Voltage Drop

[Ben Trueblood]

I have a pole lighting circuit that has been calculated and determined that at 20 Amps I need a # 4 Alum. conductor to carry voltage. If I am feeding pole lighting with this circuit can I reduce the conductor size feeding up the pole to the individual pole heads?

 

[mayanees]

Individual light feeds

Individual light feeds

Yes, you can reduce the size of the conductor tapped off of your #4 feeder wire to run up the pole and feed the light, since that wire will only carry one fixture's current.
JM

 

[Ben Trueblood]

How would I go about figuring out sizing that wire properly?

 

[nakulak]

post a sketch or detail what you are doing

 

[Smart $]

How would I go about figuring out sizing that wire properly?

Size for the OCPD protecting the circuit.

 

[infinity]

Yes you can reduce the conductor size at the pole since it will have little affect on the voltage drop. Your smaller conductors would need to be sized according to the OCPD ahead of the #4 conductors.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I have a pole lighting circuit that has been calculated and determined that at 20 Amps I need a # 4 Alum. conductor to carry voltage.

Don't forget that the EGC will also have to be #4 aluminum or its copper equivalent.