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How to Use Pro Electrical Toolkit

A plain-language guide to the homepage and every calculator

This guide walks through what each calculator on this site is for, what to type into it, and what the results mean — no electrical background required. Use the list below to jump straight to the section you need.

Homepage Overview

The homepage groups every calculator into four sections: Core Calculators(Voltage Drop, Wire Size, Breaker Size, Ohm's Law, kVA ↔ kW Conversion, Conduit Fill, Box Fill — free for everyone), Specific Calculators (Load Calculation, Motors, Transformer, HVAC — also free for everyone), System Design Tools (Diagrams Builder — One-Line Diagram and Riser Diagram tabs, also free for everyone), and PE Exam Preparation (practice questions for the NCEES PE Power exam). Click any card to open that calculator.

The navigation bar at the top has links to Home, Plan (view or change your subscription), PE Exam Prep, and this How to Use guide — which includes an FAQ section covering both calculator usage and subscription/billing questions. Once signed in, you'll also see a Saved Reports menu (up to 10 saved reports on Free, 30 on Pro, 50 on Premium) and a link to contact support.

Plans & access

Every calculator, including report generation, is free for everyone — no plan or sign-in required. Saving a report just needs a free sign-in. Free includes up to 10 saved reports and limited PE Exam practice (10 questions/day). Pro raises the saved-reports cap to 30 and adds unlimited PE Exam practice with progress tracking. Premiumraises it to 50 and adds timed PE exams with a wrong-answer review. Opening a PE Exam feature your plan doesn't include will redirect you to the Plan page to upgrade.

Voltage Drop CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Checks how much electrical “pressure” (voltage) a wire loses by the time power reaches your load, comparing two accepted calculation methods side by side.

How to use it

  1. Choose US/Imperial units (feet, AWG) or Metric (meters, mm²).
  2. Choose Single-phase or Three-phase.
  3. Pick the wire material (Copper or Aluminum), wire size, and Solid or Stranded construction.
  4. Pick the conduit type (Steel or non-metallic) — this only affects one of the two methods.
  5. Enter the run length, the load current, the source voltage, and the power factor (lagging or leading).
  6. Read the two results side by side.

Input fields

  • Distance / run length — Any positive number, in feet or meters.
  • Load current — Any positive number, in Amps.
  • Source voltage — Any positive number, in Volts.
  • Power factor — A decimal between 0 and 1 (e.g. 0.85), lagging or leading.
  • Wire material / size / construction — Chosen from standard Copper/Aluminum, AWG/kcmil, and Solid/Stranded options.

What the result means

Two voltage-drop percentages side by side, one per method. Under 3% is marked OK (green), 3–5% is a Warning (amber), and over 5% is a Fail (red) because it exceeds the NEC's recommended limit. It also separately warns if your entered current is more than that wire can safely carry.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • The Table 9 (AC Impedance) method doesn't have data for every wire size — some sizes, and larger aluminum sizes, simply aren't in the table, and the calculator says so instead of guessing.
  • A result over 5% doesn't mean the circuit is illegal to build — it means it doesn't meet the NEC's recommended voltage-drop guideline, and a larger wire or shorter run would help.
  • Watch the separate ampacity warning — a wire can pass the voltage-drop check and still be too small for the current it's carrying.
Voltage Drop — Other ScenariosFree · Pro · Premium

Open the Voltage Drop Calculator, then click “Other Scenarios →”.

Runs the voltage-drop math backwards — instead of telling you the drop, you tell it the maximum drop you'll accept and it solves for length, current, or wire size.

How to use it

  1. Open it from the Voltage Drop Calculator's “Other Scenarios” link.
  2. Choose the unit system (US/Imperial or Metric).
  3. Pick what to solve for: Voltage Drop, Conductor Length, Load Current, or Conductor Size.
  4. Choose the calculation method (K-Formula or Table 9 AC Impedance).
  5. Enter your target maximum voltage drop % (defaults to 3.6%) and the other known values.
  6. Read the solved result.

Input fields

  • Solve for — Voltage Drop, Conductor Length, Load Current, or Conductor Size.
  • Target voltage drop % — Defaults to 3.6%, editable.
  • Everything else — Same fields as the main Voltage Drop Calculator — fill in all except the one you're solving for.

What the result means

The solved value, plus a warning if the answer would require a wire larger than the largest standard size, or if your known current already exceeds what that wire size can carry.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • If solving for Conductor Size returns a warning instead of a size, your inputs need an unrealistically large conductor — consider parallel conductors or a higher voltage system.
Wire Size CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Figures out the minimum wire size for your circuit's ampacity, the ground wire size, or the grounding electrode wire size, across three tabs.

How to use it

  1. Conductor Ampacity tab: enter continuous and non-continuous load current (or add motor loads), the wire material, and the installation condition (raceway, free air, high-temperature insulation, or messenger-supported).
  2. Enter the ambient temperature (°F or °C), how many current-carrying conductors are bundled together, and whether the run is on an exposed rooftop.
  3. Equipment Grounding Conductor tab: enter the breaker/fuse size feeding the circuit and the wire material to look up the required ground wire size.
  4. Grounding Electrode Conductor tab: enter your largest ungrounded (hot) conductor size, its material, and the electrode type to look up the required grounding electrode conductor size.

Input fields

  • Continuous / non-continuous amps — Positive numbers; continuous loads automatically get a 1.25× safety margin.
  • Motor loads — Pick horsepower, voltage, and phase from dropdowns — the standard motor current is looked up for you.
  • Material / condition — Copper or Aluminum; Raceway, Free Air, High-Temp Raceway, High-Temp Free Air, or Messenger-Supported.
  • Ambient temperature — A number in °F or °C.
  • Conductor count — How many current-carrying wires share the same raceway — more wires bundled together reduces capacity.
  • EGC tab: OCPD size, material, parallel sets — OCPD is the breaker/fuse rating protecting the circuit.
  • GEC tab: ungrounded conductor size, material, parallel sets, electrode type

What the result means

The minimum standard wire size (AWG or kcmil) large enough for your load after all temperature and bundling adjustments — or “out of range” if your ambient temperature is outside what the tables cover.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • If the ambient temperature is too high for the insulation you picked, the calculator says no conductor can be used at that location instead of guessing — you'll need higher-temperature-rated insulation.
  • 14 AWG aluminum isn't in the ampacity tables under the 2020/2023 NEC. The 2026 NEC adds it, but only for copper-clad aluminum conductors — the calculator shows a note when this applies.
  • For large loads (over 100 A, or anything with a motor), the calculator automatically switches to the 75°C column instead of 60°C, per code — you don't need to set this yourself.
Ampacity — Other ScenariosFree · Pro · Premium

Open the Wire Size Calculator, then click “Other Scenarios →”.

The reverse of the Wire Size Calculator's Ampacity tab — instead of always solving for wire size, you choose what to solve for.

How to use it

  1. Open it from the Wire Size Calculator's “Other Scenarios” link.
  2. Pick what to solve for: Ampacity (given a conductor), Max Ambient Temperature, or Max Conductor Count.
  3. Fill in the remaining fields — the same inputs as the Wire Size Calculator's Ampacity tab.
  4. Read the solved result.

Input fields

  • Everything — Same fields as the Wire Size Calculator's Ampacity tab, minus whichever one you're solving for.

What the result means

The solved value — e.g. the maximum ambient temperature a given wire can handle, instead of always returning a wire size.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • An “Out of Range” result means the temperature or load you asked about is outside what the NEC tables cover, not a bug.
Ohm's Law CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Solves Voltage, Current, and Resistance (or Impedance for AC) for you — enter any two of the three, and it calculates the third, for both DC and AC circuits.

