More Electrical Knowledge Base

[Sharxfan]

So I did some digging and it looks like it takes 14gauge for 6amps which is weird because a lot of phone chargers are like 4amps and the USB cords don't even seem close to 14gauge or even 16 gauge unless my internal wire gauge meter is off.........:rofl

I should be getting the LED strips as soon as the slow boat from China gets here and will update with an approximation of the wire gauge.

 

[Climber]

Correct, and that's a typical size. The 13 watt bulb still pulls over an amp. Put your hand over a small space heater rated at 500 watts. That's four amps.

These are 120v/13watt bulbs. That comes out to about .11Amps by my calculations.

 

[bikeama]

NEXT QUESTIONS:
Sounds nutty but she wants outlet inside one of them because she has decided micro has to live in a cabinet to save precious counterspace in dinky kitchen. This required us to order fancy expensive door front that shunts up just to use micro. Makes me crazy but these are the compromises we must make in couples living.

Have you looked at a drawer microwave? We put in a Sharp and have been very happy with it. More money but maybe a push if you have to order an expensive door front.

 

[afm199]

These are 120v/13watt bulbs. That comes out to about .11Amps by my calculations.

Ahh, I assumed you were using the undercounter. That's correct.

For general information:

A watt is also known as a volt/ampere. One amp flowing at one volt is one watt. 12 amps flowing at 12 volts is 144 watts. 12 amps flowing at 120 volts is 1440 watts. That's the issue with low voltage lighting. Once you knock voltage down, amperage must increase accordingly for the same wattage. And that's the problem. A 50 watt low voltage light at 12 volts is 4.17 amps. Four of those is all that a #12 conductor can carry safely.

 

[afm199]

So I did some digging and it looks like it takes 14gauge for 6amps which is weird because a lot of phone chargers are like 4amps and the USB cords don't even seem close to 14gauge or even 16 gauge unless my internal wire gauge meter is off.........:rofl

I should be getting the LED strips as soon as the slow boat from China gets here and will update with an approximation of the wire gauge.

Phone chargers are typically 1 to 1.4 amps.

14 gauge for 6 amps is correct for residential wiring. And remember, a phone charger cord is very short. Lighting runs are not always short. I did some in a landscape application as the engineer designed, 120 feet, the voltage drop was from 13 volts to about 7 volts over that distance. We had to reengineer the system in the field.

I heartily suggest you don't skimp on the wire size when you do this. Five more bucks of wire is cheaper than your house burning down. Many cities won't let you install low voltage wiring without a complete inspection.

 

[Bay Arean]

Phone chargers are typically 1 to 1.4 amps.

14 gauge for 6 amps is correct for residential wiring. And remember, a phone charger cord is very short. Lighting runs are not always short. I did some in a landscape application as the engineer designed, 120 feet, the voltage drop was from 13 volts to about 7 volts over that distance. We had to reengineer the system in the field.

I heartily suggest you don't skimp on the wire size when you do this. Five more bucks of wire is cheaper than your house burning down. Many cities won't let you install low voltage wiring without a complete inspection.

I only use 12 for anything in my amateur malpractice of electrical work. Overkill but there ya go. I wondered if there was such a thing as resistance with thicker wire than you need but it's not 10 so....

 

[Sharxfan]

Phone chargers are typically 1 to 1.4 amps.

14 gauge for 6 amps is correct for residential wiring. And remember, a phone charger cord is very short. Lighting runs are not always short. I did some in a landscape application as the engineer designed, 120 feet, the voltage drop was from 13 volts to about 7 volts over that distance. We had to reengineer the system in the field.

I heartily suggest you don't skimp on the wire size when you do this. Five more bucks of wire is cheaper than your house burning down. Many cities won't let you install low voltage wiring without a complete inspection.

The led strip comes with a converter and associated wiring so I will double-check it when it gets in I think it is also 12V.

 

[Sharxfan]

I only use 12 for anything in my amateur malpractice of electrical work. Overkill but there ya go. I wondered if there was such a thing as resistance with thicker wire than you need but it's not 10 so....

It is easier to use one gauge and overkill than try to engineer ti to exactly it's intended use for home wiring. I used 12gauge for everything and don't sweat it because I know I have enough to handle the normal home amperage load.

 

[Bay Arean]

It is easier to use one gauge and overkill than try to engineer ti to exactly it's intended use for home wiring. I used 12gauge for everything and don't sweat it because I know I have enough to handle the normal home amperage load.

Yeah, that's what I figured. The most troubling thing I have come to realize from this exchange, is that my refrigerator and most exposed kitchen outlets are only on 15 amp circuits. THis bugs me and makes me think I better hire a guy and just get some more breakers in my box and wire new. I was thinking that maybe I could use armored BX and go under the house (I have full access and plenty tall under most of house) instead of attic of horrors and bore up instead of down in the walls. I already bored down to move the switch because its in proximity and kinda obvious to do. But with new outlet, under might be better.

 

[Bay Arean]

Have you looked at a drawer microwave? We put in a Sharp and have been very happy with it. More money but maybe a push if you have to order an expensive door front.

I think they pencil out more than the counter front.... We did look at em.

 

[afm199]

Yeah, that's what I figured. The most troubling thing I have come to realize from this exchange, is that my refrigerator and most exposed kitchen outlets are only on 15 amp circuits. THis bugs me and makes me think I better hire a guy and just get some more breakers in my box and wire new. I was thinking that maybe I could use armored BX and go under the house (I have full access and plenty tall under most of house) instead of attic of horrors and bore up instead of down in the walls. I already bored down to move the switch because its in proximity and kinda obvious to do. But with new outlet, under might be better.

I always prefer from below. Attics are horrors.