Double 14AWG wiring gauge

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Chefwong

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Two 14's double up = how many gauge.
12 gauge or 11 gauge.


This is not for electrical.....
I'm need to buy a crimp connector sleeve and need to determine it based on a doubled up 14awg
 

Speedy Petey

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There is no cross reference. You'd have to use the tables in the back of the NEC to get the actual diameter of the conductors.
 

Jadnashua

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Gauge​
Inches (decimal)​
Inches (fractional)​
Millimeters​
20​
.032​
approx. 1/32"​
.812​
18​
.040​
> 1/32"​
1.024​
16​
.051​
< 1/16"​
1.291​
14​
.064​
approx. 1/16"​
1.628​
12​
.081​
> 1/16"​
2.053​
10​
.102​
< 1/8"​
2.588​
8​
.128​
approx. 1/8"​
3.264​
6​
.162​
> 1/8"​
4.115​
4​
.204​
< 1/4"​
5.189​
2​
.258​
approx 1/4"​
6.544​
 

Jadnashua

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0​
.325​
5/16"​
8.251​
00​
.365​
approx. 3/8"​
9.266​
000​
.410​
7/16"​
11.110​
0000​
.500​
1/2"​
12.710​
9/16"​
.563​
9/16"​
14.287​
5/8"​
.630​
5/8"​
15.875​
3/4"​
.750​
3/4"​
19.050​
7/8"​
.875​
7/8"​
22.225​
1"​
1.000​
1"​
25.400​
 

Jadnashua

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How does that translate to combined. For example, I know the quad 16ag I use, the combined dual 16's = 13AWG

Don't know, but it seems like two 16g (each 0.051") would need an opening twice that, or a 10g capability (0.102").
 

Chefwong

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Doubling up, does not make it *half* the wire rating.
Just don't do it often enough to know.
Found the answer - Two 14's = 11 AWG
 

JWelectric

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Doubling up, does not make it *half* the wire rating.
Just don't do it often enough to know.
Found the answer - Two 14's = 11 AWG

I am not sure what you are trying but unless you show a reference to what you say I disagree.

Two 14 AWG equals two 14 AWG as far as the code is concerned. And they can not be connected in parallel

Would you mind explaining just what you are doing please.
 

BobL43

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Two 14's double up = how many gauge.
12 gauge or 11 gauge.


This is not for electrical.....
I'm need to buy a crimp connector sleeve and need to determine it based on a doubled up 14awg
If it's not for electrical application, then you are using this to do what, hang a picture? :p
Two conductors twisted and fastened d to a crimp type connector? Just twist them and measure the OD and pick from Jim's chart?
 

Ballvalve

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I am not sure what you are trying but unless you show a reference to what you say I disagree.

Two 14 AWG equals two 14 AWG as far as the code is concerned. And they can not be connected in parallel

Would you mind explaining just what you are doing please.

For a guy with several miles of #6 and #10 wire, "doubling up" seems like a great use of material. I have done it on some wild mountain runs, and all works fine. Without any code babble, can you explain the practical danger inherent in parallel wires?
 

Speedy Petey

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Without any code babble, can you explain the practical danger inherent in parallel wires?
I am not an engineer (thankfully), all I know is 310.4, then 310.10(H) says we CANNOT parallel conductors under 1/0.
Here is the NEC Handbook commentary on it:
Conductors connected in parallel, in accordance with 310.10(H), are treated by the Code as a single conductor with a total cross-sectional area of all conductors in parallel. The use of parallel conductors is a practical and cost effective means of installing large-capacity feeders or services. Using conductors larger than 1000 kcmil in raceways is neither economical nor practical unless the conductor size is governed by voltage drop. The ampacity of larger sizes would increase very little in proportion to the increase in the size of the conductor. Where the cross-sectional area of a conductor increases 50 percent (e.g., from 1000 to 1500 kcmil), a Type THW conductor ampacity increases only 80 amperes (less than 15 percent). A 100 percent increase (from 1000 to 2000 kcmil) causes an increase of only 120 amperes (approximately 2 percent). Generally, where cost is a factor, installation of two (or more) paralleled conductors per phase may be beneficial.

The parallel connection of two or more conductors in place of using one large conductor depends on compliance with 310.10(H)(2) to ensure equal current division in order to prevent overloading any of the individual paralleled conductors.

Where individual conductors are tapped from conductors in parallel, the tap connection must include all the conductors in parallel for that particular phase. Tapping into only one of the parallel conductors would result in unbalanced distribution of tap load current between parallel conductors, resulting in one of the conductors carrying more than its share of the load, which could cause overheating and conductor insulation failure. For example, if a 250-kcmil conductor is tapped from a set of two 500-kcmil conductors in parallel, the splicing device must include both 500-kcmil conductors and the single 250-kcmil tap conductor.

