CURRENT CARRYING CAPACITY*
Chromel® "A" WIRE
Amps to Heat STRAIGHT Wire in Air to:

Temperature °C 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100
°F 392 572 752 932 1112 1292 1472 1652 1832 2012
B&S Diameter
Gage Inches
1 0.2890 77 105 132 163 200 240 287 336 386 437
2 0.2580 64 88 111 137 168 203 242 284 327 309
3 0.2290 54 74 93 115 141 171 203 238 273 309
4 0.2040 45 62.5 73 96 118 143 171 199 230 260
5 0.1820 38.5 53.0 67.0 82.0 100.0 121.0 144.0 168.0 193.0 219.0
6 0.1620 32.0 44.0 55.5 68.5 83.5 101.0 120.0 141.0 162.0 183.0
7 0.1440 27.0 37.0 46.5 57.5 70.0 84.5 101.0 119.0 137.0 154.0
8 0.1280 22.0 31.0 38.5 48.0 59.0 71.0 84.5 99.0 114.0 129.0
9 0.1140 18.5 26.0 32.5 40.5 49.5 60.0 71.5 83.5 96.5 109.0
10 0.1020 16.0 22.5 28.5 35.0 42.0 50.5 60.5 71.0 82.0 93.0
11 0.0910 13.6 18.3 23.3 29.0 35.6 42.7 51.0 60.0 69.0 78.5
12 0.0810 11.4 15.5 19.5 24.4 30.4 36.8 43.5 50.5 58.0 66.0
13 0.0720 9.6 13.1 16.6 20.7 25.6 30.8 36.6 42.8 49.2 56.0
14 0.0640 8.3 11.2 14.1 17.4 21.3 25.8 30.9 36.2 41.5 47.0
15 0.0570 7.1 9.6 12.1 14.9 18.2 21.9 26.0 30.7 35.0 39.4
16 0.0510 6.30 8.35 10.30 12.70 15.40 18.70 22.40 26.00 30.10 33.90
17 0.0450 5.45 7.20 9.00 10.90 13.20 15.80 18.80 22.00 25.20 28.30
18 0.0400 4.75 6.30 7.80 9.40 11.20 13.30 15.80 18.50 21.20 23.90
19 0.0360 4.20 5.65 6.25 8.20 9.70 11.50 13.60 15.90 18.30 20.60
20 0.0320 3.75 4.90 6.00 7.10 8.40 9.90 11.60 13.50 15.60 17.60
21 0.0285 3.30 4.20 5.05 6.05 7.20 8.50 9.95 11.50 13.20 14.90
22 0.0253 2.90 3.65 4.30 5.17 6.25 7.40 8.65 9.95 11.30 12.70
23 0.0226 2.55 3.25 3.85 4.55 5.40 6.40 7.45 8.60 9.80 11.00
24 0.0201 2.18 2.80 3.30 3.90 4.65 5.50 6.40 7.40 8.40 9.50
25 0.0179 1.90 2.45 2.90 3.35 3.95 4.70 5.50 6.35 7.25 8.10
26 0.0159 1.65 2.09 2.49 2.95 3.50 4.09 4.77 5.45 6.20 7.00
27 0.0142 1.42 1.78 2.14 2.57 3.04 3.56 4.15 4.75 5.40 6.00
28 0.0126 1.23 1.56 1.86 2.32 2.64 3.08 3.58 4.08 4.60 5.15
29 0.0113 1.07 1.37 1.65 1.97 2.23 2.70 3.13 3.57 4.02 4.47
30 0.0100 0.91 1.16 1.40 1.68 1.98 2.31 2.67 3.03 3.40 3.77
31 0.0089 0.76 1.00 1.20 1.50 1.70 2.00 2.30 2.60 2.91 3.21
32 0.0080 0.67 0.88 1.10 1.30 1.50 1.70 2.00 2.25 2.52 2.78
33 0.0071 0.58 0.77 0.95 1.10 1.30 1.50 1.70 1.94 2.16 2.36
34 0.0063 0.49 0.66 0.79 0.95 1.10 1.30 1.50 1.65 1.83 2.00
35 0.0056 0.42 0.56 0.69 0.82 0.96 1.10 1.27 1.42 1.57 1.72
36 0.0050 0.37 0.50 0.60 0.72 0.84 0.97 1.10 1.22 1.30 1.50
37 0.0045 0.34 0.45 0.54 0.64 0.74 0.84 0.95 1.06 1.20 1.30
38 0.0040 0.29 0.40 0.48 0.56 0.65 0.73 0.82 0.91 1.00 1.10
39 0.0035 0.25 0.35 0.41 0.47 0.54 0.62 0.69 0.77 0.85 0.93
40 0.0031 0.24 0.30 0.35 0.41 0.47 0.53 0.59 0.66 0.73 0.80

  • Current ratings are for thoroughly oxidized wire, but for temperatures below 800°F may also be used for bright wire.

  • For Chromel® "C", the current value in this table must be reduced by 2% to 5%, because of the higher specific resistance and higher temperature coefficient of resistance of Chromel® "C"

  • Chromel® registered Trademark of Hoskins Mfg.

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