500 Watt vs Amps?

[PhysAssist]

Just for your edification, you responded to a ten year old thread post.

I have done it myself.

I actually appreciate it because we are going to have to get our barn wired, once other issues are resolved, and the refresher was useful.

Tractor-on safely,
Thomas

 

[Cat_Driver]

. I've never tried it but I bet #14 wire could conduct 40 amps before becoming dangerously hot, nonetheless a weak connection at a wire nut might cause fire at 10 amps. Why do you need to heavily load a circuit.

.

I was connecting some 1000 watt portable area lights at a job, figuring at the most I would do 2 lights on the plug I was using. All was fine till later when some other guys connected to the same extension cord #12 added more lights and I smelled something "electrical" burning.

Whoever wired the 20 amp plug wired it to a 40 or 50 or 60 amp circuit. The circuit never blew, but the male plug melted and fused into outlet and the entire cord turned ti liquid. I grabbed a pole to knock the plug out and plug was like a marshmallow coming out of a camp fire.

Never saw an extension cord do that before. Funny the lights never went out and breaker never did trip, but the cord, plug, outlet all melted.

 

[Willie B]

I feel the subject matter is relevant.

 

[Iowachild]

A circuit fed by a 15 amp breaker is wired with 14 AWG minimum, period. A circuit fed by a 20 amp breaker is wired with 12 AWG minimum, period. It is code, as BTW is the 80% loading. :alert:

 

[GManBart]

I feel the subject matter is relevant.

He didn't suggest you did anything wrong.

Relevant to a discussion that ended 10 years ago?

 

[Willie B]

For at least now electrical safety is a relevant subject. As we quibble about relevance, someone is out there doing something that will later end in tragedy. It is my hope the exchange of information might improve statistics. The individual who started the thread years ago began a discussion that might help someone else.

 

[Carl_NH]

For at least now electrical safety is a relevant subject. As we quibble about relevance, someone is out there doing something that will later end in tragedy. It is my hope the exchange of information might improve statistics. The individual who started the thread years ago began a discussion that might help someone else.

Good Point Willie, I couldn't resist - its not the size of the wire (or your willie) its the connection that counts.

I have seen boxes with 4 wires nutted together and taped, that have loosened and arced due to vibration over time - it was a fire waiting to happen.

 

[Willie B]

Wire nuts must be listed by a testing laboratory. Approval requires installation in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. Buy a good wire nut of the correct size. Install it according to manufacturer's instruction, it will serve you well. A favorite of mine is Ideal 341. It fits a wide variety of wire combinations, can be tightened with a nut driver Greenlee 5/16, and sufficiently tight has worked well for me many many thousands of times. For high vibration applications I use Ideal 30-211, and 30-222 brass set screw wire connectors, they come with a handle to hold them and a plastic insulating cap. I'm not aware of a failure ever.

 

[PhysAssist]

If I'm not mistaken, I think I pretty clearly stated that the thread's subject matter is relevant to my personal situation, or soon will be.

On the other hand, if you're going to be snippy, I could point out that from reading your post, it seems quite unlikely that you bumped the thread intentionally, vs. directly responding to an old thread, but since I' m trying to work at becoming a better person, I won't do so.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Thomas

I feel the subject matter is relevant.

 

[Willie B]

Those 500 watt I'm guessing a quartz halogen, have some bad attributes. They are wasteful, expensive to run, if there are any combustibles nearby they are dangerously hot. In most cases fixtures cook themselves replacement is necessary too often. I'm not sure what your application or fixture needs may be. I like some I've been buying from Home Depot, they are 68 watt compact fluorescent. Two will give you more light than one 500. You can legally connect 21 on a 15 Amp #14 circuit.

Efficiency Vermont, and perhaps other states have some incredible deals on LED bulbs. The last 1 year longer than stone, save a ton of energy, and well chosen, do a great job. If you load a circuit with these, your world will be brighter than sunlight!