4PracticalApproachesToMinimizeVoltageDrop

Problems

4 Practical Approaches To Minimize Voltage Drop Problems (photo credit: lhcbelec.web.cern.ch)

WhatNECstatesformax.voltagedrop?
TheNECstatesinanInformationalNotethatamaximumvoltagedropof3%forbranchcircuit
conductors,and5%forfeederandbranchcircuitconductorstogether,willprovide
reasonableefficiencyofoperationforgeneralusecircuits.
Forsensitiveelectronicloads,circuitsshouldbedesignedforamaximumof1.5% voltagedropfor
branchcircuitsatfullload,and2.5%voltagedropforfeederandbranchcircuitscombinedatfull
load.

Fourpracticalapproachescanbeusedtominimizevoltagedropproblems:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Increasingthenumberorsizeofconductors
Reducingtheloadcurrentonthecircuit
Decreasingconductorlength,and
Decreasingconductortemperature

1.IncreasetheNumberorSizeofConductors
ParalleloroversizedconductorshavelowerresistanceperunitlengththantheCoderequired
minimumsizedconductors,reducingvoltagedropandincreasingenergyefficiencywithlower
lossesthanusingtheCoderequiredminimumsizedconductor.

Indatacentersandothersensitiveinstallations,itisnotuncommontofindconductor
gaugesforphase,neutral,andgroundexceedingCodeminimums,anda
separatebranchcircuitinstalledforeachlargeorsensitiveload.

Tolimitneutraltogroundvoltagedrop,installaseparate,fullsizedneutralconductorforeach
phaseconductorinsinglephasebranchcircuitapplications.

Forthreephasefeedercircuits,donotdownsizethe
groundedconductororneutral.Forthreephasecircuits
wheresignificantnonlinearloadsareanticipated,it
isrecommendedtoinstallgroundedorneutralconductors
withatleastdoubletheampacityofeachphaseconductor.
GobacktoIndex

2.DecreaseLoadCurrent
Limitingtheamountofequipmentthatcanbeconnectedtoasinglecircuitwilllimittheload
currentonthecircuit.Limitthenumberofreceptaclesoneachbranchcircuittothreetosix.

Installindividualbranchcircuitstosensitiveelectronicloadsorloadswithahigh
inrushcurrent.

Forresidentialapplications,installoutdoorreceptaclesnottoexceed50linearfeetbetween
receptacles,withaminimumofoneoutdoorreceptacleoneachsideofthehouse,andwith
individualbranchcircuitswithaminimumof12AWGtoeachreceptacle.
GobacktoIndex

3.DecreaseConductorLength
Decreasingconductorlengthreducestheresistanceoftheconductor,whichreducesvoltage
drop.Circuitlengthsareusuallyfixed,butsomecontrolcanbeexercisedatthedesignstageif
panelsorsubpanelsarelocatedascloseaspossibletotheloads,especiallyforsensitive
electronicequipment.
GobacktoIndex

4.AdjustConductorTemperature
Theconductortemperatureisinturndependentoneachofthethreefactorsabove,sincemore
heavilyloadedcircuitswillrunhotter.

Conductortemperatureisamajorfactorinconductorresistance,andthereforeinvoltage
drop.Thetemperaturecoefficientofelectricalresistanceforcopper,,is0.00323/C,ora

resistancechangeofabout0.3%foreachCoftemperaturechange.Theeffectof
temperaturecanbedeterminedbythefollowingequation:

R2=R1[1+(T2T1)]
WhereR1istheresistance()attemperatureT1andR2istheresistanceat
temperatureT2.

