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Wire size for motor
Color-code for residential wire/ how to match wire size and circuit breaker
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. 1

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
HOOK UP Wires
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
6-2 wire
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
6-2 wire
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
Non metallic flexible cables must carry ground wire, but do not have hazard of short circuit causing injury from shock.

Armored steel cable can be used as a grounded connection, and will protect wires from damage. Metal can be energized from an insulation failure.

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:
Non-metallic flexible conduit
Power whip
Armored cable
Southwire armored cable cutter
Pull boxes
Southwire armored cable cutter
Electrical tools must be insulated.
Always best to disconnect power, but insulation failure, lack of proper grounding, grounded neutral, lack of GFCI, out-of-code wiring, generator operating without transfer switch, and other problems still pose a risk to anyone working on electric power ... even when breaker is off.

Buy:
Electrician tools kits
KLEIN TOOLS
Tools kits
IRWIN tools
KNIPEX

Telephone cable knife
Low Voltage Mounting Bracket for Telephone
stranded wire
600 volt 12 ga Stranded wire ot THHN 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.

Project wire, extension cords, thermostat, bell and automotive wire are not rated for residential or commercial wiring. Only wire maked 600 volt can be used for permanent household wiring.
Buy:
Southwire 600 volt stranded wire
Rolls of stranded wire
HOOK UP Wires

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 resistance and heat on wire and creates possible weak point.
Buy tools:
KLEIN TOOLS
Wire strippers at Amazon
Electric Wire Stripping Machine
Linesman pliers
Utility knife at Amazon
multimeter
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

GFCI circuit breaker
A GFCI circuit breaker will protect all boxes on circuit.

Circuit must be grounded. Ground wire must be continuous and connected to each piece of equipment.

White wire on circuit breaker must be connected to Neutral busbar inside the breaker panel.

Buy
GFCI circuit breakers
Push down
single-pole breaker
1" wide Push down breaker
Plug-in breaker
Buy single-pole:
Choose from 15 to 60 amp
Eaton CL series
Siemens 15-60 amp

Single-pole tandem breaker
Tandem breakers
Push down
double-pole breaker
2" wide Push down breaker
Plug-in breakers
Buy double-pole:
Choose from 15 to 125 amp
Choose from 15 amp to 200 amp
Eaton CL series circuit breaker
Siemens circuit breaker
Double pole GFCI
amp draw for motor
Volts x Amps = Watts
Amps = Watts divided by Volts

Typical motor starting currents of 6 to 8 times normal running current when starting.
Motor amp draw

motor
Buy:
AO smith / Century / motors at Amazon
Dayton motors at Amazon
Electric motors at Amazon
Draft inducer blowers for gas appliance + water heater
Water pumps at Amazon
Wet dry vacs

Resources:
Motors can run 10% more or 10% less than rated voltage
AO Smith motors with troubleshoot and wiring .pdf
AO Smith motor wiring
Magnetec motors is AO Smith, AO Smith motors are now Century
Motor troubleshooting/ pdf
Motor troubleshoot 2/ pdf
Timer for 2-speed motor
Repair and wire motors .pdf
Basic motor wiring illustration .jpg
Reverse motor .pdf
Hayward pool equipment error codes
Swimming pool replacement motors and identification
The motor doctor
Dayton motor guide/ pdf
Control motor with 2 switches
Dayton Motors: Dayton Manufacturing is owned by WW Grainger. Contact Grainger.
Always connect ground wire.
" Current capacity must be adequate enough to maintain rated voltage at the motor terminals under all conditions. If it’s too high, contact the local utility.
If it’s too low check for overloaded circuits, loose connections or wire of the wrong gauge"
More than 3300 feet above sea level, use next higher horsepower.
Motor must be grounded. Test that ground is connected. Turn power off before touching motor.
Incorrect voltage at motor will cause motor to overheat. Check wire size.
Motors are hot to touch. Provide ample circulation around motor.


