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
hook up of table saw
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Jimbo
Plumber
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.
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ActionDave
Electrician
That is not a problem.
What is the horsepower rating of the motor? You may be ok.
Make sure you have 240V phase to phase.
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
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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
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hj
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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
Electrician
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.
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