Choose The Correct Wire Size

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Choose The Correct Wire Size
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It's important to use the right sized electric

cabling for any project aboard. Using the
wrong one could create a plethora of
problems.
Photo: Mark Corke
https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2020/february/choose-the-correct-wire-size Página 1 de 9
One of the common questions DIY boaters ask is what size wire they need when performing
an electrical accessory installation. This is a good question to ask for safety as well as for
performance reasons. Electrical equipment simply cannot deliver its best performance if it's
not getting enough power, and wiring too small for the task is one surePre way to ruin an
otherwise neat and orderly installation and limit the capability of the equipment. From the
safety side, wire too small for the job creates excessive electrical resistance. The primary side
eTect of excessive electrical resistance is heat, and enough heat can start a Pre.
Turn oT all power before starting any work on the boat’s wiring.
Tip
With these thoughts in mind, let's walk through the steps to selecting the correct size wiring
for that new electrical gizmo you absolutely must have.
Is It AC Or DC?
The Prst thing you'll need to identify is whether the electrical circuit in question is running
from DC battery power, a solar panel or wind generator, or supplied by AC shore power, a
generator, or DC-to-AC inverter. The criteria for determining wire gauge size is completely
diTerent depending on these power sources.
With direct current (DC) circuits, one of the primary concerns is what we refer to as "voltage
drop." Because we typically are dealing with either 12 or 24 volts — comparatively low values
— we're concerned about any voltage loss due to electrical resistance. With shore power and
the like, we're typically dealing with either 120- or 240-volts AC — much higher values — so a
little loss has a less dramatic impact on equipment performance. That said, because we are
dealing with higher voltages and often higher amperage demands from the AC equipment in
question, electrical resistance caused by loose, faulty connections and wiring that is too small
for the job can generate signiPcant, dangerous heat more quickly than a similar fault with a
DC circuit.
Sizing for AC circuits

Because AC circuit wire sizing is a bit simpler than DC, we'll start there. Again, with AC, our
primary concern is heat buildup as cables get routed through your boat. Sizing of individual
conductors is based on three things: (1) how much amperage the circuit is going to have
running through it, (2) whether the cable is routed through a hot engine room space, and (3)
the temperature rating for the cable insulation. An additional concern is when multiple cables
are bundled together, which increases the potential for even more heat.
Cables are rated for their insulation temperature rating – how much heat they can tolerate. This rating is particularly
important for AC cable routed through engine room spaces. (Chart from ABYC Electrical CertiPcation Study Guide)
AC wiring is primarily what we call "triplex" and sometimes "four-conductor" cable. The green
grounding conductor is not counted when considering bundle size. You only need to count
normal current-carrying conductors. So a single piece of triplex cable has two current carrying
conductors: the hot wire and the neutral, or the black and white wires. In the case of 240-volt
four-conductor cable, there are going to be three current-carrying wires per cable: two hot
wires and a neutral. Again, the green grounding wire does not get counted. (Note: If you're
dealing with a foreign-built boat, color coding and conductor count may be a bit diTerent than
described here.)
Another important issue has to do with AC cables routed through engine room spaces
because of the potential for more heat. This heat may require "derating" to a larger wire size. I
often get questioned this way: "The cable run is 14 feet long, and all but 8 inches of it is
routed outside the engine room. Do I need to derate as if it were all routed through the
engine room?" To comply with standards, the answer here is "yes." You must always rate
based on the weakest link in a circuit. Cables are also rated for their insulation temperature
rating, or how much heat they can tolerate. Most boat cable today is rated at least 105 C, and
this temperature rating should be found on the outer jacket insulation on the cable.
Wiring that is too small for the job can generate

signiPcant, dangerous heat.
There are two ways to Pnd the correct AC wire size: The Prst is to consult the American Boat &
Yacht Council (ABYC) AC wire sizing charts found within ABYC Standard E-11. Boaters can
access ABYC standard E-11 by going to the ABYC website. Navigate to the recreational boater
area, and click on the "become a member" link. Sign up for the free trial membership, and use
that Pve-day window to gain access to the E-11 standard. In E-11, you'll Pnd a series of tables
to help you properly size AC conductors using the criteria outlined here.
A second, much easier alternative is to download the ABYC Wire Sizer app ($4.99) for iOS or
Android smartphones. The app does a great job of getting you to the standard compliant wire
size for both AC and DC installations and, unlike other apps available, will also convert to
metric wire sizing for those of you with European-built boats. Keep in mind that the search
does not realize that the minimum wire gauge size the U.S. Coast Guard will allow is 16 AWG
(American wire gauge), with some exception for the use of 18 AWG under certain standards-
speciPed circumstances. This applies to both AC and DC circuitry.
Sizing For DC Circuits