Horsepower / wire size / distance
Motor horsepower and wire size for 115Volt and 240V
Horsepower = watts ÷ 746

Resource:
How to wire subpanel

For example: 1-1⁄2 Hp motor at 115 volts over a distance of 150 feet, use #8 wire. 
If the motor can be installed to operate on 230 volts, #12 wire should be sufficient for a 150 foot distance

Larger image
Horsepower / wire size / distance
Length of wire/ amp draw
Use larger wire and breaker with longer distance
3-phase wire size
Larger image
Single-phase/ 3-phase Wire and Breaker size chart


Larger image
Single-phase/ 3-phase Amp load by Kilowatt
Locked rotor calculationInrush is the amp consumption of a motor during start-up.

Motors are inductive. Inductive loads consume more amps when starting. Once the motor has started, the amperage drops to normal.

Each motor has a label with a locked-rotor code that is needed for the calculation. Use chart below.

The locked rotor code is a letter A-V, with each letter corresponding to a range of KVA per HP (horsepower).
KVA is kilo volt amps. Volt amps is watts. So KVA is a measure of watts or power or KW ... how much power the motor delivers.
The locked rotor code is used to calculate the inrush or amperage needed for that specific motor during start up.

The example problem on left shows 50 HP 3-phase motor with locked-rotor H, which has KVA range of 6.3-7.1 KVA per HP.
The KVA range is plugged into the formula:
7.1 x 50 HP = 355 KWA or KW at start up
355 KW = 355,000 watts
P (power or watts) = E (volts) x I (amperage) x .173
1.73 is the square root of 3, used for 3-phase calculations.
355,000 watts = 480 volts x I (unknown amps) x 1.73.
Solve for amps: I = 355,000 ÷ 480 x 1.73

locked rotor chart
Residential single-phase motors also have inrush. This is generally not an issue when calculating household wire and breaker size since the HP rating is relatively small, start-up is brief, and circuit breaker doesn't react fast enough to trip with the small surge of amperage (heat) on the wire. However large swimming pool motors, and other application that use 3-5 HP motors should have oversized wire and breaker to supply ample electricity for start.

Resources:
Locked rotor KVA nameplate rating: Calculate inrush .pdf
Difference between single-phase and 3-phase
Color code for wire
Water heater wire size chart
Larger image
Water heater;
recommended Circuit Breaker size/ non-simultaneous
Residential water heaters are non-simultaneous. Tank label will show type of operation.
Resource:
How electric water heaters work
Longer distance, use larger wire and breaker
Oversizing wire and breaker will lower heat loss and improve efficiency

Cooler wires = cooler circuit breaker = longer life for breakers and main panel

Dual-element water heaters are 240Volt and are normally factory-wired for non-simultaneous.
This means only one element is ON at a time.
Both elements are never ON at same time.
Resources:
How to wire water heater elements and thermostats
How to wire tankless electric water heater
Single-phase water heater amp draw
Larger image
Water heater  
Amp draw/ non-simultaneous
Residential water heaters are non-simultaneous
Same as chart above except showing actual amp draw instead of recommended breaker size

Resources
3 phase water heater
Simultaneous water heater wiring
Larger image
.pdf file
Water heater  
Amp draw/ simultaneous
Residential water heater, or commercial water heater can be wired for simultaneous operation.
Some regions require commercial food sellers to have manufacturer-certified commercial-grade simultaneous water heater
Simultaneous is NOT typical for ordinary residential water heaters, except special order, or some models with 80 gallon capacity. Tank label will show type of operation. 
Chart shows typical residential single-phase 120Volt, and 240Volt.
Chart also shows voltages found with commercial 3-phase service.
Water heaters can be wired for 3-phase
Resource:
How to wire water heater for simultaneous operation
How to wire 3-phase water heater

Outdoor motors, pumps, equipment, metal subpanels, boxes etc must be connected to main panel ground wire, and can be bonded to a separate ground rod as back up. Do not touch metal electrical equipment if power is ON.
Use ohmmeter to verify resistance between earth and motor frame is less than 0.5 Ω
Resource
Why you need ground wire

Inspect the ground connection at ground rod
If the ground wire is disconnected from ground rod, DO NOT reconnect the ground unless main breaker is de-energized.
Do not touch or remove ground rod.

