By Erik Watkins

What Gauge Size Wire For 50 Amps At Different Volts & Feet

Last updated: May 19, 2023
What Size Wire For 50 Amps At Different Voltage And Distance

Whenever you have the intention to rewire an old circuit or set new electrical equipment in your house, you must know that it is crucial to pick the right conductor. 

It would help if you got a picture of your current circuit in your place that will be safe and suitable for choices of wire sizes. One of the most prevalent searches is 50 amp wiring gauge.

We stay here today with the best of our knowledge to help you unclog the curiosity which will contribute to your electronic safety measures in your home. Why are you hesitating? Follow us now to reach a thoughtful answer!

What Size Wire For 50 Amp Breakers?

A brief reply for the 50 amp wire size is a 6 gauge wire. The 50 amp is the most commonly used breaker to supply power for various devices. Therefore, it isn’t hard to understand when many try to find out what fits a 50 amp breaker.

Nevertheless, in the latest code of 2020 CEC electricity, you can use 8 AWG wires (supposed to be used in a 40 amp circuit) for setting this 50 amp breaker with some specific conditions and terms. 

In other cases, a 6 AWG wire is often used on a 50-amp breaker. Actually, as there has not yet been designed specifically for 50 amps, most experienced electricians will allow a link between a 6 gauge wire with 50 amps. This isn’t unfamiliar and has been applied for years, so it is clear evidence for safety.

The number 6 gauge wire that we often consider using is made from copper. Also, you can detect aluminum conductors for 6 AWG wires on a 50 amp breaker. 

In fact, the second option is technically regarded to apply for 55 amps, which is compatible for an overcurrent of 50 amps. 

Size Wire At 100 Feet

The compact answer for this tricky query is 6 AWG. 

In most instances, wire size with 6 AWG will be required in order to handle 50 amps at 100 feet. In some limited circumstances, you will perhaps need to have a bigger 4 AWG wire. 

That is when you need a long electrical circuit, and you need to send this electric current at a certain distance (from 100 feet or over).

Size Wire At 150 Feet

You can feel free to apply either aluminum wiring with 3 AWG or copper wiring with 4 AWG for a 50-amp breaker at this distance. 

Wire Size At 240 Volts

Generally, a 4 AWG aluminum or 6 AWG copper will handle this ampacity rating.

It is true that voltage does not affect how long the wire is. It just depends on its thickness and insulation. Thus, it does not matter if it’s how much voltage, 240, 220, or 200 volts, when finding the right wire size.

 But you can not ignore the drop of voltage based on distance. 

FAQs  

Can Number 10 Wire Handle 50 Amps?

No. A 10 gauge wire can not manage 50 amps. The highest rating on a 10 gauge is 30 amps.

How Far Can You Run 6 Gauge Wire?

The maximum distance you can run 6 wires is 1,000 feet.

From 1 to 500 feet is the best distance for a 6 gauge wire to handle without any difficulty. However, after the benchmark, sometimes you can notice some voltage drop. 

In The Nutshell

Are you still there? If so, we really hope our content on gauge wire for 50 amp has brought practical pieces of information for you and your family in installing new electric networks or fixing some wrong points in rewiring circuits. 

Thank you for reading, and don’t skip subscribing to our site to catch up with the latest update about many hot queries in our daily life. See you soon in future practical posts.



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Automotive Mechanic at PowerAll

With 7 years experience in management positions leading automotive mechanics at PowerAll, Erik Watkins wishes to share useful knowledge and information about automotive mechanical equipment.

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