Amps and Wire Gauge - 12V Circuit

Maximum current - amps - through a 12V circuit in

combination with size (AWG) and length of wire
In an electrical systems the conductors should not be sized with voltage
drops exceeding 3%. For a 12V system the maximum voltage drop should be less than
12 (V) x 3% = 0.36 (V).
The table below can be used to determine the combination of maximum current
through a 12V electrical wire, size (AWG) and length of cable.
American Wire Gauge (AWG)
Length Current (amps)
(feet) 5 10 15 20 25 30 40 50 60 70
15 16 12 10 10 8 8 6 6 4 4
20 14 12 10 8 8 6 6 4 4 4
25 14 10 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2
30 12 10 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 2
40 12 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 1 1/0
50 10 8 6 4 4 2 2 1 1/0 1/0
60 10 6 6 4 2 2 1 1/0 2/0 2/0
70 10 6 4 2 2 2 1/0 2/0 2/0 3/0
80 8 6 4 2 2 1 1/0 2/0 3/0 3/0
90 8 4 4 2 1 1/0 2/0 3/0 3/0 4/0

Note! Failure to use an adequate size may result in fire. Always secure the wire with a
fuse.
 1 ft (foot) = 0.3048 m

Wire Gauge Design Procedure

1. calculate the total length of the wire from the source to the device and back
again
2. determine the amount of current in the wire
3. correct wire gauge is in the intersection of amps and feet
Note! The wire size is required for a 3% voltage drop in 12 Volt circuits. Oversize if
voltage drop is critical.