Somebody pls educate me

[libqw]

Let me first admit that I am a completely newbie to batteries, has been watching youtube videos for a week and get some basic sense, but the more I watch the more questions I have. Here is one hope somebody can help me out:
What gauge of wire should I use for the bus on my battery pack?
I found some online doc says:
14-gauge wire: 15 amps
12-gauge wire: 20 amps
10-gauge wire: 30 amps
I calculate for my application I need about max 30amps, that means I have to use 10 gauge, which sounds pretty big. But then I am not sure if above chart is talking about household load under 110v? Does voltage matter in choosing wire? Or is amperage the only criteria?
For 100v/10amp and 12v/10amp, are they supposed to use the same gauge of wire?

Is there a good education article/video someone can recommend me to read? Thx!

[Mike90250]

We are talking amps here, and your chart is basically correct. What it doesn't cover is the resistance losses in the wire, and that's where voltage comes in.

5% voltage loss at 12V (0.6V, giving you 11.4V) is much more severe than 5% loss at 120V ( 6V leaving you with 114V) So to keep your load happy, you may need expensive #8 wire. That's a reason we steer folks to higher voltage systems ( 24 & 48V ) because of their higher efficiencies .

[SunEagle]

Something else to think about is the wire insulation voltage rating.

Most wire is rated either 300V or 600V and works for either AC or DC circuits. But if you use something designed for a vehicle it is probably good for less than 50V DC. That type wire is not good for any AC circuit so be aware of both the size for Current and insulation for Voltage limits

[libqw]

Mike90250, SunEagle: Thanks for the info, OK, #8 it is!

[Paul Land]

Let me first admit that I am a completely newbie to batteries, has been watching youtube videos for a week and get some basic sense, but the more I watch the more questions I have. Here is one hope somebody can help me out:
What gauge of wire should I use for the bus on my battery pack?
I found some online doc says:
14-gauge wire: 15 amps
12-gauge wire: 20 amps
10-gauge wire: 30 amps
I calculate for my application I need about max 30amps, that means I have to use 10 gauge, which sounds pretty big. But then I am not sure if above chart is talking about household load under 110v? Does voltage matter in choosing wire? Or is amperage the only criteria?
For 100v/10amp and 12v/10amp, are they supposed to use the same gauge of wire?

Is there a good education article/video someone can recommend me to read? Thx!

you are using 110V AC wire guide?

[SunEagle]

you are using 110V AC wire guide?

Well those wire gauges and amp ratings will work for AC or DC circuits. The biggest issue is that with DC voltages being much lower you have to up size the wire to stay above the 2% voltage drop.

[PNW_Steve]

Here is a handy calculator : https://www.wirebarn.com/Wire-Calculator-_ep_41.html