Use only 600 volt wire.
Lamp cord, extension cords are not rated 600 volt.
Use copper wire only. Aluminum wire is fire risk and should be avoided
or installed by professional.
30
amp breaker use 10 gauge /
120-240 volt 30 amp
outlet can be
installed on 30 amp breaker only/ use 10 gauge wire ... cannot
be connected to 15-20-40 amp breaker.
Orange/ #10 gauge
wire, with ground ... 30 amp capacity. Safe maximum: 30 x 80% = 24 amps.
Buy:
10-2
gauge/ 30 amp
10-3/
30 amp
Southwire
electric tools |
Yellow
12 gauge 20 amp
120 volt 20 amp outlet can be installed on 20 amp breaker,
but not 15 amp breaker/ use 12 ga wire.
... cannot be connected to 30-40 amp breaker.
Yellow/ #12 gauge
wire, with ground ... 20 amp capacity. Safe maximum 16 amps.
Buy:
12-2
gauge/ 20 amp
12-3/
20 amp
NMB is house wiring
UF is underground
Rolls
of stranded wire |
White
14 gauge 15 amp
120 volt 15 amp outlet, AFCI, GFCI, timer, switch etc can be installed
on 15 or 20 amp breaker. Never connect 15 gauge wire to
20-30-40 amp breaker.
White/ #14 gauge
wire,
with ground ... 15 amp capacity. Safe maximum 12 amps.
Buy:
14-2
gauge/ 15 amp
14-3/
15 amp
NMB is house
wiring
UF is underground |
50-60
amp breaker use 6 gauge /
240 volt 50 outlet can be installed on 50 amp breaker only
Buy:
6-2
wire
Southwire
electric tools
NMB is house
wiring
UF is underground |
40-50
amp breaker use 8 gauge /
240 volt 40 amp outlet can be installed on 40 or 50 amp breaker only
Buy:
8-2
wire
Southwire
electric tools
NMB is house
wiring
UF is underground |
 
Copper
ground wire.
Every device, load, metal enclosure etc must be grounded. Ground wire
must be continuous throughout installation, never switched on-off,
never used as a Neutral wire.
Generally ... use same size as other wire in circuit
Buy:
12 gauge copper ground wire
Ground
wire
Green
ground wire
Ground
pigtails
Ground
rods/ ground clamps at Amazon |
Armored
cable can be used as a grounded connection,
and will protect wires from damage. Metal can be energized from an
insulation failure.
Non
metallic flexible cables must carry ground
wire, but does not have hazard of short circuit causing
injury from shock.
All conduit ...metal, plastic ... flexible and rigid ... must be
attached to structure, and attached to enclosures, boxes.
Movement, damage and deterioration are major cause of electrical
failure.
Buy:
Armored
cable
Southwire
armored cable cutter
Non-metallic
flexible conduit
Power
whip
Pull
boxes |
Electrical
tools must be insulated.
Always best to disconnect power, but issues of insulation failure, lack
of proper grounding, lack of GFCI, out-of-code wiring, generator
operating without transfer switch, and other problems pose a risk to
anyone working on electric power.
Buy:
Electrician
tools kits
Klein
tools
Tools
kits |
12 ga
Stranded wire is good for conduit with
multiple wires ... but stranded cannot be installed under screw
terminals on outlets, switches, timers etc without risk ... of heat
causing splayed strands ....that come loose ... and begin to arc.
Connect stranded to short piece of solid copper wire, and attach solid
to screw terminal. Do not solder residential or commercial wiring.
Buy:
Rolls
of stranded wire |
Protect
wiring from damage
Use nipper instead of pliers or screwdriver for removing staples (and
nails). Do not damage cable or wires inside cable.
-Code says: Cable SHALL BE secured without damage to the outer
covering. NEC sec. 336-15
Buy
End
cutting nippers at Amazon |
Electrically
insulated tools
When removing insulation from wire, do NOT score or put cuts on surface
of copper wire. Doing so increases resistances and heat on wire and
creates possible weak
point.
Buy
tools:
Wire
strippers at Amazon
Linesman
pliers
Utility
knife at Amazon |
Multimeters
Voltage is tested across two separate wires. Ohms or resistance is
tested across both
ends of same wire. Amperage is tested along one or two points on same
wire.
Buy:
Analog
multimeter
Multimeters
at Amazon
Klein
multimeter
Electric
testers at Amazon
Clampmeter
for testing amp flow on line
|
Metal enclosure must be grounded. The Intermatic enclosures shown have built in ground connection (seen inside box at bottom)
