Reducing wire size without fusing?

[locklin]

Where in NEC does it state that it is legal to reduce a run of #12 90 feet long to a 25 foot run of # 16 without fusing the #16 run at the point of reducing? Or is this practice ilegal?

 

[benaround]

Re: Reducing wire size without fusing?

What voltage is this, and what is the OCPD.?

frank

 

[charlie]

Re: Reducing wire size without fusing?

And why would you be using #16?

 

[kiloamp7]

Re: Reducing wire size without fusing?

And what is the load it is serving?
Or is it a control ckt., etc,etc.

 

[john m. caloggero]

Re: Reducing wire size without fusing?

Locklin: See Section 240.5(B)(2)(2), Protection of Flexible Cords, Flexible Cables, and Fixture wires. You can tap No. 16 awg fixture wire to a No. 12 awg branch circuit conductor supplied by a 20A circuit. The No. 16 is allowed to be up to 100 ft in length. This is usually used for large chandeliers.

 

[charlie]

Re: Reducing wire size without fusing?

This was posted in another post by Locklin

Scenario..25A fuse on 12Volt garden lighting transformer feeds 90 feet of #12 cable. At end of the #12 a 25 ft piece of #16 cable is attached then buried under decorative bark or mulch. on the end of the #16 is a lamp varying from 10 to 50 Watt (12V). My question... What if a short occurs at the end of the #16 with no protection except the 25A at the beginning of the #12 run. Where in the code is this permitted? I can not find any thing. I believe this to be dangerous.

 

[benaround]

Re: Reducing wire size without fusing?

Locklin,

Why don't you just get a smaller fuse and be done with it.

frank

 

[john m. caloggero]

Re: Reducing wire size without fusing?

Charlie: 2005 NEC, Section 240.4(F) and commentary in the NFPA Handbook, also Section 240.21(C)(1). Where a single-phase transformer is used, the secondary conductors are allowed to be protected by the OCD on the primary of the transformer.