Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => Portage & Main => Topic started by: Jwood on October 03, 2014, 11:47:50 AM

Title: electrical
Post by: Jwood on October 03, 2014, 11:47:50 AM
Heading to get supplies what size wire and what size circuit breaker do I need to get? 12/2 and 15amp? Thanks for the help!
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: slimjim on October 03, 2014, 07:40:21 PM
You got it!!!
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: Jwood on October 03, 2014, 07:51:50 PM
Awesome thanks I just never saw anything in the manual I got with my boiler.
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: Jwood on October 03, 2014, 07:55:29 PM
One more question I have is would it be ok to buy indoor wire and run it in half inch PVC or no?
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: mlappin on October 03, 2014, 10:04:12 PM
One more question I have is would it be ok to buy indoor wire and run it in half inch PVC or no?

You talking indoor romex thru conduit? Technically that's a no-no, least I was always told it was. Not a lot of difference in price between indoor, underground or outdoor romex price wise.

When I redo mine I planned on burying three quarter inch conduit and pulling individual wires, go with the three quarters, not much more than half inch and a hell of a lot easier to get a fish tape thru than a half inch conduit.
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: Jwood on October 03, 2014, 11:00:28 PM
Thanks everyone!
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: coolidge on October 04, 2014, 03:36:19 PM
Maybe even a 3 wire instead of 2?
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: mlappin on October 04, 2014, 06:05:52 PM
Maybe even a 3 wire instead of 2?

I planned on at least three wires and a ground. One coming back to the house for an automatic fill in case of low water.
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: Jwood on October 04, 2014, 09:58:20 PM
So 12/3 or 12/2?
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: Roger2561 on October 05, 2014, 03:39:45 AM
So 12/3 or 12/2?

I cannot speak for the other posters but yes, 12/3 is what believe they are saying.  It will have a black, red, white and bare copper for ground.   Good luck with your project.  Roger
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: Jwood on October 05, 2014, 08:48:14 AM
I'm no electrician so why do some say 12/2 and some say 12/3?
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: mlappin on October 05, 2014, 09:20:40 AM
I'm no electrician so why do some say 12/2 and some say 12/3?

12/2 is 12 gauge wire with two conductors and is usually inferred thats with a bare ground. 12/3 would be 12 gauge with 3 conductors. 10/3 would be 10 gauge with 3 conductors, and so on. Some of the cords I use around the farm for portable apps might be 10/3 wG or 10/4. Either one is a 4 conducter cord with a green wire for ground.

Local codes may say otherwise but different gauges for different amperage.

10 gauge is good for 30 amps
12 gauge is good for 25 amps
14 gauge is good for 20 amps

However local building codes may say 14 gauge can only be used up to 15 amps.

A very handy app that I've had on all my smartphones is Elec Ref, Electrical Reference App from Trunnion LLC.

It lists everything from how many wires you can fit in a conduit, transformer size, resistor coding,  and proper size of wire to use based on temp and aluminum or copper wire.

http://www.trunnion.info/elecref.html (http://www.trunnion.info/elecref.html)

They also have a handy app for machinists as well.

http://www.trunnion.info/mechtool.html (http://www.trunnion.info/mechtool.html)
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: Jwood on October 05, 2014, 07:39:12 PM
Thanks mlappin I knew most of that I guess but what is the benefit of using a 12/3 vs a 12/2 on a wood boiler sorry if I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be.
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: mlappin on October 05, 2014, 07:52:17 PM
Thanks mlappin I knew most of that I guess but what is the benefit of using a 12/3 vs a 12/2 on a wood boiler sorry if I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be.

Oh lets say you use the black and white wires to get juice to the stove, the third wire could be connected to a temp probe to sound a alarm in the house if it boils over or a low water probe could be used power a light in the house. Or the third wire could be used to power an external weatherproof receptacle on the stove for a shop vac or whatever. I'm running 12/3 as well but my 3rd wire will run from a low water sensor in the stove to a solenoid valve in the basement.

Always easiest to run a spare wire or two and not use them than try to pull them later.
Title: Re: electrical
Post by: Jwood on October 05, 2014, 07:58:34 PM
Now that answers my question thanks a bunch!