continuous 30 amp load under the default short-run assumptions, start with 10 AWG copper or 8 AWG aluminum. This is the top of the small-conductor branch-circuit band.amps
- What Size Wire for 40 Amps?For a non-continuous 40 amp load with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 8 AWG copper or 8 AWG aluminum. This is the first appliance-band page after the 30 A small-conductor ceiling.amps
- What Size Wire for 45 Amps?For a non-continuous 45 amp load with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 8 AWG copper or 6 AWG aluminum. This uncommon appliance-size page is mainly a nameplate and adjacent-rating check.amps
- What Size Wire for 50 Amps?For 50 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 8 AWG copper or 6 AWG aluminum. If the equipment must be treated at 60 C, the common chart answer moves larger.amps
- What Size Wire for 60 Amps?For 60 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 6 AWG copper or 4 AWG aluminum. This is the common 48 A EVSE landing and the last page before the feeder/subpanel band begins.amps
- What Size Wire for 70 Amps?For 70 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 4 AWG copper or 3 AWG aluminum. This first feeder/subpanel page is where 60 A appliance logic stops being a safe shortcut.amps
- What Size Wire for 80 Amps?For 80 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 4 AWG copper or 2 AWG aluminum. This page is mainly the 70-to-80 A aluminum jump check.amps
- What Size Wire for 90 Amps?For 90 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 3 AWG copper or 2 AWG aluminum. This page is the 80-to-90 A copper step before the 100 A aluminum jump.amps
- What Size Wire for 100 Amps?For 100 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 3 AWG copper or 1 AWG aluminum. This page sits at the common subpanel and small-service planning boundary.amps
- What Size Wire for 110 Amps?For 110 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 2 AWG copper or 1/0 AWG aluminum. This is the first page after 100 A where both conductor materials move larger.amps
- What Size Wire for 125 Amps?For 125 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 1 AWG copper or 2/0 AWG aluminum. This page is mainly a subpanel bus-rating and full-feeder check.amps
- What Size Wire for 150 Amps?For 150 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 1/0 AWG copper or 3/0 AWG aluminum. This service / large-feeder boundary needs product, lug, utility, and load-calculation checks.amps
- What Size Wire for 175 Amps?For 175 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 2/0 AWG copper or 4/0 AWG aluminum. This page is the 150-to-200 A service and large-feeder middle step, with tight 75 C margins.amps
- What Size Wire for 200 Amps?For 200 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 3/0 AWG copper or 250 kcmil aluminum. This common residential service rating needs product, lug, utility, AHJ, and load-calculation checks before it becomes an installation answer.amps
- What Size Wire for 225 Amps?For 225 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 4/0 AWG copper or 300 kcmil aluminum. This page sits above the common 200 A service decision and has tight 75 C margins for both materials.amps
- What Size Wire for 250 Amps?For 250 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 250 kcmil copper or 350 kcmil aluminum. This is the upper edge of the service / large-feeder band before the 300 A large-feeder step.amps
- What Size Wire for 300 Amps?For 300 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 350 kcmil copper or 500 kcmil aluminum. This first large-feeder page is where conductor physical size, lugs, raceway, and possible parallel-set planning become central.amps
- What Size Wire for 350 Amps?For 350 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 500 kcmil copper or 700 kcmil aluminum. This page is mainly a large-feeder practicality check before the 400 A service step.amps
- What Size Wire for 400 Amps?For 400 amps with the displayed 75 C termination defaults, start with 600 kcmil copper or 900 kcmil aluminum. This is the top published amp-only page, so equipment, utility, and parallel-set planning usually matter more than another simple size jump.amps
- What Size Wire for 100 Amps at 100 Feet?At 100 ft, a 100 A feeder still lands on the ampacity-only starting sizes under these defaults: 3 AWG copper or 1 AWG aluminum. The next published length is where drop starts changing the answer.distance
- What Size Wire for 100 Amps at 150 Feet?At 150 ft, a 100 A feeder changes character: the default result upsizes to 2 AWG copper or 1/0 AWG aluminum because voltage drop, not termination ampacity, governs.distance
- What Size Wire for 100 Amps at 200 Feet?At 200 ft, a 100 A feeder is firmly voltage-drop governed under these defaults: 1 AWG copper or 2/0 AWG aluminum, with 250 ft another published jump.distance
- What Size Wire for 100 Amps at 250 Feet?At 250 ft, the 100 A feeder answer moves past the 200 ft result: defaults land on 1/0 AWG copper or 3/0 AWG aluminum, so this is the next long-run planning step before the 300 ft jump.distance
- What Size Wire for 100 Amps at 300 Feet?At 300 ft, the 100 A feeder defaults jump again to 2/0 AWG copper or 4/0 AWG aluminum, making this a long-route cost and constructability check rather than a simple ampacity answer.distance
- What Size Wire for 100 Amps at 400 Feet?At 400 ft, a 100 A feeder is deep into voltage-drop sizing under these defaults: 3/0 AWG copper or 250 kcmil aluminum, with layout and load assumptions worth revisiting before purchase.distance
- What Size Wire for 200 Amps at 100 Feet?At 100 ft, the default 200 A result still matches the zero-length platform: 3/0 AWG copper or 250 kcmil aluminum, with termination and product choice governing before voltage drop.distance
- What Size Wire for 200 Amps at 150 Feet?At 150 ft, the default 200 A result remains on the 3/0 copper or 250 kcmil aluminum platform, but the route is long enough that measurement, product family and future 250 ft risk matter.distance
- What Size Wire for 200 Amps at 200 Feet?At 200 ft, the default 200 A answer is the last published plateau before the 250 ft voltage-drop jump: 3/0 AWG copper or 250 kcmil aluminum still holds under these assumptions.distance
- What Size Wire for 200 Amps at 250 Feet?At 250 ft, the default 200 A answer makes its first distance-driven jump: 4/0 AWG copper or 300 kcmil aluminum, with voltage drop now governing under the page assumptions.distance
- What Size Wire for 200 Amps at 300 Feet?At 300 ft, the default 200 A answer moves deeper into long-run sizing: 250 kcmil copper or 400 kcmil aluminum, with voltage drop governing both materials.distance
- What Size Wire for 200 Amps at 400 Feet?At 400 ft, the default 200 A answer reaches the largest published distance page: 300 kcmil copper or 500 kcmil aluminum, with voltage drop driving the result.distance
- What Size Wire for 50 Amps at 100 Feet?At 100 ft, the default 50 A answer has already moved beyond ampacity-only sizing: 6 AWG copper or 4 AWG aluminum, with voltage drop governing both materials.distance
- What Size Wire for 50 Amps at 150 Feet?At 150 ft, the default 50 A result lands on 4 AWG copper or 3 AWG aluminum, with voltage drop governing and the two materials moving through different distance steps.distance
- What Size Wire for 50 Amps at 200 Feet?At 200 ft, the default 50 A answer is the last published 50 A distance page: 4 AWG copper still holds, while aluminum moves to 2 AWG, both governed by voltage drop.distance
- What Size Wire for 60 Amps at 100 Feet?At 100 ft, the default 60 A answer still matches the zero-length platform: 6 AWG copper or 4 AWG aluminum, with termination governing before the 150 ft voltage-drop jump.distance
- What Size Wire for 60 Amps at 150 Feet?At 150 ft, the default 60 A answer makes its first distance-driven jump: 4 AWG copper or 2 AWG aluminum, with voltage drop governing both materials.distance
- What Size Wire for 60 Amps at 200 Feet?At 200 ft, the default 60 A answer makes its second published distance jump: 3 AWG copper or 1 AWG aluminum, with voltage drop governing both materials.distance