 Dear Swami,
I recently saw a feeder cable with #4 AWG wire terminated with a cam-lock connector. Is that legal?
Sincerely,
Does Size Matter?
________________
Dear Size,
I can just see two hardened criminals swapping stories in prison.
Criminal #1: "What are you in for?"
Criminal #2: "I used #4 wire with a cam connector."
Criminal #1: "Whoa, dude! Are you insane?"
I don't know whether or not it's legal, but it's not compliant with the National Electrical Code. In the United States, most municipalities follow the NEC, but it's up to the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to interpret and enforce the local codes and regulations. What does the NEC say about #4 AWG wire terminated with a cam-lock connector?
According to Article 520.53(H)(2), "Single-conductor portable supply cable sets shall be not smaller than 2 AWG conductors."
In case you are not familiar with American Wire Gauges (AWG), it's a bit counter-intuitive but the bigger the number, the smaller the diameter of the wire, at least until you get into the oughts. So a #4 wire is smaller than #2, but 4/0 (pronounced "four ought") is bigger than 2/0. Since a cam-lock connector is a single-pole connector, it terminates a single-conductor cable, and therefore, in order to be code compliant it should be at least #2 AWG or larger.
Sincerely,
Swami Candela
To send a question to Swami Candela, click here.
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ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRICS
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