Conductors ...Parallel

[jxofaltrds]

There is a good article in EC Mag regarding paralleled conductors. It is not on the web site yet www.ecmag.com .

Page 84 July 03 edition.

Would like to here from the "experts".

Mike P.

 

[george t. everett]

Re: Conductors ...Parallel

I received my ecmag today & read the article tilted conductors connected in parallel.I thought it was a good article, but left me a little confused. In the first paragraph it state "Where used as parallel conductors, the circular-mil areas of these conductors are added together to provide the total cross-sectional area of the overall size of the parallel conductors." I read this to say if a 400 amp residential service requires a 400MCM conductor then if paralleled each paralleled conductor would have tobe 200MCM minimum. This is the way my inspector explained it to me. It is not ampacity of the conductor. Does this make sense to anyone?

 

[jxofaltrds]

Re: Conductors ...Parallel

George

I do not understand either that is why I threw it to the board.

Mike P.

 

[bennie]

Re: Conductors ...Parallel

It appears that someone relates cross sectional area in direct proportion to ampacity.

Case in point...Two 250 kcmil does not equal a single 500 kcmil. 250=255X2=510 amps, 500=380 amps. Two 3/0's are closer.

 

[charlie b]

Re: Conductors ...Parallel

I agree, Bennie. A 400 amp load will require 400 amps worth of cable. You add the ampacities of the paralleled conductors, not the cross-sectional areas.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Conductors ...Parallel

I haven't got my copy of the magazine yet, but could they be talking about rules like the ones in 250.24(B)(2), or 250.30(A)(6)(b)?
Don

 

[ryan_618]

Re: Conductors ...Parallel

I wonder if some of the confusion lies between 310.16 for ampacity and 250.66 for sizing the GEC, 250.66 would require you to add KCMIL's.

[ July 25, 2003, 09:59 AM: Message edited by: ryan_618 ]