As already mentioned, we're particularly concerned about voltage drop with DC circuits, so
part of the circuit design criteria is determining how long the circuit is. By that, I mean the
distance from the power source to the load or appliance, and back to the source of power.
Remember, all wire has inherent electrical resistance, and the longer the run of wire and the
smaller the wire, the more resistance will be present. Also remember that the inherent
resistance is less for heavier wire versus thin wire.
WireGaugesfora3%VoltageDropinaDC12-VoltSystem
LenathofConductorfromSourceofCurrenttoDeviceandBacktoSource(feet)
10 15 20 25 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110120 130 140150 160 170
14
10
TotalCurrentonCircuit(amps)
aacoi
2/0
UNADAMADO
2/0 2/02/02/0
2/0 2/0 3/03/03/03/0
2/0 2/0 3/0 3/0 3/0 4/04/0 4/04/0
2/0 2/0 3/0 3/0 4/0 4/04/0
2/0 3/0 3/0 4/0 4/0 4/0
2/0 3/0 3/0 4/04/0
3/0 3/0 4/0 4/0
oo.
§:.
2/0 3/0 4/04/0

2/0 3/04/04/0
Voltage drop due to electrical resistance in low-voltage systems can have a dramatic impact on equipment performance.
(Charts from ABYC Electrical CertiPcation Study Guide)
System voltage and amperage make a diTerence, too. With higher voltages, smaller gauge
wire can be used to conduct higher amounts of amperage. This creates a compelling reason
to use higher voltages, but that's a story for another day.
The other issue that needs consideration when sizing DC conductors is what level of voltage
drop is going to be acceptable for the circuit in question. This is an area that the Coast Guard
addresses in its regulations for recreational boats. ABYC mirrors the regulations in its E-11
Standard. The choices here are 3% and 10%. Consider that a 10% voltage drop means that
with a fully charged battery, rather than 12.6 volts, only 11.3 volts will be present at the
device. Will it operate correctly at that voltage? If not, you'll need a larger wire.
The 3% maximum voltage drop level is reserved for what the Coast Guard and ABYC believe
are "mission critical" circuits. These circuits are identiPed as battery-to-distribution panel
primary conductors, navigation lights, critical electronics for communication and navigation,
and bilge blower circuits.
Bundling cables together increases the potential for generating heat.
Many people ask why bilge pump circuits are not on this 3% list. It's important to understand
that the Coast Guard does not even require bilge pumps, and in the eyes of ABYC, bilge
pumps are intended for removing incidental accumulation of water in the bilge from rain,
washdown, and the dripping stukng box on a propeller shaft. A bilge pump will not save you
if you put a 6-inch hole in your boat below the waterline! All other circuit wiring can be wired
to a 10% maximum voltage drop level.
Go to BoatUS.com/Boat-Wiring to learn more about wire sizing, terminations,

Tip and DC circuits.
So to summarize, when sizing DC conductors, you need to know:
operating voltage
current draw in amps
acceptable level of voltage drop
length of the circuit
Once all this information is collected, it's back to one of several tables found in the ABYC E-11
standard or the wire sizer app. Plug in the data and get your wire gauge size. Several
important notes on that: (1) Remember the smallest wire gauge size allowed by ABYC and
Coast Guard is 16 AWG with some exceptions for 18 AWG, and (2) using the app is more
precise than using the ABYC tables. With the tables there is a mathematical rounding eTect,
and the user should always round up in size, meaning that you will often end up using larger
diameter wire than you actually need to get the job done safely.
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Author
Ed Sherman
how to diy Contributor, BoatUS Magazine
Ed Sherman is an avid boater and the author of "The Twelve Volt Bible
for Boats," "The Power Boater’s Guide to Electrical Systems," and
install and
repair "Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting." He's the
former vice president and education director of ABYC.
systems
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Choose The Correct Wire Size | BoatUS 9/2/24, 7:26 a. m.

Service Locator Get a Become a Renew

Products & Services BoatUS Magazine I Want To !

It's important to use the right sized electric

Photo: Mark Corke

Sizing for AC circuits

Wiring that is too small for the job can generate

Sizing For DC Circuits

2/0 3/0 4/04/0

Bundling cables together increases the potential for generating heat.

Go to BoatUS.com/Boat-Wiring to learn more about wire sizing, terminations,

So to summarize, when sizing DC conductors, you need to know:

Read More Read More Read More

Topics Published: February 2020

Click to explore related

BoatUS Magazine Is A Benefit Of BoatUS

Subscription to the print version of BoatUS Magazine

Contact About BoatUS FAQ Connect With Us

© 2024 Boat Owners Association of The United States.

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