Capacity of wire

[Russel Ray]

Can anyone tell me what the capacity is of "Anaconda M Densheath 900 Type THW 600 V"? Thanks.

[Marc D. Shunk]

It's just THW. Pre-THHN stuff.

What gauge, then we can get you your answer.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by Marc D. Shunk

It's just THW. Pre-THHN stuff.

What gauge, then we can get you your answer.

Gauge, capacity, whatever. If I knew the gauge, I could look up the capacity. I'm hoping one of these electrical gurus will recognize the stuff and be able to tell me the gauge and/or capacity. What I wrote down was all that was visible on the short piece of service entry wire, and the main service disconnect was unlike any I've ever seen, a simple ON/OFF light switch type of breaker.

[Bruce A. King]

Old house? Sounds like 30 amp service with that type of disconnect.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by bking

Old house? Sounds like 30 amp service with that type of disconnect.

And that's exactly what has me concerned. The house was built in 1962 but the electrical system appeared to have been upgraded (except for two 2-prong outlets in the living room). I want to make sure that the breaker and the wire are properly matched. The disconnect didn't have any numbers on it like one usually sees. There's a discrepancy between the square footage of the tax assessor and MLS listing, indicating that the permitting process might not be complete, and the electrical system might just be part of that.

[Marc D. Shunk]

Originally Posted by rray

Gauge, capacity, whatever. If I knew the gauge, I could look up the capacity. I'm hoping one of these electrical gurus will recognize the stuff and be able to tell me the gauge and/or capacity.

There's absolutely nothing in what you've listed that would permit a person to know its capacity. You have listed the manufacturer's brand and style, the NEC conductor insulation type, and the maximum voltage rating. That wire was made in each and every gauge size from #14 to 4/0.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by Marc D. Shunk

There's absolutely nothing in what you've listed that would permit a person to know its capacity. You have listed the manufacturer's brand and style, the NEC conductor insulation type, and the maximum voltage rating. That wire was made in each and every gauge size from #14 to 4/0.

That helps me tremendously, Marc. Thank you. So there's no way to convert maximum voltage rating to anything else that might be more helpful to us, such as amps?

[Marc D. Shunk]

Originally Posted by rray

That helps me tremendously, Marc. Thank you. So there's no way to convert maximum voltage rating to anything else that might be more helpful to us, such as amps?

No, indeed. That only tells you how sturdy the insulation on the wire is (how much voltage it will hold back without "leaking"). It tells you nothing about the ampacity of the copper inside. You need the gauge size to tell you that.

Think of this in terms of plumbing. The "600 volt" on that wire is akin to the "schedule 40" on a pipe. You want the ampacity of the wire, which is like the max GPM in a pipe. For ampacity you need the gauge of the copper, and for the GPM you'd need the diameter of the pipe. This is just a rough word picture, but maybe it helps some.

I thought home inspectors used those plastic wire gauges sometimes? Got any pics? We could probably give you a pretty good guess from a pic.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by Marc D. Shunk

I thought home inspectors used those plastic wire gauges sometimes?

"Sometimes" is the operative word there.

Originally Posted by Marc D. Shunk

Got any pics? We could probably give you a pretty good guess from a pic.

Yes. Good idea. I'll fetch them.

[Russel Ray]

Here it is.

Sorry it took so long to get it. A margarita, some nachos, and the Memphis-Tennessee basketball game distracted me.

[Marc D. Shunk]

Those Anaconda brand conductors are put there from the factory, and I see on the one that they're #2. The electrician installed conductors are on the right side of that breaker, out of view. That appears to be an old 100 amp Westinghouse panel.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by Marc D. Shunk

Those Anaconda brand conductors are put there from the factory, and I see on the one that they're #2. The electrician installed conductors are on the right side of that breaker, out of view. That appears to be an old 100 amp Westinghouse panel.

It was Westinghouse. You're good! Thanks.

I only did this inspection today for three reasons:

1 - It was for a previous Client from a year ago
2 - It was in an area of San Diego that I like and where I did 9 property renovations from 1994-2001
3 - I know the owners because she plays the piano (me, too) and he plays the cello (I play the violin). Also, Jim (my Domestic Partner) studies piano with her.

[Marc D. Shunk]

Be advised that the conductors that you need to worry about are not the one's you pictured. Those are from the factory. The one's on the right side of the main breaker are the field installed one's, and it is unclear to me at this point what their gauge and even what material they might be. They look "heavy" and given the age they're likely copper, but it's not possible to say anything beyond that at this point.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by Marc D. Shunk

Be advised that the conductors that you need to worry about are not the one's you pictured. Those are from the factory. The one's on the right side of the main breaker are the field installed one's, and it is unclear to me at this point what their gauge and even what material they might be. They look "heavy" and given the age they're likely copper, but it's not possible to say anything beyond that at this point.

The right side wires are exactly the same type wire you see on the left side in the picture. They are copper. I couldn't get a good picture of the right side due to vegetation, but it doesn't matter since both sides have the exact same type of wire.

[Marc D. Shunk]

Originally Posted by rray

The right side wires are exactly the same type wire you see on the left side in the picture. They are copper. I couldn't get a good picture of the right side due to vegetation, but it doesn't matter since both sides have the exact same type of wire.

Groovy. Everything you're looking at there conductor-wise is 100 amp then. That main breaker was a popular frame size for Westinghouse, and could be any rating from 30 through 100. Did you happen to note any amp rating on that main breaker? I can't make one out in the picture. I think it's embossed in the side of the handle, but I forget exactly. It's probably a safe bet that it's a 100 amp breaker judging from the lug size alone, but without seeing some numbers with your own two eyes, you can't really say for sure.