Dedicated line: 10 gauge solid core or 8 gauge stranded


Hi everyone,

I'm having a dedicated line installed for my system. I read recommendations to run a 10 gauge wire, but I thought, why not 8 gauge? It's my understanding that there are no receptacles that would accept the thickness of a 8 gauge wire, so my question is: is it best to run a 8 gauge wire all the way to the receptacle and then bring it down to 10 gauge with a junction box to connect to the receptacle, or, just run a 10 gauge wire from panel to receptacle??
Also, the 10 gauge wire the electrician showed me was solid (just 1 thick wire), while the 8 gauge wire was stranded. Does that make a difference for sound? Which gauge would you go with?? 

Thanks!

Pierre
galpi

Showing 2 responses by gs5556

On the 10/3 romex, I do not use the bare copper grounding conductor; I cut it flush to the jacket at both ends. Use the red wire for grounding to the receptacle screw and the panel ground bus (don't forget to wrap the red insulation with green electrical tape in the box and panel where exposed!). In the panel, connect the ground and neutral wire as close as possible on the ground (or neutral) bus.
I use 3 wire 10 gage Romex because the wires come pre-twisted. This goes a long way to reducing common mode noise being picked up from the EMI producing computers, routers, modems, iphone chargers, alexas, etc.

If the circuit wire hot, neutral and ground are run parallel (i.e. 2-wire romex), they become very efficient EMI antennas. Doesn't matter what gage. Wires have to be twisted. That is the way to getting rid of a lot of power issues.