Last updated on August 14th, 2022 at 01:24 pm
If you’re looking to add electrical wiring to your home, you may wonder what gauge of wire to use.
It’s essential to know the amp rating of the wire you choose because that will help you determine how many amps you can safely pull through it at once.
This article will explain the 8/3 wire amp rating and how it applies to electrical wiring.
The wire size amp rating indicates the maximum amount of power in amps carried through the cable and is the thickness of an electrical wire, also known as its gauge or diameter. It is typically 40 amps. This 8/3 wire size amp rating refers to an 8-gauge wire with three conductors, and you can use it for residential purposes.
8/3 Copper Wire Amp Rating
The wire size and the circuit determine the 8-3 copper wire amp rating. The amps gauge wire size and the wire amp panel determine how many amps can go through the wire.
The bigger the wire, the more amps it can handle, so the 8-3 copper wire can take up to 40-55 amps in a circuit.
However, the likelihood of an 8-AWG wire being able to carry 55 amps safely is limited.
However, non-metallic cables have a maximum current capacity of 40 amps. If you utilize wires made of copper, you can increase that number to 55 amps.
The wire amp circuit you want to use is a safe range of electrical power running through your home as you won’t get exposed to arcs or sparks of electricity in your home.
The wire amp panel needs to match what you are using; if it doesn’t, things can get hazardous and cause an electrical fire.
If one wire hits another that has more than it should, it can arc, which could break a window or hit something explosive, creating a house fire.
8/3 Stranded Wire Amp Rating
The 8/3-stranded wire can withstand up to 55 amps at 194 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a home, the 8/3 wire amp panel is where you’ll find the main electrical breaker box and where your home’s main power comes into the house from the utility company.
The 8/3 wire amp circuit is responsible for supplying electricity to all of your home’s lights and outlets.
8/3 SO Cord Amp Rating
8/3 SO cord is used in portable tools, appliances, motors, and machinery. Its current amp rating is 40 amps, and its temperature ranges from -40 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius.
You typically use the 8/3 SO cord in electrical panels and circuits requiring high power.
Your 8/3 SO cord has an amp rating of 40, so it can carry a current of up to 40 amps. However, this does not mean that you should always use an 8/3 SO cord for circuits that require 40 amps.
You should only use an 8/3 SO cord if the wire amp panel and circuit can handle the increased current; if not, you could overload the system and cause a fire.
Grease and moisture are no match for the 8/3 SO cord amp rating’s resistance to them.
However, it has solid tensile properties, good elongation, and resistance to aging. It also has a high degree of adaptability, excellent abrasion resistance, and is sunlight-resistant.
For How Many Amps Is 8/3 Wire Good?
The 8/3 wire gauge amp rating indicates how much current the wire can carry safely. This number is essential to know when selecting wire for your electrical projects.
For example, a breaker rated at 20, 30, 40, or 50 amps is compatible with wire with a gauge of 8; there will be an issue if the current is higher than 55 amps.
Electric cooking appliances, such as a double oven range, require wires with an 8-wire gauge amp rating.
Between 40 and 55 amps, the cable carries a significant amount of power with an 8AWG gauge.
For this, the gauge of the wire is ideal for your kitchen, and you can have faith that it will fulfill the electrical requirements posed by the heavy-duty equipment in your kitchen.
It seems unlikely that an 8-AWG cable can handle 55 amps safely. However, non-metallic wires have a maximum current capacity of 40 amps.
If you utilize wires made of copper, you can increase that number to 55 amps. The current rating for aluminum wires, however, is only 30-45A.
Any operation that requires well over 55 amps of current to flow through the 8-AWG wire is an example of an incorrect application of the 8/3 wire rating.
In other words, you are free to use appliances with a lower amperage when you connect them with a wire that is 8AWG.
The 8/3 wire amp rating is for a circuit that can handle up to 40 amps. This type of wire is suitable for appliances that use a lot of power, such as a clothes dryer or an air conditioner.
If you have a device that uses less than 40 amps, you can use a lower gauge wire, which will be cheaper.
You shouldn’t have any problems as long as you don’t forget to keep devices and circuits with a current more than 55 amps away from cables with an 8-gauge gauge.
Circuits with 60 and 100 A are far too powerful as they will cause the wires to overload.
8/3 Wire Amperage Rating
NEC says that 8-gauge copper wire can handle up to 40–55 amps, while 8-gauge aluminum wire can handle up to 30–45 amps.
The 8-3 wire amperage rating refers to the maximum amount of current that can safely flow through an electrical wire.
8-amps gauge wire can handle between 40 and 55 amps. However, there aren’t many chances that an 8AWG cable can safely carry 55 amps.
Non-metallic wires, on the other hand, can only handle 40 amps; if you use copper wires, that number goes up to 55 amps and down to 30-45A for aluminum wires.
The improper use of your wire amp circuit can result in a fire outbreak. The wires must be more prominent if the circuit’s amperage rating is high because too much heat can melt the wires and start fires.
Always use a wire with a higher amperage rating than the circuit it’s going into; that way, you can be sure that your wire won’t overheat and cause a fire.
As shown by its amperage, the correct wire amp circuit size depends on several things, such as the load you will put on it, the number of outlets, and the circuit’s length.
Once you have the amperage, the circuit’s wire gauge must match the breaker’s. The amperage measures the amount of current being forced through a conductor by the voltage.
As a result, there is a requirement for an increase in the amperage when the voltage increases. In addition, assuming the resistance does not change, the amps will rise as the voltage rises.
Will 8 Gauge Wire Carry 50 Amps or 40 Amps?
8-amp gauge wire can handle 40-50 amps. The table below will reflect how that is possible.
| 8AWG for 40 Amps | 8AWG for 50 Amps |
|---|---|
| According to the NEC, the minimum wire size you should use for a 40 amp circuit is an 8-amps gauge wire. | Even though it’s not a good choice, an 8-amps gauge wire can carry a 50-amp current. However, it works best with 40 amps. |
| An 8-amp gauge wire is appropriate for running a 40-amp breaker as it can withstand this amount of current. | An 8-amp gauge wire can carry 50 amps at 90°C/194 °F. However, at this temperature, the insulation could melt or get damaged. Hence, the AWG works based on the standard of 60 degrees Celsius as it will get hot even at 75°C. |
Conclusion
The 8/3 wire size amp is used to carry a current of 40-55 amps but is best suited for 40 amps.
You use this wire amp size for 40 amps sufficiently because it’s thick enough to handle this amount of current without melting the insulator and resulting in a fire outbreak.