3000W Chinese Gensets Info.
professor95 wrote: EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here. In...
Forum Discussion
snarfattack wrote:professor95 wrote:
10 gauge copper wires are good for running to the starter for a distance of 20 feet. You can go longer but the voltage drop at the 25 amp cranking current begins to become a consideration. Best to parallel twin #10 or even #12 wires after 20 feet unless you want to run larger gauge #8 or #6.
It is much safer to run a single, larger gauge wire. What happens if one of your two wires is cut or the connection goes bad? It will cause damage to components and the remaining wire due to voltage drop and over-heating. Pairing two small gauge wires is not the same concept as stranded wire. Stick with a single large gauge wire that when it fails, it fails and you will know it.
Josh
Josh,
I totally agree with you that a single larger gauge wire is more reliable. But, we are looking at a starter motor on a generator, not a 120 volt AC line or a DC line that is at a 100% duty cycle. If one only has a spool of #12 or #10 THHN stranded wire it is perfectly OK to parallel them to compensate for the resistance the current will need to overcome without a voltage drop greater than 2%.
