Calculating Wire Size

Calculating Wire Size

Table Of Contents:
1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.

Calculating Wire Size: Formula

Example 1: Calculating Wire Size for 3 Conductors in Conduit
Example 2: Calculating Wire Size for 6 Conductors in Conduit
Appendix 1: NEC Table 310.60

2013 JOHNSON CONTROLS, INC.

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Calculating Wire Size

1.1. Calculating Wire Size: Formula

You can calculate the wire size by finding the product of the current drawn and
1.25.

Wire Size: Formula

Wire Size = Amps X 1.25

Note: This is a general formula for calculating the wire size. You will need to
refer to the wire size table given in Appendix 1.
1.2. Example 1: Calculating Wire Size for 3 Conductors in Conduit
You need to determine the wire size to connect a 300 amps motor with THHN
wire, which has 75 C terminations with 3 conductors in the conduit.
The steps to calculate the wire size are as follows:
Step 1: Determine the current drawn by the motor. As mentioned, the
current drawn is 300 amps.
Step 2: So, the wire size can be calculated as:
300 amps X 1.25 = 375

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Calculating Wire Size

Step 3: Next, you need to refer to the NEC Table 310.60 to know the
correct wire size.

NEC Table 310.60 (Cutout)

1
For 75 C
termination, you will
need to refer to this
column.

2
As per our
calculation,
we need to
refer to 375
or the above
temperature
rating.
3
We need to
look at the
wire size
correspondi
ng to the
temperature
rating of
380, which
is 500.

Note: The above table is a cutout of NEC 310.60. To view the complete
table, refer to Appendix 1.

The correct wire size for 3 conductors in the conduit is 500.

2013 JOHNSON CONTROLS, INC.

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Calculating Wire Size

1.3.

Example 2: Calculating Wire Size for 6 Conductors in Conduit

To determine wire size to connect a 300 amps motor with THHN wire and 75 C
terminations with 6 conductors, you need to consider that there are 3 phases
with two wires each. So, each phase Phase A, B, and C will have two wires
each.
Note: When multiple conductors are used, you can actually put multiple wires in
a single conductor.

2013 JOHNSON CONTROLS, INC.

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Calculating Wire Size

1.4.

Appendix 1: NEC Table 310.60

Article 310-Conductors for General Wiring

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Table 310.60 Allowable Ampacities of Insulated Conductors Rated 0 Through 2,000
Volts, 60oC Through 90oC (140oF Through 194oF), Not More Than Three CurrentCarrying Conductors in Raceway, Cable, or Earth (Directly Buried), Based on Ambient
Temperature of 30oC (86oF)
Size
AWG or
kcmil

18
16
14*
12*
10*
8

Temperature Rating of Conductor (See Table 310.13.)

60 C
75oC
90oC
60oC
75oC
90oC
o
o
o
o
o
(140 F)
(167 F)
(194 F)
(140 F)
(167 F)
(194oF)
Types
Types
Types
Types
Types
Types
TW, UF
RHW,
TBS, SA, TW, UF
RHW,
TBS, SA,
THHW,
SIS, FEP,
THHW,
SIS,
THW,
FEPB,
THW,
THHN,
THWN,
MI, RHH,
THWN,
THHW,
XHHW,
RHW-2,
XHHW,
THW-2,
USE, ZW THHN,
USE
THWN-2,
THHW,
RHH,
THW-2,
RHW-2,
THWN-2,
USE-2,
USE-2,
XHH,
XHH,
XHHW,
XHHW,
XHHW-2,
XHHW-2,
ZW-2
ZW-2
o

__
__
20
25
30
40

COPPER
__
__
20
25
35
50

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14
18
25
30
40
55

ALUMINUM OR COPPER-CLAD
ALUMINUM
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
20
20
25
25
30
35
30
40
45

PAGE 5

Size
AWG or
kcmil

__
__
__
12*
10*
8

Calculating Wire Size

6
4
3
2
1
1/0
2/0
3/0
4/0
250
300
350
400
500
600
700
750
800
900
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000

55
70
85
95
110
125
145
165
195
215
240
260
280
320
355
385
400
410
435
455
495
520
545
560

65
85
100
115
130
150
175
200
230
255
285
310
335
380
420
460
475
490
520
545
590
625
650
665

75
95
110
130
150
170
195
225
260
290
320
350
380
430
475
520
535
555
585
615
665
705
735
750

40
55
65
75
85
100
115
130
150
170
190
210
225
260
285
310
320
330
355
375
405
435
455
470

50
65
75
90
100
120
135
155
180
205
230
250
270
310
340
375
385
395
425
445
485
520
545
560

60
75
85
100
115
135
150
175
205
230
255
280
305
350
385
420
435
450
480
500
545
585
615
630

6
4
3
2
1
1/0
2/0
3/0
4/0
250
300
350
400
500
600
700
750
800
900
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000

Correction Factors
Ambient
Temp.
(oC)
21-25
26-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
51-55
56-60
61-70
71-80

For ambient temperatures other than 30 oC (86 oF), multiply

the allowable ampacities shown above by the appropriate
factor shown below.
1.08
1.05
1.04
1.08
1.05
1.04
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.91
0.94
0.96
0.91
0.94
0.96
0.82
0.88
0.91
0.82
0.88
0.91
0.71
0.82
0.87
0.71
0.82
0.87
0.58
0.75
0.82
0.58
0.75
0.82
0.41
0.67
0.76
0.41
0.67
0.76
--0.58
0.71
--0.58
0.71
--0.33
0.58
--0.33
0.58
----0.41
----0.41

*See 240.4(D).
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Ambient
Temp.
(oF)
70-77
78-86
87-95
96-104
105-113
114-122
123-131
132-140
141-158
159-176

Calculating Wire Size

Table 310.15(B)(2)(a) Adjustment Factors For More Than Three Current-Carrying

Conductors in a Raceway or Cable
Number of CurrentCarrying Conductors

4-6
7-9
10-20
21-30
31-40
41 and above

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Percent of Values in Tables

310.16 through 310.19 as
Adjusted for Ambient
Temperature if Necessary
80
70
50
45
40
35

PAGE 7