Household NM-B Wires are color-coded so inspectors/ electricians can easily identify which wire is used during construction

Damp- wet locations:
For direct burial underfoot, in contact with damp soil ... or for other damp locations ... use UF-B wire ... or use plastic conduit. UF-B wire can be difficult to strip back for wiring.
Match wire size and breaker amp rating
If your home was wired by professional electrician who pulled permits, then circuit breaker and wire size will match. If manufactured home or travel trailer has not been altered by homeowner then breaker and wire size will match.

Safe maximum of amp draw on a breaker is 80% rated value of breaker.
Look at label on each load (TV, refrigerator, box fan etc). Add up total watt load on circuit. Divide the watts by the voltage on line = amps.

If breaker is oversized for wire... fire danger
Breaker can let too much electricity travel through the wire. Wire can overheat and cause fire.
Call electrician if you suspect wiring is not correct,
Absolute electrocution danger when removing cover off main panel. More information below.
Main breaker terminals are still Hot when main breaker is turned off.

Use 600 volt solid copper wire only
Do not use stranded wire inside main breaker box or any permanent box.
Stranded wire can be used for connectors and plugs.

Do not use extension cord for permanent household wiring
Extension cords are used for connectors and plugs only.
Read more about uses for extension cords

Buy:
Southwire at Amazon
Resource:
How to replace circuit breaker
Match breaker to voltage that shows on appliance label
3-phase breakers are used for commercial service panels

Resource:
How to replace circuit breaker
3-phase wiring
wire size chart Circuit breaker and wire size must match

Chart on left shows that 30 amp breaker matches 10 gauge copper wire.
Do not use aluminum wire. Copper wire is safe.
Aluminum wire expands when electricity travels through wire. Expansion causes loose connections and fire hazard.
Rating for short lengths household NM-B and DU-F
Resources:
Larger image with wire types, temperature, long length
Maximum wattage for household NM-B and DU-F wires
Wire diameter, weight, resistance

Larger image
How to figure correct size wire and breaker
Use chart on left to select wire and breaker (for short lengths of wire)
Use the 80% rule when calculating Capacity.
wattage shown on chart shows the 80% rule.
When wires and breakers operate at 100%, they get warm.
Warm wires mean amp loss and potential fire hazard.
Warm breaker means that breaker will not last as long, and busbar can be damaged by heat (over period of time)

14 ga wire ++  rated for 120 Volts x 15 Amp = 1800 Watts x 80% = 1440 Watts safe maximum

12 ga wire ++ rated for 120 Volts x 20 Amps = 2400 Watts x 80% = 1920 Watts safe maximum

10 ga wire ++ rated for 240 Volts x 30 Amps = 7200 Watts x 80% = 5760 Watts safe maximum

Larger image
Longer distance requires larger breaker and larger wire
Look at label to find watt rating of appliance, or motor or tool
measure distance between appliance and main breaker panel
Use chart to select larger wire when needed
Volts x amps = watts
Watts divided by volts = amps
Volts squared divided by watts = ohms

Resources:
Electrical formulas

Larger image with wire types, temperature, long length
Maximum wattage for household NM-B and DU-F wires
Wire diameter, weight, resistance
 
circuit breaker resources
Circuit breaker resources
Water heater is tripping breaker
How to replace circuit breaker
How to wire gfci
Can AC breaker be used for DC breaker
How to reset circuit breaker
Not enough space for circuit breakers/ use tandem
Circuit breakers
How to install subpanel
Why you need ground wire
See inside breaker box
How to wire safety switch
How to wire whole house surge protector
Figure volts amps and watts
Figure correct wire and breaker
Types of surge protection
in line fuseLarger image
 Use in-line fuse when connecting 2 different gauge wires
Illustration shows smaller 12-2 cable connected to larger 10-3 cable.

The 10 gauge wire carries 240 volt plus a Neutral wire, and is protected by 30 amp breaker
The amp draw on 30 amp breaker is too large for 12 gauge wire.
12 gauge wire should have 20 amp breaker.
Connect smaller 12 gauge wire to 10 gauge wire using twist on wire connector. All connections must be inside electrically rated enclosed box with cover.
Use fuseholder with 20 amp fuse.
Fuse will protect entire length of 12 gauge wire.
Connect fuse to Hot wire.
Never put fuse on Neutral ... the Neutral wire must never be switched off, and must run continuous throughout installation.

