#3 with different strands

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Ponchik

Ponchik

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CA
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Electronologist
I was installing #3 copper conductor and noticed that the conductor was made up of #14 & #16 strands. I thought all strands had to be the same size in a stranded conductor.

Anyone else has noticed this. Granted it was my first time installing #3. I have installed other size conductors but never a #3, so I am thinking that may be true only for #3 conductor????
 
edward said:
I was installing #3 copper conductor and noticed that the conductor was made up of #14 & #16 strands. I thought all strands had to be the same size in a stranded conductor.

Anyone else has noticed this. Granted it was my first time installing #3. I have installed other size conductors but never a #3, so I am thinking that may be true only for #3 conductor????
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My concern would be not the wire itself but by which means that the wire is terminated.
This is the teminal itself which is UL486. Even if the wire that you are refering to is UL listed did it also pass the requirments of UL486 which involves a pull test and heat rise test Etc?
 
It is regular THHN/THWN from southwire. Does the termination have to be special for #3 since it has a mix of #14 &#16 conductors?
 
edward said:
It is regular THHN/THWN from southwire. Does the termination have to be special for #3 since it has a mix of #14 &#16 conductors?
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If the wire has been tested and listed per UL486 it would not be an issue. It probably is but would be very hard to verify and most installers aren't familiar with the requirements of UL486 and if they were how can they ever find out. When there is a termination or lug and its UL486 how does determine what wires are listed for use with the lug. It tool me a lot of digging to verify that hypalon is not included in the listing so that I could defend it not being used with the common terminals that are installed on breakers, contactors, starters, Etc.
I found that such information is not very well publicized.
When I did my research I wasn't aware that southwire also used a mix of #14 and #16 when they manufacter #3 wire. But has it also been tested so that it can be included in the UL486 listing? "Class B concentric, compressed, and compact." If it complies with this it should be a none issue.
 

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templdl said:
If the wire has been tested and listed per UL486 it would not be an issue. It probably is but would be very hard to verify and most installers aren't familiar with the requirements of UL486 and if they were how can they ever find out.
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As an installer I need to know it is listed as 3 AWG and a insulation type I find in Table 310.13, I should not have to worry about how the strands are made up.
 
I've come across different sized strands in the "aught" series of building wire. I'm picky about the way my pulling heads are made up, so I instruct my apprentices to not use the smaller strands for pulling. For example #3/0 AWG seems to have approximately #10 and #12 strands. I cut off everything except for six "#10's", leaving three on each side of the conductor. I also save one of the larger cut off strands to tie-wrap the pulling head.
 
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