Proper wire size is absolutely critical to insure that your heater works properly. Undersized wire is the single biggest mistake made when installing our heaters. To function properly, these heaters must be wired with the proper size wire, and grounded properly, this cannot be stressed enough.
Battery performance is dramatically reduced in low temperatures as well. A battery that is required to operate continuously at 0 degrees F will provide about 60% of its capacity.
Wire size in Direct Current is VERY important. In low voltage systems (12, 24, 36 and 48VDC) the overriding concern is power loss. Wire must not be sized merely for the ampacity, because there is less tolerance for voltage drop (except for very short runs). For example, a 1V drop from 12V causes 10 times the power loss of 1V drop from 120V. See the chart below to determine the maximum run with each gauge wire at a specific voltage.
The numbers represent the maximum number of feet that wire can be ran without exceeding a 2 % loss. An example would be: A 12 volt heater, pulling 40 Amps, using a 10 gauge wire, could be ran a maximum of 2.8 feet. You can go twice the distance where a 4% loss is acceptable. A 4% loss however is not recommended by DC Thermal and will result in less than desirable results with our heaters.
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12 Volt 2% Wire Loss Chart
AMPS |
14 ga. |
12 ga. |
10 ga. |
8 ga. |
6 ga. |
4 ga. |
2 ga. |
1/0 ga. |
1 |
45 |
70 |
115 |
180 |
290 |
456 |
720 |
|
2 |
22.5 |
35 |
57.5 |
90 |
145 |
228 |
360 |
580 |
4 |
10 |
17.5 |
27.5 |
45 |
72.5 |
114 |
180 |
290 |
6 |
7.5 |
12 |
17.5 |
30 |
47.5 |
75 |
120 |
193 |
8 |
5.5 |
8.5 |
15 |
22.5 |
35.5 |
57 |
90 |
145 |
10 |
4.5 |
7 |
12 |
18 |
28.5 |
45.5 |
72.5 |
115 |
15 |
3 |
4.5 |
7 |
12 |
19 |
30 |
48 |
76.5 |
20 |
2 |
3.5 |
5.5 |
9 |
14.5 |
22.5 |
36 |
57.5 |
25 |
1.8 |
2.8 |
4.5 |
7 |
11.5 |
18 |
29 |
46 |
30 |
1.5 |
2.4 |
3.5 |
6 |
9.5 |
15 |
24 |
38.5 |
40 |
2.8 |
4.5 |
7.0 |
6.5 |
18 |
29 |
||
50 |
2.3 |
3.6 |
5.5 |
9 |
14.5 |
23 |
24 Volt 2% Wire Loss Chart
AMPS |
14 ga. |
12 ga. |
10 ga. |
8 ga. |
6 ga. |
4 ga. |
2 ga. |
1/0 ga. |
1 |
90 |
140 |
230 |
360 |
580 |
912 |
1440 |
|
2 |
45 |
70 |
115 |
180 |
290 |
456 |
720 |
1160 |
4 |
20 |
35 |
55 |
90 |
145 |
228 |
360 |
580 |
6 |
15 |
24 |
35 |
60 |
95 |
150 |
240 |
386 |
8 |
11 |
17 |
30 |
45 |
71 |
114 |
180 |
290 |
