Which wire to use? 8 or 6 AWG.

[AffableCurmudgeon]

I installed a breaker box in my garage and ran EMT for all the 120v outlets. That is all done and working. I still have some 3/4 inch EMT left over, and have a spare 50 amp breaker. I would like to install a 6-50R for when I upgrade my 120v welder to a 240v one; I may even get a plasma cutter. Should I use 6 or 8 AWG? I would just need a total of 50 feet of THHN wire for the two hots, since EMT will be ground. Any reason to use 6?

 

[sparky 1971]

No reason for #6. #8 is plenty.

 

[mike93lx]

I'd run 10 unless you plan on a monster duty cycle welder

 

[PCustoms]

I'd run 10 unless you plan on a monster duty cycle welder

This. Look up NEC welder rules, #8 is overkill for most non-production welders.

 

[LopezBart]

This. Look up NEC welder rules, #8 is overkill for most non-production welders.

If you're planning on charging an electric car from that outlet, use the #8.

 

[PCustoms]

If you're planning on charging an electric car from that outlet, use the #8.

Not sure how's that's relevant, but yes, if you're going to use your welder outlet for some other non-welder purpose you can not use the NEC welder specific wire sizes....

 

[LopezBart]

Not sure how's that's relevant, but yes, if you're going to use your welder outlet for some other non-welder purpose you can not use the NEC welder specific wire sizes....

Because a 6-50R is a fine place to plug in anything needing 240V. Perhaps if it's wired w/ undersize wire because the original installer thought it would only be used for a welder, it should be marked appropriately so as it avoid unfortunate events. The difference in cost is about .52 cents/foot total at present, so $26 in wire in the OPs case.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Thanks all. I will use #8 in case I end up plugging anything else other than a welder in there.
Thanks for your help.

 

[mike93lx]

Because a 6-50R is a fine place to plug in anything needing 240V. Perhaps if it's wired w/ undersize wire because the original installer thought it would only be used for a welder, it should be marked appropriately so as it avoid unfortunate events. The difference in cost is about .52 cents/foot total at present, so $26 in wire in the OPs case.

Very little uses a 6-50, though. Evse will often be a 14-50 (but can be changed or bought with a 6-50). A compressor needing a 50a circuit needs to be hardwired. An oven will be a 4-wire.

I think there is too much worry about other uses for welder circuits, and too much worry about the next guy.

Even 10 is larger than needed for most welders. But to each their own

 

[mike93lx]

Thanks all. I will use #8 in case I end up plugging anything else other than a welder in there.
Thanks for your help.

Cost aside, no harm in using 8 on an easy pull.

Make sure you use a big enough box.

 

[sparky 1971]

It doesn't take much to need more than 30 amps for a plasma cutter. I put in a circuit for the second smallest unit Hypertherm makes a couple of years ago and it was 32 amps.

And...convenience store pizza ovens need a 6-50. Just sayin...

 

[mike93lx]

And...convenience store pizza ovens need a 6-50. Just sayin...

Coming in hot with the useful facts. I bow to your excellence

 

[PCustoms]

And...convenience store pizza ovens need a 6-50. Just sayin...

Coming in hot with the useful facts. I bow to your excellence

Forget the oven, what's a hotdog roller need?

 

[mike93lx]

Forget the oven, what's a hotdog roller need?

Thankfully the ketchup dispenser is manually operated.

Sorry @AffableCurmudgeon at least you got your answer

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Thankfully the ketchup dispenser is manually operated.

Sorry @AffableCurmudgeon at least you got your answer

I lived in Chicago for while. They don’t let you put ketchup on your hot dogs there.

 

[mike93lx]

I lived in Chicago for while. They don’t let you put ketchup on your hot dogs there.

Between that and their "pizza", I'm not sure what the draw is.

Ketchup ftw

 

[PCustoms]

Ketchup ftw

I was informed about a whole new disgusting condiment today.

www.floshotdogs.com

 

[mike93lx]

I was informed about a whole new disgusting condiment today.

www.floshotdogs.com

I not going to say I "want" to try it, but I'll try to remember to stop in next time I'm through there. Seems like a good base layer before inhaling a few treats from the holy donut

 

[Mr onetwo]

wrong dogs son

 

[PCustoms]

wrong dogs son

First question I had when I was being told about Flo's was "What color?".

