Water inside Copper Wire for 100 Amp Subpanel


  #1  
Old 08-05-18, 03:12 PM
R
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 3
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Question Water inside Copper Wire for 100 Amp Subpanel

Hello,

Recently started a project to add a 100 amp sub-panel in the basement of my house (main panel is in the garage) for a work shop. I bought the appropriate sized wire to run power to the panel from my local hardware store. I noticed after running the wire to the basement that there is water dripping out of the wire, from INSIDE the insulation. The wires are all bone dry on the outside, but a small amount of water is dripping out of the inside.
The wire is stored on a large spool at the hardware store outside in a yard, so my assumption is the water got in the cut end of the wire there.

My question is this: Is this small amount of water inside the insulation on the copper wire a concern? I don't know if it will evaporate through the thick plastic shielding or not. Could it cause a problem in the sub-panel? Or cause overheating in the wire as current runs through the wire?

Any help is much appreciated!
Thanks,
Rock
 
  #2  
Old 08-05-18, 04:20 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,931
Received 3,950 Upvotes on 3,543 Posts
Welcome to the forums.

I'd doubt that would be anything to worry about. That water will dry up on it's own.
 
  #3  
Old 08-05-18, 05:05 PM
R
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 3
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Will the water evaporate through the thick Plastic insulation though? I assumed the insulation would be water proof, which would make it difficult for the water to go anywhere.
 
  #4  
Old 08-05-18, 05:21 PM
Gunguy45's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 19,281
Received 6 Upvotes on 6 Posts
It will evaporate out the same way it got in...through the cut ends. It probably isn't that much in the first place.

Is this wire (one conductor even if it has many strands) or is it cable (multiple insulated conductors inside an outer sheath)?

It won't cause overheating...in fact it would do just the opposite until it all evaporates...it would cool the conductors to some small extent.
 
  #5  
Old 08-05-18, 06:55 PM
R
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: United States
Posts: 3
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
It is 4 separate wires. Three of them are 3 gauge and one is 4 gauge.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: