Can we talk about how much time I wasted on the wrong voltage drop numbers?

I was running conduit for a new warehouse job out in Sparks, Nevada and kept second guessing my wire size. Turns out I was using the wrong distance in my voltage drop calculations for like three days straight. I finally double checked on a Saturday morning and realized I had the feeder length wrong by 60 feet. That meant I was about to pull 250 MCM when I only needed 4/0 copper. Saved like $800 on material but man I felt dumb. Has anyone else chased their tail on a simple math mistake for way too long?

2 comments

2 Comments

owens.nancy5d ago

I mean, maybe it's just me but isn't a little overkill better than a fire or a failed inspection? Idk, spending an extra $800 on wire feels like cheap insurance compared to ripping it all out later when the voltage drop is too high.

jennyh555d ago

@owens.nancy I get where you're coming from but oversizing wire just in case isn't always the best move... voltage drop math is math, it's not a guessing game. If you run the numbers right and they come up with 4/0, then 250 MCM is just wasting money that could go somewhere else on the job. Plus bigger wire means harder pulls and more labor for no reason. It's not like you're cutting corners if you trust your calculations.