How to use it

  1. Pick the DC panel or the AC panel.
  2. Type in any two of the three main values (DC: Voltage, Current, Resistance; AC: Voltage, Current, Impedance).
  3. Leave the value you want solved blank.
  4. For AC, optionally add Resistance, Reactance, or Power Factor for more detail (the power triangle).

Input fields

  • DC: Voltage, Current, Resistance — Enter any two; Resistance can't be negative.
  • AC: Voltage, Current, Impedance — Enter any two; Impedance can't be negative.
  • Power Factor (optional, AC) — Must be between 0 and 1.

What the result means

The missing value, plus — for AC — real power (Watts), reactive power (VAR), apparent power (VA), and the phase angle.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • “Enter any two values — the third will be solved.” — shown if fewer than two fields are filled in.
  • “Resistance (R) cannot be negative.” / “Impedance (Z) cannot be negative.”
  • If all three values are filled in and they don't agree with each other (V ≠ I × R), you'll see an “Inconsistent values” message — clear one field and let the calculator solve it instead of overriding your numbers.
  • “R = 0 Ω (short circuit)” or “I = 0 A (open circuit)” messages are mathematically correct results, not bugs — they usually mean a typo in one of your numbers.
  • “Power Factor must be between 0 and 1.”
kVA ↔ kW ConversionFree · Pro · Premium

Converts between apparent power (kVA), real power (kW), and reactive power (kVAR) three different ways, depending on what you already know.

How to use it

  1. Pick a tab: PF-Based, Power Triangle, or Voltage & Current.
  2. PF-Based: enter kVA or kW plus the power factor slider to get the other.
  3. Power Triangle: enter any two of kVA/kW/kVAR (or kW + power factor) to get the third, plus the phase angle.
  4. Voltage & Current: enter voltage, current, and phase to get kVA/kW/kVAR, or voltage + kVA to solve for current.

Input fields

  • Power factor — Slider from 0 to 1, defaults to 0.85.
  • kVA / kW / kVAR — Positive numbers; kW can be exactly 0 but not negative.
  • Voltage / Current — Positive numbers.
  • Phase — Single-phase, Three-phase line-to-line, or Three-phase line-to-neutral.

What the result means

The converted kVA, kW, kVAR, and/or current value, with the formula used shown for reference.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • “Value must be greater than 0.” / “kVA must be greater than 0.”
  • “kW must be non-negative.”
  • “Voltage and current must be positive.” / “Voltage and kVA must be positive.”
  • Leaving a field blank doesn't show an error — it just won't show a result until enough fields are filled in.
Breaker Size CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Picks the correct standard breaker (or fuse) size for four different kinds of loads, following the rounding rules that apply to each.

How to use it

  1. Choose a Load Type: Branch Circuit, Feeder, Service, or Appliance.
  2. Choose whether you're entering the load in Amps or VA.
  3. Enter the continuous and non-continuous portions of the load, plus voltage and phase.
  4. Appliance load type has its own extra fields — see below.
  5. Read the recommended breaker size.

Input fields

  • Branch / Feeder / Service — Continuous & non-continuous amps (or VA), voltage, phase; Service also asks for the disconnect type.
  • Appliance — Amps or VA, voltage, phase, and — if the nameplate lists one — its own maximum overcurrent protection rating.

What the result means

The recommended standard breaker size in Amps (rounded to a real, sellable size — e.g. 20, 30, 50 A), the math behind it, and any relevant warnings.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • If a nameplate lists its own maximum breaker size (MOCP), always use the Appliance fields for it — it overrides the general percentage-based calculation.
  • If the required amps exceed 6000 A, the calculator flags that it's outside the standard breaker size chart.
  • Air-conditioning and refrigerating equipment (NEC Article 440) moved to its own HVAC Calculator — it's no longer a load type here.
Conduit Fill CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Adds up the cross-sectional area of every conductor in a raceway and finds the smallest EMT, IMC, RMC, PVC Schedule 40/80, FMC, or LFMC size that meets NEC Chapter 9's fill limits.

How to use it

  1. Add a row for each conductor: its quantity, insulation type (THHN/THWN-2, TW, THW/THHW, RHW/RHW-2, XHHW/XHHW-2, or USE/USE-2), size (14 AWG–500 kcmil), and standard or compact stranding.
  2. Tag any row that's an equipment grounding conductor (EGC) — the calculator never adds one automatically.
  3. If the raceway is a nipple 24 in. or less, turn on the Nipple toggle — it swaps in the 60% fill allowance instead of the usual conductor-count-based percentage.
  4. Read the results table: the smallest trade size and fill percentage for each of the 7 conduit types, with the overall smallest option highlighted.

Input fields

  • Conductor rows — Quantity, insulation type, size, and standard/compact stranding for each group of same-size conductors.
  • EGC flag — Optional per-row checkbox — marks a conductor as the equipment grounding conductor for your own reference and the report.
  • Compact stranding — Only available for THHN/THWN-2, 8 AWG and larger — matches what NEC Table 5A actually publishes.
  • Nipple ≤24 in. — Overrides the standard 53%/31%/40% fill rule with the 60% nipple allowance.

What the result means

For each of the 7 conduit types (EMT, IMC, RMC, PVC Schedule 40/80, FMC, LFMC), the smallest trade size (1/2"–4") that fits your conductors and its fill percentage — with the smallest option across all types called out.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • Forgetting to add the equipment grounding conductor as its own row — the calculator warns you if no row is tagged EGC, but it never adds one for you.
  • Selecting Compact stranding on an insulation type other than THHN/THWN-2, or on a size below 8 AWG — NEC Table 5A doesn't publish those combinations, so the calculator excludes that row from the total area and flags it instead of guessing.
  • “None ≤4"” means that conduit type has no standard size in the 1/2"–4" range that fits — try a different conduit type or split the conductors into more than one raceway.
Box Fill CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Adds up the volume every conductor, device, clamp, and support fitting requires inside an outlet/device box and checks it against a selected box's rated volume, per NEC 314.16.

How to use it

  1. Add a row for each conductor group: quantity, size (18 AWG–6 AWG), and role — Terminated/spliced in the box, Pass-Through (unspliced), or Pigtail (wholly inside the box, never leaving it).
  2. If any equipment grounding conductors enter the box, turn on Grounding Conductors and pick the largest one's size.
  3. Add a row for each device (switch/receptacle) group: quantity and conductor size at that device.
  4. Turn on Internal Clamps and/or Support Fittings if the box has them — each adds one conductor-volume allowance, sized to the largest conductor present.
  5. Optionally pick an actual box (shape and depth) to check it against your total — or leave it on "None" to just see the recommended minimum.
  6. Read the results: total conductor count, total required volume, a line-item breakdown by NEC subsection, and a pass/fail check against your selected box.

Input fields

  • Conductor rows — Quantity, size, and role (Terminated, Pass-Through, or Pigtail) for each group.
  • Grounding conductors — Yes/No, plus the largest ground wire size if yes — counts as one allowance regardless of how many grounds there are.
  • Device rows — Quantity and conductor size for each switch/receptacle — each device counts as two conductor-volume allowances.
  • Internal clamps / support fittings — Each toggle adds one conductor-volume allowance, sized to the largest conductor physically present in the box.
  • Box selection — Optional — pick a real box (round/octagonal, square, device, masonry, FS/FD) and depth to check fit.

What the result means

Total conductor count and required volume (in³), a breakdown table citing the exact NEC 314.16(B) subsection for each line item, the largest conductor size present, and — if a box is selected — whether it's large enough (green) or too small (red), plus a separately computed recommended minimum box.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • Pigtail conductors (spliced entirely inside the box, never leaving it) don't count toward the volume total — only Terminated and Pass-Through conductors do. They're still counted when determining the "largest conductor" size used to size clamp/support-fitting allowances.
  • All equipment grounding conductors together only ever count as one allowance, sized to the largest ground conductor — adding more ground wires doesn't add more volume.
  • The calculator warns if clamps or support fittings are enabled but no conductor rows have been entered yet — it has no conductor size to base that allowance on.
Load CalculationFree · Pro · Premium

Adds up all the electrical loads in a building — lighting, appliances, HVAC, motors, and more — and applies the code's demand-factor discounts to find the total service or feeder size you need.

