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A #3 copper conductor with an insulation factor of 90 degrees C is rated for 105 amps.

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5mo ago

For a 100A circuit breaker, you typically need a wire size of #2 AWG (American Wire Gauge) for copper conductors or #1/0 AWG for aluminum conductors. It is important to consult the National Electrical Code (NEC) or a qualified electrician to determine the appropriate wire size for your specific installation.

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14y ago

#2 copper

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Q: What size of electrical wire needed for 100A circuit breaker?
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If a 100a breaker keeps tripping?

If a 100 amp breaker keeps tripping there is an overload on the system.


Can you upgrade a 100A main circuit breaker to a higher amp?

Yes, it is possible to upgrade a 100A main circuit breaker to a higher amp rating, but it must be done by a qualified electrician following local electrical codes and regulations. The electrical panel and wiring may also need to be upgraded to accommodate the higher amperage.


Is the amperage of a breaker for total amps combined or on each leg?

The breaker will trip at the amperage notated on the breaker. If it's 100A...it will trip at or around 100A. It does not matter if that breaker is physically tied to another 100A breaker. To understand this, imagine that you remove the mechanical tie from the two-pole breaker. Now you just have two 100A breakers. In actuality, you always had two 100A breakers. The mechanical tie does not change that. If you then powered two, separate 120 volt devices from the two breakers, each breaker would allow 100 amperes to pass to each of the devices before tripping. So why are they tied together? That is done when the two-pole breaker is to be used to power a 240 volt circuit. In AC current, electricity flows in both directions. In a 120 volt circuit, it flows "out" toward the device via the hot (generally the black wire) and "back" via the neutral (generally the white wire). Then the cycle reverses. It does this 60 times per second (60Hz). The amperage in the hot and neutral wires are the same (in the perfect world). Only the hot wire is connected to the breaker. In a 240 volt circuit, there is no neutral wire. You are using two "legs" of 120 volts each that are 180 degrees out of phase with each other. In other words, as leg 1 is flowing "out", leg 2 is flowing "back". Because they are out of phase, the potential difference is twice the voltage of each line or 240 volts. The current flows out and back at the same 60 Hz but this time via the two hot wires (generally black and red). Each of these hot wires are connected to the two terminals of the two-pole breaker. Due to mechanical tolerances, one breaker will most likely trip before the other. Therefore, if the rated current, (100 amps), is exceeded on either breaker, that breaker will trip and the other breaker will trip via the mechanical tie. This ensures that all power to the outlet is disconnected. If you removed the tie and only one breaker tripped, there would still be 120 volts connected to the outlet. In summary, each leg of a single, double (2 phase) or triple (3 phase) breaker is capable of allowing the amount of current denoted on the breaker. The connected circuit, regardless of voltage is protected from exceeding that amperage.


Did one leg of your 1950's 100A main breaker fry because it was overloaded by too many dedicated circuits?

It is possible that one leg of the 100A main breaker may have fried due to being overloaded by too many dedicated circuits in the 1950s setup. If the circuits were drawing more current than the breaker could handle, it could have caused overheating and damage to that leg of the breaker.


Is 95 amps to much for a 100 amp breaker?

Yes, 95 amps is too much for a 100 amp breaker. Breakers are designed to protect the wiring in a circuit and should be sized to not exceed their amperage rating. In this case, you would need to upgrade to a higher amperage breaker.

Related questions

What is circuit breaker and its type?

A circuit breaker(s) is what you will find inside your electrical box in your house the idea behind them is when a room in your house draws too many Amps the circuit breaker will turn off all the power to that room to re-engage them you simply switch it back on. There are many types of circuit breakers with different rattings like 15A or 100A, this tells you at what point they will 'break' the circuit and turn off the power.


How do you upgrade the service from a 120V 100A circuit breaker to 240V 30A for appliances like ovens and dryers?

Have an electrician wire you a proper line for the appliance. You were just kidding about the 100A, right? 10, or 20amp, not 100.


If a 100a breaker keeps tripping?

If a 100 amp breaker keeps tripping there is an overload on the system.


Can you upgrade a 100A main circuit breaker to a higher amp?

Yes, it is possible to upgrade a 100A main circuit breaker to a higher amp rating, but it must be done by a qualified electrician following local electrical codes and regulations. The electrical panel and wiring may also need to be upgraded to accommodate the higher amperage.


Is the amperage of a breaker for total amps combined or on each leg?