If the 12 gauge wire is wired for 240V, instead of 120V shown in illustration, then fuses can be added to both hot wires.
Always make connections inside a box with cover
Buy:
Panel mount fuse holders at Amazon
ANL fuseholder
Buy fuseholders
Din rail fuseholder
10 x 38 mm fuse
Electrical terminals
Solder guns

Resource:
See fuseholder
water heater circuit breaker

4500 watt and 5500 watt water heaters should connect to 30 amp breaker and 10 gauge wire.
Calculate safe maximum for water heater circuit
If residential water heater is connected to 20 amp breaker and 12 gauge wire, then overheating problem occurs over time.
Circuit breaker will not last as long, and damage can occur to busbar.
Resource:
See basic water heater circuit
How to replace circuit breaker
20 amp breaker is subject to 80% safe-maximum rule.
20 amp circuit breaker x .8 = 16 amps. So safe maximum for 20 amp breaker is 16 amps.
240Volt 4500 watt water heater draws 18.75 amps. And 5500 watt water heater draws 22.91 amps.
So 20 amp breaker with 12 gauge wire is rated too small for most water heaters. Over time the breaker is getting warm, and is more likely to get hot and fail.

Recommended that all water heaters be connected to 30 amp breaker and 10 gauge wire.
Safe maximum for 30 amp breaker x .8 = 24 amps.
Safe maximum for 10 gauge wire at 240volts is 5670 watts See chart
30 amp breaker and 10 gauge wire run cooler, with less heat loss and more efficiency. Circuit breaker and main box last longer with less chance for heat damage.
Resource:
Figure Volts Amps Watts for water heater
GFCI in breaker box Household Main panel 120 volt and 240 volt
This is called single-phase electric power. Phasing is determined by the power company.

- Each 120 volt circuit can include up to 12 outlets, and supply power to lights inside a room.
- Generally each 120 volt circuit sends power to one area of home. This is because the wire leaves breaker box and goes to first junction box inside a room. From the junction box, the wire splits off and goes to each individual box, jumping from box to box until the final box is reached. So each box will have 1 black hot wire, 1 white neutral wire, and 1 ground wire that connect back to main breaker box.
- Some circuit breakers are dedicated to 1 specific appliance. For example the kitchen microwave is usually wired to 1 circuit breaker and no other outlets or lights are connected to that breaker. This is because microwave draws so much amperage. That is called dedicated circuit, and dedicated breaker.

- Each 240 volt circuit is usually dedicated to one appliance. For example electric water heater is connected to 1 240 volt breaker. The electric dryer is connected to another 240 volt breaker. The heat/AC is connected to another 240 volt circuit breaker, and so on.
Resources:
See inside main breaker box
How to replace circuit breaker
How to install subpanel
Figure volts amps watts for electric water heater
How to wire GFCI
How to wire Arc fault breaker
Electricity leaves power plant What is 3-phase electric: power plant to end user
How to wire 3-phase timer
3-phase water heater
Support the economy:
Buy water heaters from my associate links:

50 gallon Gas water heaters at Amazon
40 gallon gas water heaters at Amazon
50 gallon Electric water heaters at Amazon
40 gallon electric water heaters at Amazon
Hybrid / heat pump/ water heaters at Amazon

Resources:
How to install gas water heater
How to install electric water heater
Troubleshoot gas water heater
Troubleshoot electric water heater
Point of use water heaters
Resources:
Troubleshoot Gas valves with manuals
Icon gas valve

How to replace water heater element Waste King disposal
How to wire tankless electric


Install point of use water heater
Titan tankless

Contactors/ relays
Type 1 and type 2 surge protection surge protection
Programmable timers

Woods timers
surge protection
Anode rods anode rods
Recirculation system

Tankless recirculation
Point of use water heater
Install and troubleshoot garbage disposal Waste King disposal
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Tools and home improvement

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Hayward pool
Pentair pool

Southwire electric
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Tools

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box timers Resource:
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Control water heater w/ Z-wave
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Intermatic control centers: and parts
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programmable timer Resource:
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