Suppose you want to connect an eight gauge wire to an electric circuit or any electric source. You should know how many amps an eight gauge wire can handle and whether the material differs in its capability. In this article, we will discuss all of these.
Can an 8 Gauge Wire Handle 30 Amps?
Thirty amps are low electricity, so a 12 gauge wire or ten gauge wire could be used for 30 amps. But it’s better to use bigger wires than the smaller ones. The point by which we determine which size of wire we should use is the temperature. The wire that can carry as much electricity without heating up is better.
The eight gauge wire fulfills this condition without any effort. It can carry up to 40 amps without exceeding the limit temperature (140 F or 60 C). The material is the second condition; it can be copper or aluminum. In the case of an eight gauge wire, both of them can do well at 30 amps.
Can an 8 Gauge Wire Handle 40 Amps?
The recommended size for 40 amps is an eight gauge wire of solid copper. And this is because, in the future, it provides more flexibility. You may see many people use a considerable extent; for example, they use a six gauge. But still, you can use an eight gauge wire made up of solid copper.
The eight gauge wire is safe to be used on 40 amps applications as its temperature doesn’t exceed the standard limit. The copper and aluminum types of the eight gauge wire can be used for 40 amps. But the copper type is more preferred in the case of the willingness to increase the amps in the future.
Can an 8 Gauge Wire Handle 50 Amps?
It’s known that an eight gauge wire can handle up to 50 amps, but if used after some time, it will start to heat up. So it can handle 50 amps, but it’s better to try a bigger size, for example, a six gauge wire. And when you’re dealing with electricity, it’s recommended to stay away from anything that leads to heat.
For clarification, when an eight gauge wire is used for 50 amps, the copper wire reaches 167 degrees F, while the aluminum one can’t handle the 50 amps. It should be only used for 40 amps and less, as its temperature exceeds the standard limit for 50 amps.
Can an 8 Gauge Wire Handle 60 Amps?
When it comes to more than 60 amps, it’s dangerous to use less than a six gauge wire. And the recommended wire is the four gauge one. There are many reasons why you should not use an eight gauge wire for 60 amps application. The most important one is the temperature.
The temperature plays a vital role in wires, as heating up of cables could lead to disasters. The lowest cost is your device performance dropping down, but the consequences of high temperature can lead to huge losses. The wires could melt and lead to destroying your devices and may start a fire.
The standard temperature for any wire should be 140 F or 60 C. When the wire temperature exceeds the standard limit, most professionals go for a large size. The eight gauge wire reaches 194 F at 55 amps, which means it’s unsafe and dangerous to use them at 60 amps.
Can an 8 Gauge Wire Handle 80 Amps?
For 80 Amps, the best choice is a two gauge wire. It can handle the 80 amps safely without heating up or starting a fire. You can also use copper three gauge wire because copper has a better ampacity than aluminum. The aluminum three gauge is more suitable for less than 80 amps.
The eight gauge wire can’t handle 80 amps, even if it’s made up of copper or aluminum. It will heat up, melt, lead to fire and cause damage to the devices used. You should use a two gauge one, or go for one gauge if the amps could increase in the future for more safety.
Can an 8 Gauge Wire Handle 100 Amps?
One hundred amps are a lot of electricity, so you should carefully choose a suitable wire. The recommended wire size for 100 amp is three gauge copper wire. But the matter of the wire makes a big difference. For 100 amps, you must use one gauge wire if you use aluminum wire.
At this level, we can not even suggest using an eight gauge wire due to its total incapability to carry more than 50 amps without heating up and may melt, which can lead to disasters. So you can’t use the eight gauge wire for 100 amps under any circumstances.
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How to Choose The Suitable Wire Size?
1) Lower AWG.
It’s not like how it’s written. Ten isn’t bigger than 8 in AWG. The lower AWG means more considerable, and this means that eight gauge carries more electricity than ten gauges, and the eight gauge carries less electricity than the six gauges. So, as long as the amps increase, the AWG decreases and vice versa.
2) Amps Can’t be More than The AWG.
If you want to use a larger AWG than the one needed, it’s okay, which means if you used eight gauges for 30 amps, it wouldn’t have any harmful consequences on any devices you have. But in the opposite case, it can lead to dangerous and unfavorable results.
Using eight gauges for 80 amps could melt the wire, damage the connected device, or even start a fire. It’s always preferred to use a larger AWG because if you want to increase the amps in the future, it won’t be a problem.
3) Copper Has Better Ampacity.
The material of the wire is considered the most important thing after the temperature. The material plays an essential role in transmitting more current. The copper has better ampacity than aluminum, which means a copper 12 gauge wire is better than an aluminum 12 gauge.
The copper always has better ampacity. this doesn’t change by changing the size of the wire. For example, a copper ten gauge wire up to 35 amps and its temperature won’t exceed 167 F. Meanwhile, the aluminum ten gauge wire reaches 194 F while carrying 30 amps.
4) Length of Wire Matters.
Let’s talk physics; when the length increases, the resistance increases, which means that the current moving through the wire will decrease, resulting in impaired performance from the connected devices. So to solve this, you will need to increase the AWG from 8 gauge to 6 gauge.
Conclusion
The eight gauges can be used up to 50 amps, but it also depends on the material of the wire. You can choose the suitable wire by following the simple steps were mentioned in this article. Don’t underestimate the consequences of using the wrong wire size.
I am Inemesit Etim and I am honest, reliable, confident, and responsible in my work. I am a highly talented, detail-oriented creative content writer with 3+ years of experience writing helpful content that gives value to readers like you. My articles are a product of intense research, both from personal experiences and from reading through the experiences of others. I love home improvement and I am glad I can help you improve the quality of your home and living experience.
