You should not use any wire smaller than 8 AWG COPPER in a 40 amp breaker. If you have any questions about your application, you should contact a local electrical contractor for your own safety.
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For a 40 amp breaker, you typically use 8-gauge wire for 120-volt circuits and 6-gauge wire for 240-volt circuits. Ensure to consult local electrical codes and guidelines as they may vary.
Using a higher amp breaker than recommended can create a safety hazard. It is not recommended to use a 40 amp breaker on a water heater that requires a 30 amp breaker. You should consult with a licensed electrician to properly address the wiring issue.
There are two things to think about here. First of all a 200 amp breaker will not physically fit into a 100 amp panel. This is so designed because the panel buss is not designed to conduct 200 amps before the current is cut off. A 100 amp rating on the panel is the maximum amount of current that the manufacturer states, that can be handled safely. Second if the 200 amp breaker is in the main panel then everything downstream from that breaker has to be rated for 200 amp conductivity. The wire size will have to be 3/0 from the breaker to the first over current device in the sub panel which will be the sub panel's main breaker. The sub panel can not be a load center but will have to be a combination panel. I doubt that the 100 amp sub panel's main breaker lugs would be large enough to connect the 3/0 cable.
== == === === Gauge #6 wires are best for this application. The breaker and wire should fit in your main panel unless it is already overloaded. Get advice from an electrician. ----- See Discussion for additional information As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed. Before you do any work yourself,on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.
If the wire will fit into the breakers terminal without cutting off any strands from the #8 conductor, then it is OK to use that size. This situation usually happens when a larger size wire has to be used to overcome voltage drop when the load is quite a distance away.
Yes, a 2 pole 60 amp ITE Gould or Westinghouse breaker can replace a 2 pole 60 amp T and B unit as long as they have the same voltage rating and fit properly in the panel. It is important to make sure that the replacement breaker is compatible with your specific panel model.