strand or solid wire

ws9876 · May 2015

if you were running 85 ft of 6 awg from an inverter to a service panel would you use solid wire romex or only stranded copper..??

Vic · May 2015

Hi ws..,

Generally a run of this length might well be in conduit, perhaps underground. So, under these conditions, IMO, it would be easier and better to use stranded wire. There might be other unknown factors that could affect how this cable run should be done, and what conductors to use, etc.

FWIW, Vic

froggersix · May 2015

solid is much cheaper. you only need to use stranded when you need flexible. electricity doesn't care.

JoshK · May 2015

An electrician would use solid, so I would too. Aside from being cheaper, it also is less likely to have stretch damage that you can't see from pulling too hard. The stiffness also helps keep it away from hot or sharp surfaces as time goes on because of less droop. But both should work fine if you take care.

Dave Angelini · May 2015

If it is to be inspected, you need to ask the building department what they require. If you want advice, you really need to give more information like others have asked or assumed.

ws9876 · May 2015

thanks solid romex is cheaper and this is above ground so I will use solid 2 wire with ground.

JoshK · May 2015

ws9876 wrote: »

this is above ground

If this is outdoors be sure to put it inside conduit. If you don't a sharp rock and a rainy day could kill someone.
If this is permanent, please rent a trencher and install it right so accidents don't happen.

westbranch · May 2015

What, specifically, are you referring to as Romex?,... to me that is a guarded cable pair plus ground, with flex guarding for interior use .... just so we are all clear.

Dave Angelini · May 2015

westbranch wrote: »

What, specifically, are you referring to as Romex?,... to me that is a guarded cable pair plus ground, with flex guarding for interior use .... just so we are all clear.

But you could also have solid type UF (underground feeder) that is direct burial and I have seen building inspectors call it Romex, not that the inspector knows but we pretty much let them have their way. They can really delay a project so no arguments from me. Do you have inspections with the new home?

westbranch · May 2015

Hi Dave, no inspection required out west where we are, but for a variety of reasons I am having the AC done by a licensed electrician.
Mainly though, a few years ago the Provincial Government brought in the new 'Home Warranty Insurance' program that requires the builder to prove the work was done by a qualified person and warranted for 2/5/10 years on labour/envelope/structure. Owner builders are exempt but I have had several trades people, so it gets mixed up...

Johann · May 2015

In most industrial and commercial applications a stranded wire is used and very seldom is a solid wire used, but most of the wire is either in conduit or cable ways.
If you use conduit a stranded wire is way easier to pull, especially if you have a few turns. Running # 6 solid wire 85 feet could be task by itself.

ws9876 · May 2015

its an inside run..i wont use conduit... i need a pos and neg so 6/2 will work. I will ground the inverter separately to another rod ...Morningstar said that is ok..
Later a bigger inverter will be substituted. I can get a used Outback 3048 used cheap in the next couple years.
btw I collect equipment here and there...2 years ago I bought a new KID controller for 230. Now they are almost 2 times that.glad I did.

Ethan Brush · May 2015

ws9876 wrote: »

if you were running 85 ft of 6 awg from an inverter to a service panel would you use solid wire romex or only stranded copper..??

Well #6 romex is stranded - maybe by "solid" you mean a cable assembly as opposed to single conductors? I generally stay away from romex bigger than #8 because the NEC ampacity stinks and its super expensive. I would use THHN in EMT and use the EMT as the equipment ground, or if i needed a cable assembly, I would use aluminum SE/SER cable.

Regarding grounding the inveter, read "suresine 300" in the off grid forum.

oil pan 4 · May 2015

6ga, stay with stranded. Solid 6ga almost needs a pipe bender to form it with out breaking the covering.

strand or solid wire

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