The breaker will trip at the amperage notated on the breaker. If it's 100A...it will trip at or around 100A. It does not matter if that breaker is physically tied to another 100A breaker. To understand this, imagine that you remove the mechanical tie from the two-pole breaker. Now you just have two 100A breakers. In actuality, you always had two 100A breakers. The mechanical tie does not change that. If you then powered two, separate 120 volt devices from the two breakers, each breaker would allow 100 amperes to pass to each of the devices before tripping. So why are they tied together? That is done when the two-pole breaker is to be used to power a 240 volt circuit. In AC current, electricity flows in both directions. In a 120 volt circuit, it flows "out" toward the device via the hot (generally the black wire) and "back" via the neutral (generally the white wire). Then the cycle reverses. It does this 60 times per second (60Hz). The amperage in the hot and neutral wires are the same (in the perfect world). Only the hot wire is connected to the breaker. In a 240 volt circuit, there is no neutral wire. You are using two "legs" of 120 volts each that are 180 degrees out of phase with each other. In other words, as leg 1 is flowing "out", leg 2 is flowing "back". Because they are out of phase, the potential difference is twice the voltage of each line or 240 volts. The current flows out and back at the same 60 Hz but this time via the two hot wires (generally black and red). Each of these hot wires are connected to the two terminals of the two-pole breaker. Due to mechanical tolerances, one breaker will most likely trip before the other. Therefore, if the rated current, (100 amps), is exceeded on either breaker, that breaker will trip and the other breaker will trip via the mechanical tie. This ensures that all power to the outlet is disconnected. If you removed the tie and only one breaker tripped, there would still be 120 volts connected to the outlet. In summary, each leg of a single, double (2 phase) or triple (3 phase) breaker is capable of allowing the amount of current denoted on the breaker. The connected circuit, regardless of voltage is protected from exceeding that amperage.


What cause the Main Breaker trips when I start a 30KW 3-phase Motor(Star Delt Starter)?

The wiring is like this:[[30KW Motor ---- Star Delt Starter(100A Breaker inside) ----- 200A Breaker------50A Breaker(Inside the breaker box which located inside the factory) -----100A Main Breaker]]Once I try to start the Motor, the Main Breaker trips immediately.


Do you need to upgrade the 100A service in your house to run power to a detached garage?

All depends on what type of equipment you are going to operate in the garage. I would suggest you call an electrician. You can connect to your existing 100 amp circuit if there is an empty spot for a breaker.


Did one leg of your 1950's 100A main breaker fry because it was overloaded by too many dedicated circuits?

It is possible that one leg of the 100A main breaker may have fried due to being overloaded by too many dedicated circuits in the 1950s setup. If the circuits were drawing more current than the breaker could handle, it could have caused overheating and damage to that leg of the breaker.


Is 95 amps to much for a 100 amp breaker?

Yes, 95 amps is too much for a 100 amp breaker. Breakers are designed to protect the wiring in a circuit and should be sized to not exceed their amperage rating. In this case, you would need to upgrade to a higher amperage breaker.


Is it unsafe to have 60A service going into a new electrical box designed for 100A?

Its not recommended because your new main breaker will allow up to 100 amps and your old wire can only safely handle 60amps. If you put a 60amp main breaker in the new box, that would be acceptable. No, it is perfectly safe. Because the box is overrated, there is no problem. If the box is the main panel, and not a subpanel, install a 60A main breaker so you cannot overload your service. If it is a subpanel this 60A breaker should be in the main panel.


What is the max amps for a 4 gauge wire can 4 gauge feed a 100A breaker box?

Yes, # 4 AWG copper and 100 amps is the max.


What is the reason for using a 10kA breaker rather than a 6kA in simplest possible way possibly with an example?

Breakers are designed to open when there is too much current. For instance, if you have a 100A breaker and you put a 120A load on it, it trips.But what if you drop a wrench or piece of pipe across the wires? Much more than 100A will flow, usually thousands of amps. This is fault current. If the current is too high, the breaker can weld itself closed and fail to trip. This would be very bad.So, breakers have an interrupt rating. It indicates how much fault current the breaker can safely handle and still operate properly. Your 6000A or 10000A is the interrupt rating.You would need a 10000A breaker instead of a 6000A breaker if the fault current could be in excess of 6000A, but less than 10000A.How much fault current can flow in a given situation? It depends on how heavy-duty the utility distribution transformer is, and how big the supply wires are. The utility company can usually supply the information which an electrical engineer can use to calculate the interrupt rating needed. The whole panel, not just the breaker, must carry the same or higher interrupt rating.