Lastly, 600 amps will need a 1,500 kcmil-gauge wire. For a 200 amp, you’ll need 250 kcmil-gauge off copper, while a 400 amp requires 600. You need a 4-gauge copper wire for an 80 amp, and a 1-gauge wire for a 100 amp service.įor 125 amps, you’ll need to use a 1-gauge copper wire, while 150 amp requires 1/0-sized copper wire. Although it varies for numerous reasons, the consensus among technicians is that 4-gauge copper wires are best for 70 amp circuit breakers. The Right Wire Size and Rule of ThumbĪny electrical activity must meet specific criteria. Plus, you’ll also place everyone at serious risk for electrical fires. But if it’s too small, you’ll end up with low-performing circuits. If you use a gauge that’s too big, you’ll just have spent more cash than necessary. With that, if you end up stuck between different gauge sizes, always remember that bigger is better. So ensure you increase the conductor’s size to reduce/avoid potential voltage drops. Remember, power quality is affected depending on what you go for. Also, you can use 1-gauge aluminum or 3-gauge copper for your 100 amp circuits. With that, when you need wiring for your 100-amp sub panel that’s over 20 feet, consider getting a 1-gauge wire. Since longer wires need more power from the source to reach outlets, there will be more resistance. Electrical wires consume current because they have resistance. The length is a key factor when trying to size your electrical wiring. 100 Amp Sub Panel with a 200-feet Distance In other countries, they utilize the Imperial Standard. The United States, along with 65 other countries, uses AWG for measuring units. Do this by determining the devices you’ll use. So before choosing which to purchase, it’s best to consider the amount of electrical current it can handle. If you use the incorrect diameter, it could lead to issues in the long run. The reason is it determines the total current it can handle. If you’re asking if it’s important to get the correct diameter, the answer is yes. These numbers are inversely proportional to diameters, so the higher the number, the smaller its diameter. However, you might also see gauges like 3/0, 1/0, or 2/0. Some of the numbers you’ll find include 6 and 4. This is essentially the thickness of the wire but that term isn’t entirely accurate, which is why we say gauge.

If you’ve visited the electrical section of any hardware shop, you’ll see that the gauge comes in different options. What is a Gauge?įor the gauge, it’s the diameter of the product that also tells you how much current it can carry and handle. The other is to add a control point for all circuits close to the area they serve. There are two reasons for installing a sub panel, one is you need more room for additional circuits. Simultaneously, the rest of your home can stay powered like usual. To avoid this, you can set up a separate sub-panel for your garage.Īlso, you can isolate the problem area and switch off its sub panel in any fault/short.

For example, garage workshops have heavy loads on the main panel because of heavy types of machinery. However, it can be avoided by distributing sub-panels in different parts of your home.Īdditionally, sub-panels can isolate specific spots that have varying power usages. If you think about it, overloading is a serious hazard. You can also add a sub panel to prevent the main panel from becoming too crowded. Their primary goal is to make it easier for you to manage and organize the electrical circuits in your house. But what makes the sub panels different?īecause the main panel powers them, sub-panels are unique elements. From there, it instantly stops currents to prevent instances of fires. It helps protect your appliances from faulting/shorting.Īlso, it has fuses and circuit breakers to find electricity surcharges. If you’re wondering what its purpose is, it’s similar to the main panels. Instead, it gets power from the primary panel’s current. First up is the electrical sub panel: it’s like a little main panel without a direct connection to the power utility. If you’re just starting and aren’t familiar with the whole process, we’re here to help.

But aside from knowing the correct wire size, let’s look at other essential elements to this question. But since we’re being specific here, you’ll need a 1-gauge copper wire for your 100 amp sub panel. Have you ever wondered what wire size for a 100 amp sub panel that’s 200 feet away? It’s an important question as just using any random wire size could lead to some serious issues.Ĭhoosing the correct size of wires for sub-panels is all about safety.

Wire size for 100 amp circuit