Using 6/3 NM cable to feed 60 Amp to subpanel

electricalelectrical-panelsubpanelwiring

EDIT: Nobody was willing to answer cable needed for 100 amp feeder so removed questions. Also, code references in the answer are several years or more out of date…

Ed B was correct to be careful of the "internet electricians" on this site.

Best Answer

For 100A feeder, use #1 aluminum. For 90A feeder, use the more popular #2 aluminum. Don't even bother with copper at these sizes. 4-wire #2Al is $1.40/foot.

Insulation doesn't derate all wires, only SE cable. And only on Tuesdays during the full moon.

The question of whether SE cable is good for 60C or 75C thermal was settled for 40 years... it was 75C thermal. And then, some wire salesman proposed a change to NEC to reduce it to 60C, same as NM cable, which is itself a weird exception. (We're talking when SE cable is used in feeder or branch circuit wiring the way NM would be). Everyone else missed it, so nobody gave any feedback to the contrary, so the NEC committee just rubber-stamped it and it got into a Code edition.

Oh boy, and that kicked over the hive. The feedback came fast and furious, "why'd you break it, there hasn't been a reportable problem in 40 years". So it was mostly changed back. Anyway, the rule has changed a little every Code edition since, particularly the part about whether insulation matters. You have to go pull your current code and read carefully.

Or, just don't use SE cable

THHN or XHHW in smurf tube will work just fine. Anything that isn't NM, UF or (sometimes) SE is good for 75C.

A lot of wires are good for 90C, the problem is, the terminals aren't.

Once you have your metal and temperature, you pull your ampacity out of Table 310.15(B)(16).

If reusing the 6/3NM, you get 55A.

Because NM cable is limited by NEC 334.80 to the 60C column in the ampacity chart.

That means you can't plan to use more than 55A. I.E when you do your load calculation on the subpanel, it can't exceed 55A. If it does you'll have to remove loads.

As far as what circuit breaker to feed that with, they don't make 55A breakers. NEC allows you to round up to the next available breaker size, 60A. However the panel's load calc can only be 55A.

Here's an example. You get a tankless water heater that draws 56A. 56A is greater than 55A, so you cannot use #6 NM cable for that, even though it's breakered at 60A.