How to use it

  1. Choose a Calculation Method that matches your project: Dwelling (Standard or Optional), Existing Dwelling, Multifamily (Optional), Commercial (Standard), Existing Building, New Restaurant, or Feeder/Service.
  2. Enter the square footage and voltage system.
  3. Fill in the loads that apply: small-appliance/laundry circuits, fixed appliances, ranges/dryers, heating/cooling, motors, receptacles, or (for existing buildings) your prior 12-month peak demand.
  4. Read the itemized breakdown and total.
  5. Switch to the Panel Schedule tab to build a branch-circuit schedule for a specific panel: import candidate circuits from the loads you entered (with suggested breaker/wire sizes), add or edit circuits by hand, balance phases, and print or save the schedule.

Input fields

  • Square footage / voltage system — 120/240 1-phase, 120/208 3-phase, 277/480 3-phase, 240 3-phase, or 480 3-phase.
  • Small appliance / laundry circuits — Minimum of 2 and 1 respectively — these are code minimums, entering less doesn't go below them.
  • Fixed appliances, ranges, dryers — Enter wattage/kW and count for each.
  • Heating and cooling — Only the larger of the two is counted — the calculator explains why the smaller one was excluded.
  • Motors — Horsepower, voltage, phase — the largest motor gets extra weight per code.
  • Receptacle count / VA each — Defaults to 180 VA per receptacle.
  • Multifamily — Number of units and square footage per unit.
  • Existing Building — Existing service size and a properly measured 12-month peak demand.

What the result means

A line-by-line list of each load category with its connected value and demand value (after code discount factors), a running total, the resulting amperage, and a recommended standard service/feeder size.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • Using the Multifamily method with fewer than 3 units triggers a note to use the standard dwelling method instead — the multifamily discount tables don't apply below 3 units.
  • The Existing Building method needs a real, properly measured 12-month peak demand reading — this shouldn't be estimated.
  • Sizing feeders/services for A/C or refrigerating equipment under Article 440 (RLA-based, largest unit at 125%) is done in the HVAC Calculator's Feeder/Service Load tab, not here — this calculator's Heating & Cooling fields are the general Article 220.60 noncoincident-load entry, not equipment-specific 440 sizing.
  • Panel Schedule import pulls each individual load you entered (fixed appliances, motors, HVAC, etc.), not the demand-factor totals above — general lighting VA (computed from square footage) has no standalone field to import, so add lighting circuits manually.
Motors CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Everything motor-related in one place: how much current a motor draws, what breaker it needs, and what wire size to run to it.

How to use it

  1. Pick a tab: Motor Load Calculation, Motor Breaker/OCPD, or Motor Wire Size.
  2. Choose the motor's horsepower from the dropdown — only standard values are listed, you can't type in a custom one.
  3. Choose voltage, phase, and motor type.
  4. Read the result for that tab.

Input fields

  • Horsepower — Chosen from a fixed dropdown (1/6 HP up to 500 HP); single-phase motors are limited to 10 HP and below.
  • Voltage — Standard values only (115, 200, 208, 230, 460, 575, 2300, depending on phase).
  • Phase / motor type — Single or Three; e.g. AC squirrel-cage induction, synchronous.
  • Protection type (Breaker/OCPD tab) — Inverse-time breaker, instantaneous-trip breaker, dual-element fuse, etc.
  • Wire Size tab — Same wire-size fields as the Wire Size Calculator, plus single- or multiple-motor mode.

