0

I've installed 6awg copper wire to a junction box for a future electric garage heater. The heater will eventually hang from the ceiling approximately 4-6 feet in front of the junction box. (See photo below) This is on a 60 amp 240v breaker. Initially I was planning to install a 10,000 watt heater. However, I now plan to downsize the heater to 7500 watts. I realize I'll need to downsize the breaker to 40 amps. Two questions:

  1. Is it safe to use the existing 6 AWG copper with a 40 amp breaker assuming a 7500 watt heater?
  1. Considering the above described downsize, is it safe to run an 8 AWG appliance whip from the junction box to the heater?

enter image description here

FreeMan
  • 37,897
  • 15
  • 71
  • 155
Steve
  • 1
  • Also: [Can different gauges of wire be used on the same circuit?](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/128883/can-different-gauges-of-wire-be-used-on-the-same-circuit) – isherwood Feb 03 '23 at 16:02
  • Yes, that's fine. Any segment of the circuit can use larger wire than is required for the load and breaker. 7500W is a good size as it just fits under the 7680W limit of a 40A circuit. (40A x 80% x 240V). – Harper - Reinstate Monica Feb 03 '23 at 20:05

0 Answers0