hook up of table saw

[rmuir]

i have an existing just bought a new table saw/ 230 volt/ draws 13.4 amps. factory wire size is 14 ga. wire, seems small but is factory, saw came from cab. shop. would like to hook up to existing circuit which has a 30 amp. breaker with each leg reading 122 volts and has large 6 ga. wire. can i use existing wire possibly with smaller breaker or pull new wire which i really don't want to do? thanks

[jimbo]

Seems like you should be on a 20 amp breaker, max. It the 14 ga. you refer to is an appliance cord, that does not necessarily have to comply with the rules for permanent wiring. A larger gauge on that cord would be a good idea, and there is no problem feeding it with 6 ga, just use the correct breaker.

[ActionDave]

i have an existing just bought a new table saw/ 230 volt/ draws 13.4 amps. factory wire size is 14 ga. wire, seems small but is factory, .....

That is not a problem.

would like to hook up to existing circuit which has a 30 amp. breaker

What is the horsepower rating of the motor? You may be ok.

with each leg reading 122 volts

Make sure you have 240V phase to phase.

and has large 6 ga. wire. can i use existing wire possibly with smaller breaker or pull new wire which i really don't want to do? thanks

You don't have to pull new wire. Whether you need to use a smaller breaker depends on the H.P. rating of the saw. Less than three horse and you would need a 20A breaker.

[hj]

Your biggest prolem might be fitting a #6 wire into a 20 amp breaker's terminals. I am not even sure how they got it into a 30 amp breaker.

[big2bird]

Your biggest prolem might be fitting a #6 wire into a 20 amp breaker's terminals. I am not even sure how they got it into a 30 amp breaker.

Just pigtail it with #12.

[hj]

If that was how they attached it to the existing 30 amp breaker, it makes using #6 a stupid idea in the first place.

[ActionDave]

If that was how they attached it to the existing 30 amp breaker, it makes using #6 a stupid idea in the first place.

Not really. Amps are equal in a circuit, unless there is a problem with it. Upsizing conductors to overcome voltage drop can be done anywhere along the circuit.

Maybe whoever installed the circuit had enough #6 to get the job done, so there was no need to spend money on a new roll of wire.

It could also be that the circuit was originally meant for another purpose but it never got used.