I plan to add electrical accessories to my GL1800 and NOT being an electrical authority I had to obtain some knowledge of wiring and fuses. With the help of the Internet and fellow Wingers, I created this wiring reference guide to assist me with all my electrical projects. The following are some of the resources that I used to create this quick reference guide.
http://www.rallylights.com/other/wiring.htm
http://www.zenithair.com/kit-data/ra/electric1.html
Radios, CD players, and things like that are rated in Amps.
Lighting equipment is mostly rated in Watts.
Once you know the amps the devise requires you can determine the wire and fuse size to use.
Calculate for a 100-Watt Driving Light. The power required is 100 Watts and the voltage is 12 Volts. The following formula is used.
It is important to selecting the right size fuse or circuit breaker for the size wire you will use to power the electronic component. The fuse or circuit breaker should trip before the wire gets hot enough to begin smoking.
The following chart is found in FAA Advisory Circular 4313 and shows the comparison between wire size and circuit protection.
| Wire Gauge | Circuit Breaker Amps |
Fuse Amps |
| 22 | 5 | 5 |
| 20 | 7.5 | 5 |
| 18 | 10 | 10 |
| 16 | 15 | 10 |
| 14 | 20 | 15 |
| 12 | 25/30 | 20 |
| 10 | 35/40 | 30 |
| 8 | 50 | 50 |
What happens if the wrong fuse or circuit breaker is used?
If a 10-amp fuse is used in a circuit connected by a 22-gauge wire, and an electrical fault occurs, then the 22-gauge wire well start to burn before the fuse breaks.
If the fuse (circuit protection) is too small for the wire size then the fuse will break requiring you to replace it even if there are no real problems.
Maximum length in feet for car wiring |
||||||||
| Wire Gauge | Current Load in Amps @ 12 Volts DC | |||||||
| 4 A | 6 A | 8 A | 10 A | 12 A | 15 A | 20 A | 50 A | |
| 20 AWG | 26' | 17' | 13' | |||||
| 18 AWG | 37' | 25' | 18' | 15' | 12' | |||
| 16 AWG | 56' | 37' | 28' | 22' | 18' | 14' | ||
| 14 AWG | 90' | 60' | 45' | 36' | 30' | 24' | 18' | |
| 12 AWG | 143' | 95' | 71' | 57' | 47' | 38' | 28' | |
| 10 AWG | 227' | 151' | 113' | 90' | 75' | 60' | 45' | |
| 8 AWG | 363' | 241' | 181' | 145' | 120' | 96' | 72' | 29' |
| 6 AWG | 585' | 390' | 292' | 234' | 194' | 155' | 117' | 46' |
| 4 AWG | 925' | 616' | 462' | 370' | 307' | 246' | 185' | 74' |
| 2 AWG | 1515' | 1009' | 757' | 606' | 503' | 403' | 303' | 121' |
| 1 AWG | 1923' | 1280' | 961' | 769' | 638' | 511' | 384' | 153' |
| 0 AWG | 2427' | 1616' | 1213' | 970' | 805' | 645' | 485' | 194' |
1. Calculate the current load that the component requires.
2. Select the next highest amp on the top row.
3. Go down that column until you find the length you need to run the wire.
4. The wire gauge required is shown in the far left column.
The maximum lengths are based on a 1/2-volt drop over the indicated length. To be safe, always choose one wire size larger than you need for the required current carrying capacity and length.
Example: You have calculated a 10 amps load, over a length of 17 feet. The chart shows that 16-gauge wire as suitable. Choose 14-gauge wire to allow for an adequate margin for safety.