Electricians only?
Question:is it possible to run too heavy wiring? for example 10-2 for refrigerator and stove. I was told it could draw too much power and burn out appliance. true or false. please give your sources.
Answers:
False!! The exact opposite is true. Too low guage wire will burn out your appliance.
Running a wire that is TOO Heavy is only overkill and added expense. However, if it is what you want to pay for and install then by all means do so.
Chances are you probably got the 10/2 for free and with the price of copper being as high as it is right now I can't blame you. Normally you would use 12 guage on up to 20 amp circuits and 14 guage on up to 15 amp circuits. I reccommend never using 14 guage wire on outlets simply because you never know when that outlet may be used to call for higher than 15 amps. (Ever seen some of these heavey duty carpet cleaning machines you can rent and take home to plug into that outlet?)
The 10/2 is usually for 20 amp 220 volt Air conditioners or 10/3 for a 30 amp dryer.
If you run TOO light wiring, then yes you can cause some real problems.
For example, most people who buy power tools also pick up these cheap 16 or 18 guage extension cords to go along with it. These cords run anywhere from a few feet to a hundred feet long.
The longer the cord the higher value of resistance. You'd need to understand Ohm's Law to appreciate and understand what this means. I doubt you'd find this in any Home Depot do it yourself book. For the best journeyman electricians course I'd recommend you take the BEEP (basic electricity and electronics) and Electrician's Mate A School taught by the U.S. Navy.
Electricity is facinating when you understand not only how to wire and install devices, but appreciate and understand how and why it works. Electromagnetic lines of flux and magnetism make the world go round.
Nevertheless, if you run your new Milwalkee 1/2" hole hawg on a 16 or 18 guage 100 foot cord, expect to fork over another $165.00 to buy a new one real soon.
Anything that has any electric Motor or Heater draws heavy current. In motors there are two types, Starting and Running current.
When you run electricity through a conductor it produces magnetism. When a motor is at a dead stand still it draws an extra amount of current to give the little extra ummph the motor needs to start turning. This is the starting current.
After the motor starts turning and is up to running speed, it draws less current to maintain the normal running speed. This is your running current.
Ever notice when you hear the comressor in your fridge kick on sometimes the lights go dim for a split second then come back to normal again? You are witnessing the magical phenomenon known as Voltage Drop.
Do you have an awesome stereo? Ever heard of MONSTER CABLES. These are (very expensive)heavy guage speaker wire that make a tremendous difference how your stereo cranks versus using regular thin guage speaker wire.
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true
It took me a minute to sort out what you were asking.
No, it is not possible to use a wire that is too heavy for a particular application. Wasteful in terms of cost, but will not cause a particular problem. Wiring that is not heavy enough would be a problem.
From your example, 10-2 is a bit heavy for a refrigerator. 12-2 with ground is fine.
10-2 would not be heavy enough for a stove. Should be at least 8-3 with ground, 6-3 for a long run.
Gas stove. I see. Still should not put it on the same circuit as the refrigerator. 10-2 should be fine, 12-2 would work as well. Technically, you could go down to 14-2 on a 15 amp circuit, but I like to run all outlets on at least 12-2.
a min of 8/2 really should be 8/3 by the new code as electric stoves are resistive loads it will not burn out the appliance
low or high voltage more than what the appliance is rated for will for sure
I see two questions here. Refrigerators need a 20 amp 12 Gage wire at 120 volts. (Wireing code for kitchens) Using a 10 - 2 wire on a refrigerator is a waste of wire.
You also did not say if your stove is Gas or electric. Assuming your stove is gas and uses electric for the light & clock it would be the same. 120 volts 20 amps on a # 12 wire.
If it is an all electric stove (No gas) it would be 40 amp # 8 gauge wire 240 volts.
The outlet for the stove (If it is gas) can be on the same line as the frig.
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