310.10(H)(2) commentary:
To avoid excessive voltage drop and also to ensure equal division of current, it is essential that different phase conductors be located close together and that each phase conductor, grounded conductor, and the grounding conductor (if used) be grouped together in each raceway or cable. However, isolated phase installations are permitted underground where the phase conductors are run in nonmetallic raceways that are in close proximity.

The impedance of a circuit in an aluminum raceway or aluminum-sheathed cable differs from the impedance of the same circuit in a steel raceway or steel-sheathed cable; therefore, separate raceways and cables must have the same physical characteristics. Also, the same number of conductors must be used in each raceway or cable. See 300.20 regarding induced currents in metal enclosures or raceways.

All conductors of the same phase or neutral are required by 310.10(H)(2) to be of the same conductor material. For example, if 12 conductors are paralleled for a 3-phase, 4-wire, 480Y/277-volt ac circuit, 4 conductors could be installed in each of three raceways. The Code does not intend that all 12 conductors be copper or aluminum but does intend that the individual conductors in parallel for each phase, grounded conductor, and neutral be the same material, insulation type, length, and so on. Also, the three raceways are intended to have the same physical characteristics (e.g., three rigid aluminum conduits, three steel IMC conduits, three EMTs, or three nonmetallic conduits), not a mixture (e.g., two rigid aluminum conduits and one rigid steel conduit).

The presence of the word polarity throughout the section specifically allows the inclusion of dc circuits.


Since you say you hacked in a "wild mountain run" I am sure those looking to circumvent this part of the code will feel much better about themselves, as I am sure you do. :rolleyes:
 

JWelectric

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For a guy with several miles of #6 and #10 wire, "doubling up" seems like a great use of material. I have done it on some wild mountain runs, and all works fine. Without any code babble, can you explain the practical danger inherent in parallel wires?
heat .
 

Chefwong

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Whoa. Doubling up in high voltage :eek:


The only time I've ever doubled up is with speaker wiring & when I needed to cheat and provide power to a alarm panel.
Four 24AWG (aka - cat5 cable) combined - is equivalent to 18 gauge. It was cutting it close but it was just enough gauge to make it work WITH COM working as well..

Doubled up speakers in world is my stash of QUAD 16awg and Quad 14 AWG cable....
Which I use either as a pair or quads depending on application of amplification
 
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DonL

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Doubling up, does not make it *half* the wire rating.
Just don't do it often enough to know.
Found the answer - Two 14's = 11 AWG

I thought you were talking about size ?

Jim is correct it is double in size.

The size of stranded wire is different than solid.
 

JWelectric

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Just making fancy speaker connections with my WBT crimp sleeves....

Don't start the bare copper vs. connector debate ;-/
Why would you want to parallel conductors for speakers? This is a very bad idea due to the resistance of the conductors that will have an effect on the amp.

I always use stranded conductors for speakers due to eddie currents and would never for any reason install parallel conductors for any type of sound system.

What size amp are you using? It must be big in order to use #14 AWG conductors.
 

Ballvalve

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One may notice from that code quote on big conductors that a 50% increase in size brings only a 15% increase in conductivity. Is this the flow of electrons on the perimeter of the cable factor?

Seems like the parallel cables would give more heat dispersing area...
 

DonL

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One may notice from that code quote on big conductors that a 50% increase in size brings only a 15% increase in conductivity. Is this the flow of electrons on the perimeter of the cable factor?

Seems like the parallel cables would give more heat dispersing area...


In theory X 2 or 100% increase would give the wire 1/2 of the resistance and 1/2 of the voltage drop for the same length wire run.

1/2 of the voltage drop would produce less heat, but there are a lot of other factors that affect wire temperature.

When it comes to Audio and Paralleling speaker wires, Phasing is important.

1 speaker can cancel the sound of another if not properly phased.


I guess chefwong is hanging speakers with this wire, as he said "This is not for electrical....."
 

Big2bird

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For a guy with several miles of #6 and #10 wire, "doubling up" seems like a great use of material. I have done it on some wild mountain runs, and all works fine. Without any code babble, can you explain the practical danger inherent in parallel wires?
When you use multiple runs to increase conductance, you must insure the impedence (total opposition to a/c current) is virtually identical. If they are not, you risk the overloading of the conductor with the least opposition to current flow.
Therefore, a run of 1/0 minimum, identical length, identical connections is the minimum. It would be too difficult and unnecessary to ever do that for smaller circuits.
When you get into kiloamps, it becomes necessary, as no practical cable is manufactured or easily installed.
There are exceptions for voltage drop, such as high frequency applications, but the ampacity cannot be summed. I.E., you could parallel 14 gauge wire on a 400 cycle circuit to lower voltage drop, but it is still rated at 15 amperes maximum.
I can rattle off more, or quote the exceptions if interested.
 
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