But the calculator also showed him the why . He clicked "Show math."
The screen didn't blink. It just answered. Voltage drop: 2.8% Maximum capacity: 70 Amps Upgrade to 2 AWG for 1% drop. Marco let out a low whistle. Number 4. That was three steps up from the #10 in the wall. It was thick as his pinky finger. Expensive. Heavy.
The problem was the new roaster. It was a beast—pulling 48 amps. The old cable feeding this part of the building was a sad, brittle #10 AWG, good for maybe 30 amps. If he just hooked it up, the wire would get hot, the insulation would melt, and this place would be a bonfire in a week.
"We need #4 THHN. 185 feet. And I’m going to need to cut a new trench to the panel."
He crawled out of the crawlspace, dust in his hair.
He grinned. "We're not wiring a lamp, Elena. We're feeding a dragon. And this little calculator just told me exactly what gauge sword to use."
Marco wiped grease on his jeans and pulled out his phone. No signal. He’d cached it earlier.
