310.12 and 310.16

[Jimmy7]

Can I ask a question a little off topic to my original post. Putting the code and ampacity tables aside for a minute, in reality can a conductor typically handle more than its rating? Has anyone seen any examples of this?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Can I ask a question a little off topic to my original post. Putting the code and ampacity tables aside for a minute, in reality can a conductor typically handle more than its rating? Has anyone seen any examples of this?

Of course you can't ask a question. Do you think this is a forum or something....? lol

Sure it can the nec is going to have a fail safe of sorts in there. Also, it is more the conductor insulation that is the issue rather than the conductor itself

 

[rc/retired]

Can I ask a question a little off topic to my original post. Putting the code and ampacity tables aside for a minute, in reality can a conductor typically handle more than its rating? Has anyone seen any examples of this?

I saw about an 8" long #12 spliced onto a #2 from 100 amp breaker. There was no insulation left on the #12 and it was almost black in color.
This was in a rural area. A main disconnect feeding a house and 2 outbuildings. Been that way for years.

Ron

 

[qcroanoke]

I saw about an 8" long #12 spliced onto a #2 from 100 amp breaker. There was no insulation left on the #12 and it was almost black in color.
This was in a rural area. A main disconnect feeding a house and 2 outbuildings. Been that way for years.

Ron

Copper does pretty good. It's that covering that's suspect....

 

[jaggedben]

The reality is if you're off by one breaker size too high it's quite unlikely to matter on otherwise properly wired and terminated conductors. But also, there are a lot of sloppily terminated conductors out there, and the terminations is where issues show up. Speaking from what I've witnessed surveying residential sites.