 

[Mr onetwo]

contains 100% of the USDA's minimum daily requirement of Red Dye #3

 

[PCustoms]

contains 100% of the USDA's minimum daily requirement of Red Dye #3

Jordans FTW

Followed by zwiegles

 

[Walkers]

Personally, I would run 6. Reason being is for future expansion. Looking at a 20 year plan an EV might be in your future, or might be a selling point for the house, or emergency charging for tat hot young thing on a rainy night kind of thing.

 

[mike93lx]

Personally, I would run 6. Reason being is for future expansion. Looking at a 20 year plan an EV might be in your future, or might be a selling point for the house, or emergency charging for tat hot young thing on a rainy night kind of thing.

Plenty of Charging can happen with 8. Buying stuff for the next guy's hypothetical seems like a good way to oversize everything and overspend. No one is paying a penny extra on a house because of a bigger 240v circuit

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Personally, I would run 6. Reason being is for future expansion. Looking at a 20 year plan an EV might be in your future, or might be a selling point for the house, or emergency charging for tat hot young thing on a rainy night kind of thing.

I already ran #8 and installed the 6-50R yesterday - that is done. A few weeks ago, I had added a garage subpanel fed by a 90 amp breaker. If I need more outlets, I will run some more conduit and wire from that sub inside the garage. For now, 2 circuits of 20 amp 120V (10 (5-15) outlets per circuit) and one 50 amp 240V with 6-50R should be fine for my current needs. This is all in addition to two 15 amp circuits feeding 10 outlets, 2 openers and lights that were already in the garage.

 

[Walkers]

Plenty of Charging can happen with 8. Buying stuff for the next guy's hypothetical seems like a good way to oversize everything and overspend. No one is paying a penny extra on a house because of a bigger 240v circuit

They will if it has a Tesla charger, and in my experience no8 is not quite fat enough for the constant load at 80’

 

[Walkers]

I already ran #8 and installed the 6-50R yesterday - that is done. A few weeks ago, I had added a garage subpanel fed by a 90 amp breaker. If I need more outlets, I will run some more conduit and wire from that sub inside the garage. For now, 2 circuits of 20 amp 120V (10 (5-15) outlets per circuit) and one 50 amp 240V with 6-50R should be fine for my current needs. This is all in addition to two 15 amp circuits feeding 10 outlets, 2 openers and lights that were already in the garage.

Sounds like a good project!

 

[mike93lx]

They will if it has a Tesla charger, and in my experience no8 is not quite fat enough for the constant load at 80’

Ok

 

[joeyvco]

In the future, do yourself a favor and pull a ground, don’t rely on the conduit fittings, locknuts and boxes for your primary bond. This will bite you in the *** one day, there’s a reason we don’t do it like that anymore.

 

[PCustoms]

In the future, do yourself a favor and pull a ground, don’t rely on the conduit fittings, locknuts and boxes for your primary bond. This will bite you in the *** one day, there’s a reason we don’t do it like that anymore.

Who's this "we"?

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

In the future, do yourself a favor and pull a ground, don’t rely on the conduit fittings, locknuts and boxes for your primary bond. This will bite you in the *** one day, there’s a reason we don’t do it like that anymore.

I disagree. NEC permits it. It is used as ground widely. If it makes you happy, you pull extra wires.

 

[mike93lx]

Who's this "we"?

Joey and his buddies.

 

[joeyvco]

I disagree. NEC permits it. It is used as ground widely. If it makes you happy, you pull extra wires.

Never said they didn’t, did I? They also “ allow “ UF for direct burial, don’t do that either. You dig up the whole yard looking for the fault, cause someone was too lazy to do it in conduit, if it makes you happy.

 

[PCustoms]

New guy coming in hot....

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Never said they didn’t, did I? They also “ allow “ UF for direct burial, don’t do that either. You dig up the whole yard looking for the fault, cause someone was too lazy to do it in conduit, if it makes you happy.

We disagree. I am not interested in discussing it with you any further. Enjoy your day.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

In the future, do yourself a favor and pull a ground, don’t rely on the conduit fittings, locknuts and boxes for your primary bond. This will bite you in the *** one day, there’s a reason we don’t do it like that anymore.

very unlikely if the conduit was installed properly

a poorly installed grounding conductor can have just as negative outcome biting someone in the *** as well

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Never said they didn’t, did I? They also “ allow “ UF for direct burial, don’t do that either. You dig up the whole yard looking for the fault, cause someone was too lazy to do it in conduit, if it makes you happy.

PoCos and ISPs/carriers use direct burial and it works just fine...