Sorry for the informal post, but quick question if I am using a 30 amp breaker for a motor controller can I use 14 awg for it? Or is 12 still needed
Others might comment different here but 14 should be fine. 12 ensures you have enough capacity but you wont see a benefot really.
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Yes, we have done this and R622 is the rule that allows 14awg for circuits below a 30A breaker.
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Thanks you guys for the feed back and the conformation
As others have said, yes you can per Table 8-4. That said unless your teams has really good build practices, I would recommend getting rid of the 14AWG wire. As 14AWG look awfully close to 12AWG wires, so a simple a mistake by a student could lead to be bad first day at comp if a inspector notices.
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Can you go into further detail about the last bit about inspectors?
It’s in the rules and also on the inspection checklist:
14 AWG is fine for a circuit with a 30A breaker, just make sure your electrical team knows what they’re doing.
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Going to echo what others suggest and tossing away your 14awg wire. Standardize these 30 and 40amp circuits on 12awg and inspection won’t be a hassle.
If you keep 14, make sure it is readable on all your wires, and keep the spool of wire used as evidence of compliance with the rules. The manufacturer’s label on the wire is important - inspectors won’t always care if you label it yourself, because that isn’t exactly enough evidence of compliance.
tldr - 12 makes your life easier.
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The key is that having both 12AWG and 14AWG can lead to time-costly mistakes. Emphasis mine:
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