Let's say you're lengthening the distance a wire reaches by adding another length of wire as a patch in the middle.(on my alarm) Now, is it alright to use bigger wire? Say from 20 to 16? My concern is that once the current passes from the 16guage patch back to the 20guage on the other end, I'll run into problems. Follow me? Help a guy out here-electronics aren't my strong point. Thanks.

 

What you proposed is, electrically, perfectly fine.

Splicing a thicker (numerically lower gauge) wire into a thinner wire will not be bad in itself. Of course total length and the quality of the connections could affect it, but you question was specifically about the difference in wire size, not its length or quality of connections... Actually, when comparing two equal lengths of wire, using a thicker wire will have less resistance, and thus less voltage and current drop, all of which should be strived for.

Going the other way, splicing a thinner wire into a larger wire could very well affect the circuit because, all else being equal (wire connections and length), the thinner wire will present more resistance to the circuit than a larger (numerically lower gauge) wire. This will equal a higher voltage/current drop, very important to some electrical devices, and potentially a fire hazard because the wire could (depending upon many variables) get hot enough to ignite...

[This message has been edited by Stuart Moss (edited June 28, 2001).]

 

Thanks for the reply. I know that the lower guage is a good solution for the end of a circuit, I just wasn't sure it would work in the middle where the current has to continue back through the higher guage before completing a circuit. That sounds confusing...I know what I mean