What the result means

Motor Load tab gives the full current draw in Amps and VA; Breaker/OCPD tab gives the recommended breaker/fuse size; Wire Size tab gives the minimum conductor size for that motor's circuit.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • If an exact horsepower/voltage combination isn't in the dropdown, it's because that combination isn't a standard one — pick the closest standard value or use the motor's actual nameplate current instead.
  • A motor's breaker size is intentionally different from — usually larger than — its wire size, because motor circuits are allowed a bigger breaker to handle starting current. That's expected, not a bug.
Transformer CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Everything transformer-related in one place: primary/secondary breaker sizing, secondary conductor tap rules, autotransformer OCPD sizing, a ground-fault protection requirement check, and load-sharing across paralleled transformer banks.

How to use it

  1. Pick a tab: OCPD Sizing, Secondary Conductor Taps, Autotransformer OCPD, Ground-Fault Protection, or Parallel Transformers.
  2. OCPD Sizing: enter the transformer's kVA rating, phase, primary voltage, secondary voltage, and whether it has secondary protection.
  3. Secondary Conductor Taps: enter the primary OCPD rating, primary/secondary voltages, the secondary conductor length, and the calculated secondary load.
  4. Autotransformer OCPD: enter the autotransformer's kVA rating, voltage, and phase.
  5. Ground-Fault Protection: pick the system grounding type, then enter the voltage to ground and the disconnect/OCPD rating.
  6. Parallel Transformers: add 2–4 units (kVA, %Z, secondary voltage, vector group each), pick the system phase, then enter either the total system load or one known unit's actual reading.
  7. Read the result for that tab.

Input fields

  • OCPD Sizing — kVA rating, phase, primary voltage, secondary voltage, and whether it has secondary protection.
  • Secondary Conductor Taps — Primary OCPD rating, primary voltage, secondary voltage, secondary conductor length (ft), and calculated secondary load (A).
  • Autotransformer OCPD — kVA rating, voltage (≤600 V), and phase.
  • Ground-Fault Protection — System grounding type (Solidly Grounded Wye, Corner-Grounded Delta, or Ungrounded/Other), voltage to ground, and disconnect/OCPD rating.
  • Parallel Transformers — Per unit: kVA rating, %Z (nameplate), secondary voltage, and vector group (Δ-Δ, Y-Y, Δ-Y, or Y-Δ). Bank-wide: phase, and either the total system load (kVA or A) or one known unit's reading.

What the result means

OCPD Sizing gives primary (and secondary, if used) breaker min/max sizes plus disconnect sizing. Secondary Conductor Taps gives the applicable NEC 240.21(C) rule, the minimum secondary conductor ampacity, and whether a separate secondary OCPD is required. Autotransformer OCPD gives the maximum breaker/fuse rating. Ground-Fault Protection gives a Yes/No on whether GFPE is required, plus the maximum setting if it is. Parallel Transformers gives each unit's load share (using the inverse-%Z method), kVA/Amps drawn, and % loaded — flagging any unit that ends up over 100% even when the bank's combined capacity is sufficient.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • The Secondary Conductor Taps and Ground-Fault Protection tabs are threshold-screening design aids, not exhaustive implementations of NEC 240.21(C) or 450.5 — verify all applicability conditions and exceptions against the full NEC text before finalizing a design.
  • Autotransformer OCPD sizing (NEC 450.4) only applies to autotransformers 600 V or less that aren't part of an individual motor circuit, signal circuit, or Class 2 control circuit.
  • Parallel Transformers is an engineering-practice calculation (inverse-%Z load sharing), not a literal NEC rule — it will still compute a result for mismatched vector groups, secondary voltages, %Z spreads, or kVA ratios, but it flags them as warnings. Always verify against a manufacturer paralleling study or a licensed engineer before relying on it.
HVAC CalculatorFree · Pro · Premium

Everything air-conditioning and refrigerating equipment-related in one place per NEC Article 440: OCPD sizing, disconnect sizing, branch-circuit conductor sizing, multimotor/combination-load equipment, overload protection, room air conditioner rules, and building feeder/service load sizing.

