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NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE>CODE BASICS

The Basics of Conductor Sizing — Part 2

You don’t size feeder conductors the same way you size branch circuit conductors.
Mike Holt | May 18, 2015

As we saw in Part 1, the correct sizing of conductors is more complicated than it appears.
One of the reasons is the way temperature affects the resistance of a conductor. Higher
temperatures mean less current-carrying capacity for a given size conductor. A
conductor may have sufficient ampacity at one temperature, but at a higher temperature
it just can’t take the heat.

We use ampacity tables to select the correct ampacity, but the ampacity tables are based
on 86°F. What if your application is at a different temperature?

Fig.
1. The steps required to size the branch circuit conductor are shown in the box above.

First, determine the maximum temperature of the location in which the conductors will
run. This is the temperature at which your conductors will need to carry current at some
point, not the average temperature over which they must carry current. If the
conductors lack sufficient capacity for the actual operating conditions, results may be
catastrophic.

Next, correct for the difference between your application’s temperature and the 86°F
temperature basis of the tables. If more than three current-carrying conductors are
bundled, you must make further adjustment.

Now you’re ready to select the minimum conductor size from the table. But there’s a
catch: you can’t use a column whose temperature exceeds the temperature rating of any
device in a given run.

You’ll normally use the 60°C column even if you’re running 90°C conductors. You can
use the 90°C column, but only if:

• Your terminal devices are all are rated at 90°C, or

• Your run doesn’t contain terminals. Not all runs do; see Informative Annex D,
Example D3(A).

This requirement [Sec. 110.14(C)] sometimes results in calculation mistakes. But it also
prevents potentially lethal installation mistakes. How so? Termination devices (e.g.,
lugs) are sized to fit specific conductor sizes, so this requirement forces using adequately
sized termination devices. It also prevents using a “derated” termination device that is
actually too large for the conductor. You derate the conductor — not the termination
device or other terminal device.

Adding more complexity is the fact that you don’t size all conductors the same way. It
also matters whether the conductors are in a branch circuit or a feeder.

Branch circuits

The ampacity of branch circuit conductors must be at least the maximum load to be
served [Sec. 210.19(A)(1)]. So size the conductors to carry the larger of:
1. 125% of the continuous loads, plus 100% of the noncontinuous loads, based on the
terminal temperature rating ampacities as listed in Table 310.15(B)(16); or

2. The load after the application of correction or adjustment factors.

Let’s run through an example problem now to clarify the steps required to properly size
a conductor.

Question: What’s the minimum size branch circuit conductor (THHN) for a 45A
continuous nonlinear load that requires three ungrounded conductors and a neutral
(four current-carrying conductors)? (See Fig. 1.)

Here are the key steps in solving this problem:

Because the load is 45A continuous, the conductor must have an ampacity of at least
56A (45A ´ 1.25) [Sec. 210.19(A)(1)(a)].

Table 310.15(B)(16), 75°C column shows a 4 AWG conductor is suitable, because it has
an ampere rating of 70A at 60°C before applying any conductor ampacity adjustment
and/or correction.

Because the neutral is a current-carrying conductor per Sec. 310.15(B)(5)(c), you have
four current-carrying conductors. Therefore, you must apply a Table 310.15(B)(3)
adjustment factor of 80% [Sec. 210.19(A)(1)(b)].

4 THHN is 95A at 90°C [Table 310.15(B)(16)].

Adjustment factor for four current-carrying conductors is 0.80 [Table 310.15(B)(3)(a)].

Therefore, the Corrected Ampacity = 95A × 0.80 = 76A. This is adequate for the 45A
load.
Feeders

In one respect, sizing feeder conductors is notably different from sizing branch circuit
conductors. Here’s how you do it:

First, size the overcurrent protection device (OCPD). Feeder OCPDs must have a rating
of at least 125% of the continuous loads, plus 100% of the noncontinuous loads.

Next, size the conductor. As with branch circuits, use the larger of two sizes [Sec.
215.2(A)(1)]:

1. 125% of the continuous loads, plus 100% of the noncontinuous loads, based on the
terminal temperature rating ampacities as listed in Table 310.15(B)(16); or

2. The load after the application of correction or adjustment factors.

The second step is the same, but not the first step. The difference is that you size branch
circuit conductors to serve the branch circuit load and feeder conductors to serve the
feeder OCPD.

