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Ran a DSC panel ground loop on a hot Friday in Phoenix

I was upgrading a system at a strip mall near 7th Street last summer, and I thought I had saved time by not double checking my voltage drop calculation. The power supply fried a zone expander because the new panel was pulling too much current through that long 18 gauge wire. Has anyone else dealt with a wire gauge mismatch on a resi retrofit that ended up costing way more in replacement parts?
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3 Comments
adam_patel
adam_patel1mo ago
Yeah back when I was doing a swap out in a house near 12th and Bell I ran 22 gauge for the keypad bus because that's what I had left on the spool. Fried the main board within three hours because the voltage sag was just enough to mess with the data line. Always check the gauge before you land the wires or you'll be back there on a Sunday.
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ivanross
ivanross1mo ago
Skimping on wire always costs double eventually.
1
xenaf51
xenaf511mo ago
Learned that one the hard way after rewiring my basement twice in three years.
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