How to use it

  1. Pick a tab: OCPD Sizing, Disconnecting Means, Branch-Circuit Conductor, Multimotor/Combo-Load, Overload Protection, Room Air Conditioners, or Feeder/Service Load.
  2. OCPD Sizing: enter the nameplate MCA and MOCP.
  3. Disconnecting Means: enter the nameplate RLA (or BCSC, whichever is greater).
  4. Branch-Circuit Conductor: enter the RLC/BCSC for a single motor-compressor.
  5. Multimotor/Combo-Load: enter each motor-compressor's RLC/BCSC (up to 4) plus the sum of other component loads (fans, resistance heat, etc.).
  6. Overload Protection: enter the RLC and pick a protection method (integral thermal protector, separate overload relay, or fuse/inverse-time breaker).
  7. Room Air Conditioners: enter the RLA, voltage, branch-circuit rating, and whether the unit shares its circuit with receptacles or other loads.
  8. Feeder/Service Load: add each HVAC unit's name, nameplate RLA, voltage, and phase — the largest unit is demanded at 125% (440.32) and the rest at 100% (440.33) — then read the total feeder/service demand.
  9. Read the result for that tab.

Input fields

  • OCPD Sizing — Nameplate MCA (Minimum Circuit Ampacity) and MOCP (Maximum Overcurrent Protection).
  • Disconnecting Means — Nameplate RLA (Rated-Load Current) or BCSC, whichever is greater.
  • Branch-Circuit Conductor — RLC/BCSC for a single motor-compressor.
  • Multimotor/Combo-Load — RLC/BCSC of each motor-compressor (2-4 typical for dual-circuit rooftop units) plus other component loads.
  • Overload Protection — Nameplate RLC and the overload protection method in use.
  • Room Air Conditioners — Nameplate RLA and voltage (125 or 250 V), branch-circuit rating, and circuit type (individual, shared receptacles-only, or shared with lighting/other loads).
  • Feeder/Service Load — Voltage system, plus one row per HVAC unit with its name, nameplate RLA, voltage, and phase.

What the result means

OCPD Sizing gives the recommended breaker size. Disconnecting Means gives the minimum disconnect ampere rating. Branch-Circuit Conductor gives the minimum conductor ampacity. Multimotor/Combo-Load gives the combined minimum conductor ampacity and recommended OCPD size. Overload Protection gives the maximum overload setting (or confirms none is needed for factory-protected units). Room Air Conditioners gives a cord-and-plug permission check, minimum conductor/disconnect rating, and a shared-circuit de-rating check. Feeder/Service Load gives an itemized per-unit connected/demand VA breakdown, the totals, the calculated amperage, and a recommended standard feeder/service size.

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • The Multimotor/Combo-Load, Overload Protection, Room Air Conditioner, and Feeder/Service Load tabs are screening design aids, not exhaustive implementations of NEC 440.22(B)/430.53, 440.52/440.53, 440.62, or 440.32/440.33 — always defer to equipment nameplate markings and verify exact subsection lettering against the adopted code edition.
  • This calculator used to be a load type inside the Breaker Size Calculator — it's now a standalone calculator with its own tabs.
  • The Feeder/Service Load tab needs at least one HVAC unit entered before it shows a result — with zero units it just shows the empty-state placeholder, not a warning.
Diagrams BuilderFree · Pro · Premium

Two tabs for system-design drawings: a One-Line Diagram tab that draws service/panel/feeder/load systems and sizes each piece live against NEC load calculation, wire size, and breaker size, and a Riser Diagram tab that turns a saved one-line diagram into a floor-stacked riser with auto-sized feeders and an AutoCAD-ready DXF export.