This difference makes sense when you think about the purpose of feeder circuit
conductors (carry power from the source to the final OCPD) versus the purpose of
branch circuit conductors (carry power from the final OCPD to the outlets).

This difference in purpose has so many effects on design that the NEC provides separate
Articles for branch circuits [210] and feeders [215].
 Fig.
2. Tap conductors are defined as conductors, other than service conductors, that have overcurrent
protection ahead of the point of supply that exceeds the value permitted for similar conductors.

Taps

Feeders bring another twist to conductor sizing: feeder tap rules. A tap is a conductor
(other than a service conductor) with overcurrent protection rated higher than normally
allowed in Sec. 240.2 (Fig. 2).
 Fig.
3. You can run feeder tap conductors up to 10 ft without overcurrent protection as long as you meet
certain criteria.

You can run feeder taps without overcurrent protection (at the tap location), up to 10 ft
(Fig. 3). But only if the ampacity of the tap conductor is at least the:

1. Calculated load per Art. 220, and

2. Rating of the device or OCPD supplied by the tap conductors.

Also, the tap conductors must:

1. Not extend beyond the equipment they supply.

2. Be in a raceway, if they leave the enclosure.

3. Have an ampacity at least one-tenth of the rating of the OCPD that protects the
feeder.

Again, let’s run through an example problem to drive home the points we just presented.

Question: Using the 10-ft tap rule, what’s the minimum size conductor you need to
supply a 200A OCPD, if the tap is from feeder conductors protected by a 400A OCPD?

The ampacity of the tap conductors must be at least the rating of:

• The 200A OCPD they terminate into, and

• One-tenth the rating of the OCPD protecting the feeder conductors.

A 3/0 AWG conductor:

• Is rated 200A at 75°C, and

• Has an ampacity of at least 40A (one-tenth the rating of the 400A feeder OCPD (400A
÷ 10) [Table 310.15(B)(16)].
 Fig. 4. In
addition to the two criteria above, tap conductors must be protected from physical damage.

What if you need a longer tap? If you don’t need to go more than 25 ft, you’re in luck
[Sec. 240.21(B)(2)]. However, you must satisfy three requirements to get that additional
15 ft (Fig. 4):

1. The ampacity of the tap conductors must be at least one-third the rating of the OCPD
that protects the feeder.

2. The tap conductors must terminate in a single circuit breaker (or set of fuses) rated no
more than the tap conductor ampacity per Sec. 310.15 [Table 310.15(B)(16)].

3. The tap conductors must be protected from physical damage by being enclosed in a
manner approved by the authority having jurisdiction (e.g., within a raceway).

Here’s one last example problem to review.

Question: Using the 25-ft tap rule, what’s the minimum size conductor to supply a 200A
OCPD, if the tap is from feeder conductors protected by a 400A circuit?

The tap conductors must have an ampacity of at least the 200A rating of the OCPD they
terminate into and at least one-third the rating of the OCPD protecting the feeder
conductors. A 3/0 AWG conductor is rated 200A at 75°C and has an ampacity of at least
133A (one-third the rating of the 400A feeder OCPD (400A ÷ 3) [Table 310.15(B)(16)].

Fig. 5. Outside feed tap conductors must meet the criteria noted above.

The great outdoors

And just when you thought the feeder conductor fun was over, we have one more twist
to talk about. The good news is there’s no limit on how long an outside feeder-tap can be
without overcurrent protection at the point it receives its supply [240.21(B)(5)] (Fig. 5).
But only if:
1. The tap conductors are suitably protected from physical damage in a raceway or
manner approved by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).

2. The tap conductors terminate at a single circuit breaker (or single set of fuses) that
limits the load to the ampacity of the conductors.

3. The OCPD for the tap conductors is an integral part of the disconnecting means, or is
located immediately adjacent to it.

4. The disconnecting means is at a readily accessible location (either outside the

building), or nearest the point of entry of the conductors.

Branch vs. feeder

It can be hard to remember whether you size the OCPD first for branch circuits or for
feeders. The rules differ because each type of circuit serves a different purpose, but that
fact alone may not help you keep things straight.

Perhaps another way of looking at it will help. The conductors of a branch circuit must
be big enough to supply the branch circuit loads. But the conductors of a feeder circuit
must be big enough to serve the feeder OCPD.