February 21, 2012 By Dave Rongey ©2007-2012Author - Licensed Electrical Contractor Filed under Voltage Drop

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Long Distance Electrical Wiring

Increased Wire Sizes and Connections to Electrical Devices

• Because I had extra #6 wire and didn’t want to buy smaller wire on top of that I ran the #6 wire to the outlets I wanted in there.
• Naturally I discovered that the wire was too big to wire the 20 amp outlets I bought.
• Can these wire be “trimmed down” to fit or should I pull that wire out and replace it with smaller gauge wire?

This electrical question came from: Robert, a Homeowner from Oregon City, OR.

Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical question Robert.

Ohms Law and Voltage Drop Calculations

• There are a few details that are not provided in this question about your installation, however if the distance from the panel to the point of use was great then voltage drop can be an issue.
• Calculating will also  depend on how much amperage or load the electrical circuit will require and what the actual length or distance of the wire will be.
• The wire size will then be based on a calculations which will factor in this information. Because wire sizes may be increased due to a long distance, short lengths of reduced wire size may be used for connecting devices such as outlets and switches.
• The circuit breaker must be sized to the smallest wire size, depending on the specific type of wire and the device being connected.
• Outdoor circuits especially in livestock areas must be protected by a GFCI device such as a GFI circuit breaker.
• Please check with your local building department for applicable codes, permits and inspections.

The Following links will assist you with your electrical question:

Electrical Calculations and Formulas

Electrical outlet wiring

Wiring Electrical Outlet for the Home
Home electrical wiring includes 110 volt outlets and 220 volt outlets and receptacles which are common place in every home. See how wiring electrical outlets for the home are done.

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House Wiring Circuits and Circuit Breakers
This article looks at common 120 volt and 240 volt house wiring circuits and the circuit breakers that are installed identifying the types and amperage sizes used in most homes.

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Electrical Wire for the Home
Complete listing of electrical wire types and parts used for home projects with electrical code information serves as selection guidelines.

GFCI Wiring

GFCI Wiring
This list of articles will help you learn about the features and benefits provided by GFI and GFCI Receptacles and how they are wired.

Electrical Code

Home Electrical Code
Electrical Code Directory covering AFCI circuit, electrical-boxes, electrical-circuit, electrical-code-outlets, electrical GFCI, electrical-grounding, electrical-project, electrical-services, electrical-underground, electrical-wiring, electrical-wiring-code, lighting-codes and smoke-detectors.