A long distance wiring question

[woodlandfarms]

So here is the dilemma. I found I have 12.3 running 250 ft and not 10.3 as it should be.

To create a 110 circuit, can I double the hot side up without doubling the neutral? Meaning can I hook the red and black to the hot leg of the breaker (2 12guage wires) but keep the neutral ( white ) as a single 12 gauge?

If yes, will this improve my voltage drop problem?

 

[Steave]

No. In a 110v circuit the hot and neutral carry the same current so the neutral wire would still be considered a single conductor. There are several good voltage drop calculators on the web. They tell you about the code being a 5% allowed drop in voltage in a given circuit. I would suggest to try and stay as close to that as possible.

Google; nooutage.com look down the list on the left to #9 and look at their voltage drop calculator it's very thorough.

 

[EddieWalker]

What makes you think you have a voltage drop issue? 12 gauge wire will only lose about an amp over that distance. It is not a very long run, and with a 20 amp breaker, you should be able to power just about anything that runs on 110 volts.

What are you trying to do, and what is happening?

Eddie

 

[EE_Bota]

So here is the dilemma. I found I have 12.3 running 250 ft and not 10.3 as it should be.

To create a 110 circuit, can I double the hot side up without doubling the neutral? Meaning can I hook the red and black to the hot leg of the breaker (2 12guage wires) but keep the neutral ( white ) as a single 12 gauge?

If yes, will this improve my voltage drop problem?

Yes, and it should improve the situation somewhat.

R going out, R of the load, R coming back is a worse situation than
R/2 going out, R of the load, R coming back.

The total wire resistance in the former case is 2 R.
In the latter R/2 + R = 1.5 R. Any improvement will be marginal. Won't hurt.
Listen to practical answers...frequently given by electricians and folk who know code. I am neither of these.

 

[Johnp33]

If you are running a breaker box at the end of the wires, that is what I would do, then you have the two hots and one neutral and the ground all connected at that panel. With both hots to one side of the box. I would drive in a separate ground rod, or as is required hear a plate buried 2 ft in the ground. The neutral and grounds in all breaker boxes are both connected to the body of the panel. Then run your equipment off of that.
Just a thought!

 

[s219]

I hope a real electrician jumps in.

I will tell you that wiring is like pipe and current is like flow. The smallest pipe is going to limit the flow.

Doubling the hot wire won't help much if the neutral return leg is still single conductor. Any improvement would be marginal at best.

I have shared a neutral with two hots when they were different phase, so the neutral is never really carrying more than one return leg of current, same as the individual hots. But that's a different animal all together.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ok... im an electrical contractor so here goes.

1. I agree with previous poster about not doubling up hot leg as this in not legally allowed on a 110 circuit. you can do it for a 220 circuit though... but not for long. code changes are in the works to kill this practice.

2. In 250 feet, a #12 wire running 240 volt single phase will lose 8% or 19.1 volts of the 220 volt circuit AND 19.1 VOLTS OR 15.9% OF A 110 VOLT CIRCUIT . By standards we try to regulate it to NO MORE than 3% voltage drop: HOWEVER 2011 NEC code no longer restricts us to a 3% value. In other words you could use this and be legal, but you may damage some kinds of equipment. Light bulbs would not be affected, but motors can (as voltage drops amperage draw increases so heat also increases).

3. Generally we NEVER worry about voltage drop until we reach 100 feet. I have run electric gates out to 300 feet and even though its just a 20 amp motor, ive had to use #6 aluminum or #8 copper wire.

 

[grsthegreat]

What makes you think you have a voltage drop issue? 12 gauge wire will only lose about an amp over that distance. It is not a very long run, and with a 20 amp breaker, you should be able to power just about anything that runs on 110 volts.

What are you trying to do, and what is happening?

Eddie

SORRY EDDIE...NOT EVEN CLOSE. more like 19 volts..... this can wreck havoc on motors.

 

[EddieWalker]

What happens to the electric motor?

I ran 12/2 eight hundred feet to my front gate and installled some lights on either side of it on a 20 amp circut. I also put in an outlet that I use for power tools when I'm doing something out there. When I was installing the cultured stone on my block, I ran my 14 inch chop saw to cut the stone. When I was installing the block, I ran my cement mixer. I've used power drills and even an electric weed eater with a one hundred foot extension cord.

Everything worked fine and all of those tools are still working many years later.

I actually have 124 volts on each leg at my panel. Does that mean the extra 14 volts will wreck havoc on my motors? or is that only when it's under 110 volts? I really don't worry too much about voltage, just amps.

Eddie

 

[Gary Fowler]

I tried running my air compressor off a 100 foot cord, likely 14/2 wire but didnt check but that is what most cords are, and it wouldnt even start the motor. Had to drag it back to the shop and pull out 100 foot of air hose which worked perfectly. I have a 25 foot SO cord that I run it with in the shop. I think it is 10 gauge wire.