TemperatureT1isoftenreferencedat75C.Asnoted,voltagedropisaparticularconcernathigh
conductorloadings,whereconductortemperatureswillalsobehigh.
GobacktoIndex

Examples//
Theinteractionsbetweenconductorsizes,loadcurrents,andconductorlengthsatvarioussupply
voltagesareshowninTable1below.
Thecombinationsofvariousloadcurrentsfrom8to30amperesandsupplyvoltages
from120to480voltsareshowninthelefttwocolumnsofthetable.Thenextfourcolumns
showthemaximumcircuitlengths(oneway)forfourdifferentconductorsizestoattaina3%
voltagedrop.Thelastfourcolumnsaremaximumlengthsforanallowable1.5%voltagedrop.

Forexample,a12ampereloadina120voltcircuitona14AWGconductorwillexceed
a3%voltagedrop(3.6volts)ifthecircuitislongerthan49feetfromsourcetoload.
Iftheconductorisupsizedto12AWGtheallowabledistanceincreasessignificantlyto78
feeteachway(anincreaseof59%).Iftheloadisincreasedtoanallowablemaximumof
15ampsfor14AWGconductor,theallowablelengthisonly39feet,andmovingtoa12
AWGconductorwouldincreasethisto62feet(alsoanincreaseinlengthof59%).

The1.5%datavaluesaregivenforsituationswhenitisnecessarytocomplywithNEC647.4(D).
Verifytheequipmentsactualrequirementswheneverpossible.Themuchtighter1.5%voltage

dropallowanceontherightsideofTable1cutstheallowablelengthstoonly1/2oftheir
valuesat3%voltagedrop.Conductorupsizingisoftenmandatedfortheprotectionofsensitive
electronicequipment.Voltagedropcanbeminimizedifthepanelorsubpanelcanbelocatedas
closeaspossibletothepointofuse.

Anothermeasureistoinstallsufficientcircuitstoavoidhighcurrentlevelsonany
onecircuit.Whereloadscanbesplitontoseparatecircuits,thereducedloadper
circuitwillenhancequalityandreliability.

PerusalofTable1inevitablyleadstotheconclusionthat
voltagedropistoooftenignored.
Forexample,thelengthsofmanybranchcircuitsin14AWG
wireexceedeventhe3%voltagedropof39feet,notto
mentionthetighter1.5%dropof20feet.Whenthis
happens,theintegrityofboththewiringandofmany
loadsisputinjeopardy.
Table1MaximumRecommendedLengthsofSinglePhaseBranchCircuits,asaFunction
ofLoadCurrent,SupplyVoltage,andConductorSize,forBoth3%and1.5%VoltageDrops.

Maximum Recommended Lengths of SinglePhase Branch Circuits, as a Function of Load Current,

Supply Voltage, and Conductor Size, for Both 3% and 1.5% Voltage Drops

Notesregardingabovetable//
BranchcircuitlengthsshowninthetablearehalfthecalculateddistancefromtheV=IR
OhmsLawformula,roundedtothenearest1footincrement.Forexample,thecalculated
valuefor14AWGataloadcurrentof15ampsandasuppliedvoltageof120voltsusingthe
valueof3.07/1,000feetfora3%drop(or3.6volts)is78feet.Sincetheconductorsmust
carrythecurrentoverandback,theallowableonewaydistancefromsourcetoloadis39
feet.
ForconvenientuseoftheNECtables,loadsareassumedtobepurelyresistive,direct
currentloads.Alternatingcurrentvaluesdifferonlyslightly.Harmonicsorinductiveloads
mayaccentuatevoltagedrop,anddecreaserecommendedcircuitlengths.
CalculationsarebasedonresistancevaluesfoundinNECChapter9,Table8forsolid,
uncoatedcopperconductors.For14AWG,theresistanceis3.07/1,000feet,for12

AWGitis1.93/1,000feet,for10AWGitis1.21/1,000feet,andfor8AWG(stranded)it
is0.778/1,000feet.Conductortemperatureshigherthan75C(167F)willincreasethese
resistances,andviceversa.
Reference:RecommendedPracticesforDesigningandInstallingCopperBuildingWireSystems
CopperDevelopmentAssociationInc.