Wire Gauges

[2011FRC0057]

A recent Q&A answer about wiring up the line sensors seemed to imply that it was illegal to connect the 22AWG wire of the sensors to a circuit protected by a 20A breaker on the power distribution board. In fact, <R40> states "The branch circuit may include intermediate elements such as COTS connectors, splices, COTS flexible/rolling/sliding contacts, and COTS slip rings, as long as the entire electrical pathway is via appropriately gauged conductors."

So the question is, where does the electrical pathway start/stop? Do wires that are permanently attached to a device need to comply with <R40>? If so, the CIM motors would be limited to 30A circuits, as they have 14AWG wire connected to them.

[GDC]

1) The pathway is the complete conductive pathway.
2) Wires that are originally attached to legal devices, are part of the device, and by default legal as supplied. Such wires are exempt from the wiring requirements listed in Rule <R40>.