Long wiring leads

[HopeGarage]

I am currently upgrading all of my lighting in my shop. Currently there are two circuits dedicated to lighting one a 20A circuit and the other a 30A circuit. While looking at charts to decide what gauge wiring it looks like most wiring is rated for 100ft or less at whatever amp load based on wire diameter. Now that I’m upgrading to led lights I will be at 36W per fixture but wanting to run multiple fixtures, 11 fixtures on the 20A circuit and 16 on the 30A circuit, but my overall length would be pushing 150ft on the 30A circuit. What gauge wiring should i go with?

 

[alfredeneuman]

INow that I’m upgrading to led lights I will be at 36W per fixture but wanting to run multiple fixtures, 11 fixtures on the 20A circuit and 16 on the 30A circuit, but my overall length would be pushing 150ft on the 30A circuit. What gauge wiring should i go with?

NEC 210.23(1)
(B) 30-Ampere Branch Circuits. A 30-ampere branch circuit shall be permitted to supply fixed lighting units with heavy-duty lampholders in other than a dwelling unit(s)

 

[BillK]

hope,
I am not an electrician by trade but 16 36w fixtures is only 576 watts which is less that 5 amps. I dont know what size wire you have now but I cant imagine it being an issue at that low of a load. Same with the 20 amp circuit.

 

[HopeGarage]

NEC 210.23(1)
(B) 30-Ampere Branch Circuits. A 30-ampere branch circuit shall be permitted to supply fixed lighting units with heavy-duty lampholders in other than a dwelling unit(s)

What is your recommendation? I could swap the 30A breaker to a 20A breaker and still be well under the 80% even with the voltage drop which I calculated at around 1A using 12ga wire.

 

[Zeke]

If you're using 12 ga wire then you don't use a 30 A breaker no matter what the load is.

 

[HopeGarage]

If you're using 12 ga wire then you don't use a 30 A breaker no matter what the load is.

I know that much I was just referring to if I swapped the 30A breaker to a 20A breaker.

 

[Pingel85]

12 gauge is fine for that long of run as long as you put it in on a 20 amp breaker. Per my drop calculation, you could run 5amps at almost 200 feet before crossing the 3% barrier.

 

[HopeGarage]

12 gauge is fine for that long of run as long as you put it in on a 20 amp breaker. Per my drop calculation, you could run 5amps at almost 200 feet before crossing the 3% barrier.

Thank you, from everything I had read it seemed to be acceptable but I’m not an electrician.

 

[sberry]

If you swap the 30 to a 20 you have a legal circuit. I just did one similar, they had a 10/2 to a dryer outlet. I ran a new 10/3 and converted the 10/2 to 120V, put gfci on it and a 20 in the panel.

 

[sberry]

Only exceptions are hard wired dedicated circuits and a welder outlet.

If you're using 12 ga wire then you don't use a 30 A breaker no matter what the load is

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