NEC 2026 — Article 440 · Air-Conditioning & Refrigerating Equipment
Calculator Type
NEC 440.22 / 440.33
MCA — Minimum Circuit Ampacity (A)
From equipment nameplate. Branch-circuit conductors must be rated ≥ MCA per NEC 440.33.
MOCP — Max. Overcurrent Protection (A)
From equipment nameplate. OCPD must not exceed this value per NEC 440.22.
Recommended Breaker Size
NEC 240.6(A) Standard Sizes
Enter the nameplate MCA and MOCP to see the recommended breaker size.
Disclaimer — Important
This calculator is an independent tool intended to assist electrical professionals. It provides general guidance based on NEC 2023 (NFPA 70) Article 440 for educational and estimation purposes only. Calculated values represent minimum or maximum values derived from the referenced NEC sections and do not account for all conditions of use, local amendments, authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) requirements, or project-specific engineering judgments.
Results must be verified by a licensed electrical engineer or electrician and reviewed against the full NEC text, equipment listings, manufacturer specifications, and applicable local codes before use in design, permitting, or construction. The Multimotor/Combination-Load, Overload Protection, Room Air Conditioner, and Feeder/Service Load tabs in particular are screening design aids — always defer to equipment nameplate markings and verify exact subsection lettering against the adopted code edition.
NEC® and NFPA 70® are registered trademarks and copyrighted publications of the National Fire Protection Association. Users should verify all results against the adopted code edition and local amendments.