Wire gage seems too small. Is that a problem?
Probably not. Because the wire and insulation we use can handle the heat and the voltage drop across the wire’s length is small because it’s short. Read more about these issues below. The correct wire gage in an application can depend on many factors. Typical tables (e.g. NEMA) for wire gage and current assume a particular kind of insulation and that the wires are confined in conduits, walls, etc. Our meters are seldom confined that way and, so, different wiring standards apply. The key issue is that wires heat up from their resistance to current flow. Lower gage wires have less resistance and therefore, generate less heat at a given current. Resistance doubles every 3 gage increments. e.g. 13 ga. has twice the resistance of 10 ga. When heat can’t escape fast enough the temperature rises until it causes a problem like the: • insulation melting or failing, • wire heat causing something else to fail or burn, • wire conductor melting like a fuse. Our “Watt’s Up” WU100 and Doc Wattson R102
