Just one more major revision to the Table 310.16 Calculator

I removed the option choices and went with a conservative selection. If the terminal temperature is less than the insulation temperature then the overcurrent protective device (more than likely a circuit breaker) is selected based on the terminal temperature. The next higher or equal standard size device per Section 240.4(D) is selected unless the circuit supplies multiple receptacles. In this case the next lower or equal device is selected based on the terminal ampacity. The terminal ampacity is determined by the size of the conductor and the terminal temperature rating. This is now in the program. The NEC does not address this method explicitly but it is implied in several examples in the NEC handbook. Basically it says if the terminal temperature is lower than the insulation temperature treat the conductor as if it has the lower temperature rating, but derating can still be done with the ampacity at the higher conductor temperature as long as the conductor is not used at a greater (derated) ampacity than the terminal ampacity. That is what the calculator program is supposed to do, if it all works right. Every problem I have done with the program so far does this correctly.

On a lighter side, I just returned from taking the dog for a walk when not less than 300 feet from the house we jumped two moose. It has snowed about six inches in the last two days. The 800 foot driveway is now too deep for the car so we fired up the four wheel drive truck and made us a road. I haven’t had the drive way plowed all winter and I think I will keep on going this way. All the people that visit us have four wheel drive so that should not be a problem, but the fuel truck may have one. We are down to 8 inches of fuel in the tank. I went online and found a fuel tank calculator for free. You just enter the size of your tank and the inches of fuel and it gives you the gallons. We have about 44 gallons that should last another week before we call for fuel. I am going to put a wood stove in here next summer and maybe just forget about oil.