How to use it

  1. One-Line Diagram tab: add elements with the Service / Panel / Load buttons above the canvas.
  2. Drag from the small dot at the bottom of one element to the dot at the top of another to connect them — the connection becomes a feeder or branch-circuit conductor run.
  3. Click any element to open its parameters on the right: a Load takes a VA value and whether it's continuous; a Service or Panel takes a voltage system (plus a service disconnect category for Service) and any local VA connected directly to that bus.
  4. Click a connection line to set its conductor material, condition of use, ambient temperature, and conductor count.
  5. Read the results panel for whatever you selected — a Service/Panel shows its load calculation (NEC 215.2/215.3) with the resulting amperage; a connection shows its wire size (NEC 310.16) and breaker/OCPD size (NEC 240.6(A)).
  6. Sign in to save a diagram by name and reopen it later; signed-out use works but nothing is saved between visits beyond the current browser tab.
  7. To set up a riser, still on the One-Line Diagram tab, give each Service/Panel a Floor/Level Label and a Floor Order number (0 = service level, higher = higher floors), and set a project-wide default Conduit Type in the toolbar (optionally overridden per connection).
  8. Riser Diagram tab: pick a saved One-Line Diagram from the dropdown — the riser draws automatically, one row per Service/Panel at its floor, with feeders connecting them and auto-suggested sizing labeled on each line.
  9. Click a feeder to review or edit its sizing (material, conduit type, insulation, etc.) in the side panel, then click "Accept this sizing" once you're satisfied — accepted feeders turn green.
  10. Click "Export DXF" to download the riser as a DXF file you can open directly in AutoCAD.

Input fields

  • One-Line tab: Load element — Name, VA, and whether the load is continuous (≥3 hours).
  • One-Line tab: Service/Panel element — Voltage system, service disconnect category (Service only), Floor/Level Label and Floor Order (for the riser), and any local continuous/non-continuous VA connected directly to that bus.
  • One-Line tab: Connection (feeder/branch conductor) — Conductor material, condition of use (raceway, free air, high-temperature insulation, or messenger-supported), ambient temperature, and conductor count.
  • Riser tab: saved diagram — Pick a saved One-Line Diagram from the dropdown — all sizing inputs are edited on the diagram itself or in this tab's feeder side panel.

What the result means

One-Line Diagram tab: every Load's VA rolls up into its parent Panel or Service, which runs a feeder-service load calculation to get a total demand VA and amperage (and, for a Service, a minimum disconnect ampere rating); each connection is sized from its downstream element's amperage into a recommended conductor size (with the governing NEC 110.14(C) terminal rating) and a recommended standard breaker size, shown as a label right on the diagram. Riser Diagram tab: a vertical riser drawing with one row per Service/Panel (name, floor, main disconnect/service size, and a folded-in count of directly connected loads) and one labeled line per feeder showing conductor count/size/material, neutral and EGC if included, and the resolved conduit type and trade size — plus a DXF export of the same drawing as layered AutoCAD-ready geometry (EQUIPMENT, CONDUCTORS, TEXT layers).

Common mistakes & things to watch for

  • Only Service, Panel, and Load elements exist today — transformer, motor, and HVAC equipment elements are planned but not yet available; model those loads as a generic Load for now.
  • A connection's amperage comes from its downstream element's already demand-factored load — the 125% continuous-load factor is applied once, in the load calculation step, not again when sizing the conductor or breaker.
  • Diagrams only save if you're signed in — build a diagram while signed out and it stays in that browser tab only.
  • A feeder's proposed sizing on the Riser Diagram tab is only a starting point — always click "Accept this sizing" (or edit it first) before treating a feeder as final; unaccepted feeders show an amber "Proposed" badge.
  • Only Service/Panel elements become riser rows — Load elements are folded into a small count/VA badge on their parent panel instead of their own row, matching standard riser diagram convention.
  • If a Service/Panel has no Floor Order set, it defaults to 0 (service level) and may stack on top of other unset elements — set Floor Order explicitly on every panel before relying on the riser's vertical order.
  • Editing a feeder's parameters on the Riser Diagram tab clears its "Accepted" status, since the sizing is about to be recomputed — you'll need to accept it again.
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