10 |
9 |
14 |
24 |
36 |
57 |
91 |
145 |
230 |
15 |
6 |
9 |
14 |
24 |
38 |
60 |
96 |
153 |
20 |
4 |
7 |
11 |
18 |
29 |
45 |
72 |
115 |
25 |
3.6 |
5.6 |
9 |
14 |
23 |
36 |
58 |
92 |
30 |
3 |
4.8 |
7 |
12 |
19 |
30 |
48 |
77 |
40 |
5.6 |
9 |
14 |
23 |
36 |
58 |
||
50 |
4.6 |
7.2 |
11 |
18 |
29 |
46 |
36 Volt 2% Wire Loss Chart
AMPS |
14 ga. |
12 ga. |
10 ga. |
8 ga. |
6 ga. |
4 ga. |
2 ga. |
1/0 ga. |
1 |
135 |
210 |
345 |
540 |
870 |
1368 |
2160 |
|
2 |
67.5 |
105 |
172.5 |
270 |
435 |
684 |
1080 |
1740 |
4 |
30 |
52.5 |
82.5 |
135 |
217.5 |
342 |
540 |
1160 |
6 |
22.5 |
36 |
52.5 |
90 |
142.5 |
225 |
360 |
579 |
8 |
16.5 |
25.5 |
45 |
67.5 |
106.5 |
171 |
270 |
435 |
10 |
13.5 |
21 |
36 |
54 |
85.5 |
136.5 |
217.5 |
345 |
15 |
9 |
13.5 |
21 |
36 |
57 |
90 |
144 |
229.5 |
20 |
6 |
14 |
16.5 |
27 |
43.5 |
67.5 |
108 |
172.5 |
25 |
7.2 |
11.2 |
18 |
28 |
46 |
72 |
116 |
184 |
30 |
4.5 |
7.2 |
10.5 |
18 |
28.5 |
45 |
72 |
115.5 |
40 |
11.2 |
18 |
28 |
46 |
72 |
116 |
||
50 |
9.2 |
14.4 |
22 |
36 |
58 |
92 |
48 Volt 2% Wire Loss Chart
AMPS |
14 ga. |
12 ga. |
10 ga. |
8 ga. |
6 ga. |
4 ga. |
2 ga. |
1/0 ga. |
1 |
180 |
280 |
460 |
720 |
1160 |
1824 |
2880 |
|
2 |
90 |
140 |
230 |
360 |
580 |
912 |
1440 |
2320 |
4 |
40 |
70 |
110 |
180 |
290 |
456 |
720 |
1160 |
6 |
30 |
48 |
70 |
120 |
190 |
300 |
480 |
772 |
8 |
22 |
34 |
60 |
90 |
142 |
228 |
360 |
580 |
10 |
18 |
28 |
48 |
72 |
114 |
182 |
290 |
460 |
15 |
12 |
18 |
28 |
48 |
76 |
120 |
192 |
306 |
20 |
8 |
14 |
22 |
36 |
58 |
90 |
144 |
230 |
25 |
7.2 |
11.2 |
18 |
28 |
46 |
72 |
116 |
184 |
30 |
6 |
9.6 |
14 |
24 |
38 |
60 |
96 |
154 |
40 |
11.2 |
18 |
28 |
46 |
72 |
116 |
||
50 |
9.2 |
14.4 |
22 |
36 |
58 |
92 |
72 Volt 2% Wire Loss Chart
AMPS |
14 ga. |
12 ga. |
10 ga. |
8 ga. |
6 ga. |
4 ga. |
2 ga. |
1/0 ga. |
1 |
270 |
420 |
690 |
1080 |
1740 |
2736 |
4320 |
|
2 |
135 |
210 |
345 |
360 |
580 |
912 |
1440 |
3480 |
4 |
60 |
105 |
165 |
270 |
426 |
684 |
1080 |
1740 |
6 |
45 |
72 |
105 |
180 |
285 |
450 |
720 |
1158 |
8 |
33 |
51 |
90 |
135 |
213 |
342 |
540 |
870 |
10 |
27 |
42 |
72 |
108 |
171 |
217 |
435 |
690 |
15 |
18 |
27 |
42 |
72 |
114 |
180 |
288 |
489 |
20 |
12 |
21 |
33 |
54 |
87 |
135 |
216 |
345 |
25 |
10.8 |
16.8 |
27 |
42 |
69 |
108 |
174 |
276 |
30 |
9 |
14.4 |
21 |
36 |
57 |
90 |
144 |
231 |
40 |
16.8 |
27 |
42 |
69 |
108 |
174 |
||
50 |
13.8 |
21.6 |
33 |
54 |
87 |
138 |