Not sure why breaker keeps tripping

[vern1]

Ok i had another look. In the attached picture the black wire comes through a conduit from the house from a 30A breaker in the main panel. Crawled under the house and found 10AWG on the casing. The white wire it is spliced to goes in to the breaker box and is hooked to the main 40A breaker in the garage. It is 8-3

So i guess my options are:
- update the wire and breaker from the house to 8 and 40A
- stay with the 10 wire and just put a 40A breaker in the house
- status quo and will just have to manage the power use - which really means i cant run my 4800w heater while i am doing any work which is a drag. I am using a 60k btu propane heater to get the room warm and using the electric to maintian the heat

 

[vern1]

PS i am assuming 10AWG means 10 guage although it looks identical to the 8-3. Maybe the difference in size is tough to discern to the untrained eye

Thanks

 

[spruce]

option 1 or 3. 10awg is #10 american wire gauge

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Ok i had another look. In the attached picture the black wire comes through a conduit from the house from a 30A breaker in the main panel. Crawled under the house and found 10AWG on the casing. The white wire it is spliced to goes in to the breaker box and is hooked to the main 40A breaker in the garage. It is 8-3

So i guess my options are:
- update the wire and breaker from the house to 8 and 40A
- stay with the 10 wire and just put a 40A breaker in the house
- status quo and will just have to manage the power use - which really means i cant run my 4800w heater while i am doing any work which is a drag. I am using a 60k btu propane heater to get the room warm and using the electric to maintain the heat

Are u sure you have the cable and color combinations right? I've never seen a white jacketed #8 NM cable nor a black jacketed #10 NM cable. Usually, its the other way around but its possible I guess. Regardless though, you cannot protect #10 with a 40a breaker. So the only 2 options u have is: upgrade the #10 to #8 and splice it into the existing #8 that's feeding your garage or manage your load!

 

[pattenp]

vern1, are you in the US? I'm confused.

 

[vern1]

I am in Canada, Toronto to be exact. I have the colour combos right ie the black says 10awg and the white says 8-3

So just putting a 40A on a #10 is a no no

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I am in Canada, Toronto to be exact. I have the colour combos right ie the black says 10awg and the white says 8-3

So just putting a 40A on a #10 is a no no

Sure! U could use a 40a breaker to feed a #10 wire. *sarcasm* But don't be surprised when u have a fire! Especially when running a continuous load such as a heater!

 

[vern1]

Will have to monitor my usage given the current set up i guess

Thanks for all the help and info

 

[pattenp]

I am in Canada, Toronto to be exact. I have the colour combos right ie the black says 10awg and the white says 8-3

So just putting a 40A on a #10 is a no no

I think that explains the color confusion. I believe Canadian building wire in some cases has different color jackets than what we see here in the US.

 

[hotrod--willys]

One more thing Vern1. A circuit breaker is a mechanical device made to protect a given wire size/ load. But the breaker has an inherent design, that it's given amp rating each time it trips will be subjcted to a lower trip rating there on. So if one of your breakers has been triping on load, the noted current rating now has diminished current value. I would sugest replacing the breaker that has contunued to trip under load. Start new.

 

[Jefflitzy]

In Canada I have seen and used NMD90 up to 2/3 with a white outer jacket

 

[1500hd]

If it says 30 on it, its a 30A double pole breaker, which means that each pole is capable of handling 30A.

Should read EITHER pole 30 amps only.