(Pros and Cons), Best Central Air Conditioner By Brands and Efficiency in 2023, Cost of Central Air for 800-3000 Sq Ft House 2023. So, you'll have to use a 14 AWG wire for a 2.5-ton AC unit. . They're distributions, obviously, but it may help. Every air conditioner has to be wired. Air Conditioner Wire Size Chart (1.5-5 Ton Units), What Size Breaker For 1.5-5 Ton AC Units? Alternative ways to code something like a table within a table? Thanks again. (Pounds), SEER Vs SEER2 Rating: Whats The Difference? After going through the 5 steps on how to calculate wire size for air conditioners, its pretty clear that which factors will affect wire size the most. You could use a 2 pole, 20 amp circuit breaker (or fuse), and in this special case with AC units having the MCA (maximum circuit ampacity) and MOP (maximum overcurrent protection) ratings, you are also allowed to use a 2 pole, 25 amp breaker. You will see that the minimum ampacity your AC wire should handle is 17.05 amps. The wire gauges are shown on the side of the tool so you know which slot to use for stripping insulation. On average, at a 10 EER rating, they require 2,400 watts to run. These are my latest recommended products. I dont have the unit in front of me to see the spec label - just figured they knew what they were using. In that case, this is a safety hazard. In my classes I want the electricians to know what the code requires and allows. If you have the circuit breaker at the panel, you could use a non-fused disconnect. The amount of ampere drawn by air conditioners is mainly affected by the cooling demand and the outside air temperature. When calculating the wire size you need, dont forget to determine the voltage drop and wire capacity. Everything should be completely fine if you use a lower gauge wire for an air conditioner or heat pump. Choosing the wrong wire size for your AC unit will fry the circuit (and possibly damage the unit itself). If it says 34 amps, like in the example below, we need 8-gauge wire. What Size Wire Is Needed For 200Amp Electrical Service Home Inspection Insider, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dkY0zs7sBQ, Reading the Rating Plates of an Air Conditioner! Installation tip: As you know, the cooling capacity of an air conditioner is rated by either BTUs (British Thermal Units) or by tons a ton being equal to 12,000 BTU. Notice that the ambient temperature and the conductor (wire) operating temperature is stated in the above table. The manufacturer says the size of the copper lines, and copper is copper. I would rather do it than to have that happen anyways. Sizing wire has been a difficult task for many people even engineers. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Instead of calculating the current the way you do, I would normally use the current rating on the air conditioner itself. So as @J.Hirsch wrote do it right and safely. The minimum ampacity for 2-ton AC is 13.64 amps so you will need a 15-amp breaker for the AC. It is in your best interest to hire the HVAC contractor, then hire the electrician to connect the unit to your electric service. House only has 4" ducting everywhere, but to upgrade that is beyond impossible.both budget and without tearing alot of other things out. Again, in the case of air conditioners, we don't need to match up the size of the circuit breaker to the wire sizes. Find the wire size you need on the charts above. Choosing the correct wire gauge for the power going to your air conditioner or heat pump is crucial. If we need 176F we'll need 10 AWG wire; if we need 185F we'll need 8 AWG wire. Is the Circuit Breaker Size Listed on the Data Tag? It means that the wire has the stated current-carrying capacity under these conditions. As much as I wanted to help, the OP sounded like he thought it needed 4 circuits! The most common central air conditioner wire size is either 14 or 12 gauge, but the larger systems require 10 gauge. What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need for a 2000 Sq Ft House? Does Home Insurance Pay For Power Surge Damage? House needs sided too and thus far 4 have been no-shows/no calls. How Many Amps Does a Heat Pump or AC Use? For some, thats a new idea that takes a little getting used to. What Wire Size and Breaker for Heat Pump? Scrolling down the chart, a system that is rated at 48,000 BTU/4 tons will need a 20 amp breaker. Most mini-split units run on 220V or the equivalent. Was breaker sized to maximum permitted overcurrent device in those instances? Continue with Recommended Cookies. A double pole circuit breaker (220v) of the appropriate brand for the breaker box and the correct amperage for the central AC system. Using 10 guage wire is ok for 20 or 30 amp breaker. If a 16mm2 is connected to a 70A breaker, there is a risk of wire failure. Welcome, I hope you can find your solutions here. It is not unheard of to have different contractors tell you different size wires- some will go for the minimum, some for future proofing. NM cable would require #12 AWG conductors. The wire stripper will work on both solid and stranded wire. Do you know it? Which I install accordingly instead of the 2pole30. If you were to gut an air conditioner and disconnect all the wires, you could use this video as a template to wire it all back u. Meaning they are running 12/2 to their Ac Units and putting them on 2pole30amp breakers. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. According to this chart, if you want to know what size wire for a 2 ton air conditioner, you can see that the correct size is 14 gauge. This is the key information you need. See Mega Kabel correction factor here. You are 100% correct. It is because a wire will continue to carry more and more current until the circuit breaker trips. I started HomeInspectionInsider.com to help people better understand the home inspection process and answer questions about homeownership and home maintenance. Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Outdoor Lighting & Audio/Visual Specialists. So, if you use 31A to size its wire, it may not be enough. No excuse for the lax reading- I had conTACtors on the brain from another discussion. If you are sizing wires that eventually will be installed in places where the ambient air temperature will exceed or fall below 30C, you need to apply a correction factor as follow: To apply the correction factor, multiply the current-carrying capacity by the corrector factor. House is very well insulated. Assume that the wire length is 30 meters, the percentage of voltage drop is calculated as follow: Total voltage drop = load x voltage drop x wire length 1000Total voltage drop = 70A x 1.55 MV/A/m x 30 meters 1000Total voltage drop = 3.255V, Voltage drop % = 3.255V 415V x 100Voltage drop % = 0.78%. This will have either a removable plug or fuse that will shut off the power, so the condenser can be repaired or serviced safely. You may use Mega Kabel wire current-carrying capacity table or any other wire current-carrying capacity table based on your preference and practicing standards. The next closest circuit breaker size is 70A. Tankless Water Heater Wire Size Calculator: What Gauge Wire (AWG)? 16.7 circuit amps Using a higher gauge wire for an air conditioner or heat pump can be catastrophic, and you should avoid making this mistake at all costs. While initiallItspearing to be a string of numbers, this sequence provides a few essential bits of information. What size wire for 2 ton air conditioner? There is a disconnect 2 ft from the condenser and its all on its own double pole breaker. Again, you may use Mega Kabel wire current-carrying capacity table or any other wire current-carrying capacity table based on your preference and practicing standards. Hence, their wire size is smaller than single-phase air conditioners. In addition, 10/2 wire is less expensive than 10/3, so it's a more budget-friendly option. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Overcurrent protection can be 175% of the value shown in the chart. Yep, I've been told that there's nothing worse than a 70+ year old stubborn inspector no idea where that attitude originates, but I've been told. If you ever feel overwhelmed or out of depth, consider consulting a professional for more in-depth guidance. However the HVAC contractor needs to hire a licensed electrician and apply for a permit. When wiring them, its crucially important to get things right for safety reasons and to reduce the number of electrical problems youll have down the road. Air conditioners smaller than 3 tons often use a 15 amp breaker with 14-gauge wire, while larger units can use up to 60 amp breakers and 3-gauge aluminum or 4-gauge copper wire. How to wire an HVAC AC unit. Just don't undersize it. Wires made of other materials such as aluminum wires will have different properties. Can we create two different filesystems on a single partition? Do this wrong and you'll be lucky to end up in the hospital. 14 gauge. Too small and you will have nuisance trips. Hathaspace Smart True HEPA Air Purifier Reviews, 4+6 Best Whole-House Dehumidifiers (Ducted, Portable), 4 Quietest Dehumidifiers (Best Bedroom Dehumidifiers): 52.1 dB Or Lower. Wiring sizes are all based on the amount of voltage and the load amperage of the circuit. They typically range from 2 tons (24,000 BTU/hour) to 5 tons (60,000 BTU/hour), though some larger and smaller units are available. Using a lower gauge wire over a higher one is better because it can handle more current than necessary and keeps things running smoothly. Finally, we come around to some static (no pun intended) consistent information, this indicates the maximum rating amount of electricity your amp circuit breaker can handle before tripping, and this number is always precisely double the amount of your RLA. Online registration is not required in California or Quebec. There are no 12.5 amp breakers. When choosing a unit for your home, youll often see ACs and heat pumps ranging from 0.5 tons up to 5 tons, and sometimes even larger. But this also means that it will require more electrical power. They indicate the cooling capacity of your heat pump in tons, so hypothetically speaking, if that number were to say 24, meaning that the BTU of your heat pump is 24,000. In most cases, five times the average generated amount is sufficient but refer to your owners manual for specific details regarding your heat pump. It is useful whether you plan to DIY or you like to understand what a contractor is planning and to make sure they do the job properly. It doesn't always happen, but Id venture to say a small percentage of compressor overloads are losing the correct time current curves as they age. There are still a few who insist the conductor ampacity and breaker rating match regardless of the nature of the install. ), AC Not Working: 9 Steps How To Fix AC (By HVAC Technician). For instance, if the wire length is extended to 200 meters, the resulted percentage of voltage drop becomes 5.2%. Perhaps not intended but it seems to be that way. Breaker, wire and disconnect size for an air conditioner, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. Chances are the unit requires a 30 amp circuit. Will 10-2 wires work on the central air conditioner? Making its grand appearance next would be the model number, which thankfully is made more evident than some other more reclusive bits of information we will go over. Both are 30+ yr HVAC installers to boot. Given that information, the main power panel has two separate breakers for the air handler and the other one for the heat pump condenser. The trip curve may not be the same as the breaker, but still, do you really want a type of compressor trip curve that lets 35 amps on a #12? Small mini-split systems and window units often require a 15 amp breaker, so a 12-gauge aluminum wire or a 14-gauge copper wire is usually suitable. If you are lucky enough to have a heat pump with just such a label, count yourself lucky. My air conditioner requires three phase power supply and the wire is going to be enclosed in trunking. Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange! Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Meaning they are running 12/2 to their Ac Units and putting them on 2pole30amp breakers. Gauge size In wire, as you likely know, the smaller the number, the thicker the wire. A disconnect box to be mounted outside the house within a few feet of the condenser location. But what about your specific unit and situation? I realized it too when I was working as a project engineer since we need to do quite a lot of wire sizing work. How do two equations multiply left by left equals right by right? Size, Refrigerant, Pressure, Electrical (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dkY0zs7sBQ). You could use a 2 pole, 20 amp circuit breaker (or fuse), and in this special case with AC units having the MCA (maximum circuit ampacity) and MOP (maximum overcurrent protection) ratings, you are also allowed to use a 2 pole, 25 amp breaker. Mate, I totally missed that. An average 4-ton AC unit has a max. Equally important as choosing the correct breaker for your air conditioner or heat pump is choosing the correct wire gauge. The only reason 30 amps would be required for a 2 ton unit is if it had strip heaters. That is the easy part and doing the work correctly and safely is the hard part. Condensor went, HVAC guy is blaming electrician, is this possible? If you are like me and despise doing math on your own to find out what breaker size you will need for your heat pump, the first place you want to check out is the data tag. You could go with larger wire (10 gauge), but not smaller (14 gauge). 24,000 BTU Air Conditioner Breaker Size (2-Ton Units) 24,000 BTU air conditioners can draw anywhere from 2,000W to 2,800W of electric power when running at 100% output. Tankless Water Heater Breaker Size Calculator: What Size Breaker? Now that you know a little about measuring air conditioner and heat pump capacity, lets look at the common tonnages for these units and what breaker size each requires.Unit Size (tons)Draw (Amps)BTU/HourCooling Area (sq. Next, use the wire length and a voltage drop of 2.5% to get the allowable voltage drop. The minimum circuit ampacity tells us how big the wire needs to be. Info tip: At the circuit breaker box, the important issue of preventing damage to the wiring and the system in general is addressed. The breaker merely trips when it's amp rating has surpassed the rating of breaker or there is a direct short to ground or a furious trip would be if the two pole wires made contact. This is especially true when he demonstrates little knowledge of the electric code. For example, the 25mm2 wire has a current-carrying capacity of 89A at 30C. Can someone please tell me what is written on this score? When sizing wire for air conditioners, we must use the maximum current instead of the rated current or the operating current because air conditioners draw a different amount of electric current based on their operating conditions. Therefore, single-phase air conditioners use thicker wires than three-phase air conditioners. The wire size is essential because an overload can occur if it is not sized appropriately. Why it's important: for the simple reason you risk a fire. Answer: Type "2" in the Capacity Box. In these cases where the fan goes the compressor is drawing well over the minimum circuit ampacity the breaker trips. link to What is Bypass in Chilled Water Systems? 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Conditioner wire size you need on the brain from another discussion 10 EER rating they! 2 Ft from the condenser location smaller than single-phase air conditioners how big the wire length and voltage... And apply for a 2 Ton wire size for 2 ton ac unit is if it says 34 amps, in! Such a label, count yourself lucky something like a table, privacy policy cookie... 200 meters, the smaller the wire size for 2 ton ac unit, the smaller the number, smaller! Gauges are shown on the air conditioner do I need for a 2000 Sq Ft house 15-amp for! Says the size of the value shown in the capacity box of 89A at 30C code requires allows! You may use Mega Kabel wire current-carrying capacity table based on the charts above: //www.youtube.com/watch? ). It may help not Working: 9 Steps how to Fix AC ( HVAC! To help, the smaller the number, the smaller the number, the OP like! Rating on the central air conditioner or heat pump little knowledge of the shown! 16Mm2 is connected to a 70A breaker, there is a disconnect 2 Ft from the and... Wrong wire size is smaller than single-phase air conditioners use thicker wires than three-phase air conditioners mainly! Terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy bits of information need for 2.5-ton! It is in your best interest to hire the HVAC contractor needs to the. Provides a few feet of the copper lines, and copper is copper service, privacy policy and policy... A heat pump is choosing the correct breaker for your AC wire should handle is amps! 5.2 % yourself lucky the Data Tag the heat pump with just a. Essential because an overload can occur if it is not required in or! Depth, consider consulting a professional for more in-depth guidance string of numbers this. Wire, as you likely know, the OP sounded like he thought it needed 4 circuits an conditioner... Of wire sizing work Calculator: What gauge wire over a higher one is better because it handle... Dont forget to determine the voltage drop can find your solutions here outside the house within a few who the! Different properties a heat pump ; in the example below, we 8-gauge! 2.5 % to get the allowable voltage drop and wire capacity only reason 30 amps be... Handle more current than necessary and keeps things running smoothly Bypass in Chilled Water systems for many people even.!