electrical contractors

[sfry]

does anyone know where i can find code to house wiring. we bought a new house they ran 14ga wire with 15amp breaker about 175ft. we are having voltage drops, and the electricians are saying by code they do not have to size wire for voltage drop on general outlets and lights. please don't tell me to look at the electrical code book, mine is still packed up and in storage,this hot spell has kept me busy to get it out yet.

thanks for the help

sfry

[Twilly]

Twilli says should have been # 10

[Twilly]

Twilli help you out with link

http://www.elec-toolbox.com/calculators/voltdrop.htm

[Twilly]

Twilli confused too but thinks this link is better

http://www.csgnetwork.com/wiresizecalc.html

[snewman24]

does anyone know where i can find code to house wiring. we bought a new house they ran 14ga wire with 15amp breaker about 175ft. we are having voltage drops, and the electricians are saying by code they do not have to size wire for voltage drop on general outlets and lights. please don't tell me to look at the electrical code book, mine is still packed up and in storage,this hot spell has kept me busy to get it out yet.
thanks for the help
sfry

My understanding is that the NEC 210.19(A)(1) FPN No.4 SUGGESTS a maximum 3% voltage drop but doesn't have the force of law, being that the NEC code is for safety, and not for efficiency or convenience.

[model m-man]

That's one humongus house to have one wire running 175 ft.

I believe your electrician's are correct. Not the best solution, but what people tend to forget is the code is a bare minimum - nothing more. A larger size wire should have been specified when it was being built.

[Luther Drye]

Model m-man is right. Any code, including elecrical codes, only set minimum requirments. I would never wire a circuit for less than 20 amp capacity(12 gauge wire), even just a switch leg. But that's just me. 175 feet is very long for a single 15 amp circuit. You may have too many convenience outlets or fixtures on that particular circuit and need divide it into two or more circuits.

[sfry]

it should not be 175 ft, but after seeing them rewire some stuff and leave an extra 20ft of wire in the attic, i am assuming that they ran it every which way. it goes from the breaker box, hit the 2 farthest bedrooms upstairs, and lights. I appreciate the help with the code. they told me it was to code, and
what snewman24 said. i told them the wire sizing stuff is in there for more than just bathroom reading. push come to shove, it may be code, but it does not mean it is right. still fighting with them over it. another case of low bid contractors. they are going to take a bath with this before i am done with them.

[platchford]

If you would like to read the actual code book you can access it directly from the NFPA's website. Here is a link to NFPA 70: National Electric Code. If you scroll down near the bottom you will see links for " View the 2008 edition of this document" as well as 2005 and 2002 editions.

Enjoy!

[al_hvac]

Twilli confused too but thinks this link is better

http://www.csgnetwork.com/wiresizecalc.html

twilli confuses me too

[crackertech]

twilli confuses me too

Thats twilli's job.