Was poking around my basement looking for paths to run new electrical
wire/circuits when I traced the wire for my central air.

2 things struck me as odd:

First is there appears to be about 40 feet extra wire in the run to my
outside a/c unit. My guess is that the compressor unit was moved from
one side of the house to another but whomever installed the unit on the
move didn't bother to shorten the run. So the wire runs along a joist
then suddenly enters a junction box and reverses course 20 feet back.

Secondly the wire that comes out of the breaker panel to the "halfway"
junction box is 12/2 (originally from 1967 builder) but the wire coming
out of the box that finishes the run to the a/c is 10/2 and is much newer.

A/c unit is 15 years old, 1.5 ton. Claims to be 19 amps start, 13 amps
nominal.

So my questions are this: is 12/2 actually acceptable, and is 12/2
acceptable for todays central air units as well (2 ton lets presume)?
Also is there some voltage drop from the extra 40 feet of wire that
could be costing me some money? Remember, in that 40 feet, 20 feet is
12 gauge and 20 feet is 10 gauge.

On 8/13/2012 8:42 PM, Duesenberg wrote:
....

... didn't bother to shorten the run. So the wire runs along a joist
then suddenly enters a junction box and reverses course 20 feet back.

Secondly the wire that comes out of the breaker panel to the "halfway"
junction box is 12/2 (originally from 1967 builder) but the wire coming
out of the box that finishes the run to the a/c is 10/2 and is much newer.

A/c unit is 15 years old, 1.5 ton. Claims to be 19 amps start, 13 amps
nominal.

So my questions are this: is 12/2 actually acceptable, and is 12/2
acceptable for todays central air units as well (2 ton lets presume)?
Also is there some voltage drop from the extra 40 feet of wire that
could be costing me some money? Remember, in that 40 feet, 20 feet is 12
gauge and 20 feet is 10 gauge.

12 is rated for 20A load so is ok _if_ it is on a 20A breaker. That's
conservative for the #10 which is 30A-rated for protection.

There's a tiny bit more voltage drop/ft in the 12 as compared to the 20
but you're not going to see it. I didn't bother to look it up but the
total 40-ft extra isn't going to be enough to matter.

As you noted, undoubtedly the run to the box was original and a run was
made from there to make the connection to the replacement unit. Neater
could have been to have made new home run, but not surprising it was
done as was. Again, other than checking the breaker rating, nothing
particularly unusual in rework for the situation described.

--

On Aug 13, 8:42*pm, Duesenberg wrote:
Was poking around my basement looking for paths to run new electrical
wire/circuits when I traced the wire for my central air.

2 things struck me as odd:

First is there appears to be about 40 feet extra wire in the run to my
outside a/c unit. *My guess is that the compressor unit was moved from
one side of the house to another but whomever installed the unit on the
move didn't bother to shorten the run. *So the wire runs along a joist
then suddenly enters a junction box and reverses course 20 feet back.

Secondly the wire that comes out of the breaker panel to the "halfway"
junction box is 12/2 (originally from 1967 builder) but the wire coming
out of the box that finishes the run to the a/c is 10/2 and is much newer..

A/c unit is 15 years old, 1.5 ton. Claims to be 19 amps start, 13 amps
nominal.

So my questions are this: is 12/2 actually acceptable, and is 12/2
acceptable for todays central air units as well (2 ton lets presume)?
Also is there some voltage drop from the extra 40 feet of wire that
could be costing me some money? *Remember, in that 40 feet, 20 feet is
12 gauge and 20 feet is 10 gauge.

You're ok. But, if it were me, I would shorten the 12 GA run as much
as possible and use as much of the 10GA as possible. SInce there is
already a junction box, you can move it to the most convenient spot
for maximizing the 10GA and minimizing the 12 GA. It would't make
more than a 1-2 % difference in your overall bill, but it's a little
less heat generated inside the house and a little more energy
delivered to the AC compressor, so why not?

On 8/13/2012 9:48 PM, hr(bob) wrote:
....

You're ok. But, if it were me, I would shorten the 12 GA run as much
as possible and use as much of the 10GA as possible. SInce there is
already a junction box, you can move it to the most convenient spot
for maximizing the 10GA and minimizing the 12 GA. It would't make
more than a 1-2 % difference in your overall bill, but it's a little
less heat generated inside the house and a little more energy
delivered to the AC compressor, so why not?

The full 40-ft length difference between #12 and #10 0.75% at rated
load so if he can get rid of half of it it's roughly has of that --
while theoretically it is a help, yes, it's so small as to be
essentially negligible. There's bound to be lots of other places to
effect far more significant savings.

Now, if the overall length of #12 is 100-ft and he goes back to the home
run; then it might be enough to _eventually_ pay for the wire over a few
years...

Just cutting out the kink in the run is a nicety but it won't be
noticeable other than the satisfaction of having done it and knowing
that have done...

--

Might be able to run the 12 ga all the way to the outdoor unit?

And then, the 10 gage heavier wire could go to the metal recycling place,
copper is worth money. As theives and goblins well know.

Real money savings is cleaning the outdoor unit so it runs more efficiently.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"dpb" wrote in message ...

The full 40-ft length difference between #12 and #10 0.75% at rated
load so if he can get rid of half of it it's roughly has of that --
while theoretically it is a help, yes, it's so small as to be
essentially negligible. There's bound to be lots of other places to
effect far more significant savings.

Now, if the overall length of #12 is 100-ft and he goes back to the home
run; then it might be enough to _eventually_ pay for the wire over a few
years...

Just cutting out the kink in the run is a nicety but it won't be
noticeable other than the satisfaction of having done it and knowing
that have done...

--

On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:48:16 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

On Aug 13, 8:42*pm, Duesenberg wrote:
Was poking around my basement looking for paths to run new electrical
wire/circuits when I traced the wire for my central air.

2 things struck me as odd:

First is there appears to be about 40 feet extra wire in the run to my
outside a/c unit. *My guess is that the compressor unit was moved from
one side of the house to another but whomever installed the unit on the
move didn't bother to shorten the run. *So the wire runs along a joist
then suddenly enters a junction box and reverses course 20 feet back.

Secondly the wire that comes out of the breaker panel to the "halfway"
junction box is 12/2 (originally from 1967 builder) but the wire coming
out of the box that finishes the run to the a/c is 10/2 and is much newer.

A/c unit is 15 years old, 1.5 ton. Claims to be 19 amps start, 13 amps
nominal.

So my questions are this: is 12/2 actually acceptable, and is 12/2
acceptable for todays central air units as well (2 ton lets presume)?
Also is there some voltage drop from the extra 40 feet of wire that
could be costing me some money? *Remember, in that 40 feet, 20 feet is
12 gauge and 20 feet is 10 gauge.

You're ok. But, if it were me, I would shorten the 12 GA run as much
as possible and use as much of the 10GA as possible. SInce there is
already a junction box, you can move it to the most convenient spot
for maximizing the 10GA and minimizing the 12 GA. It would't make
more than a 1-2 % difference in your overall bill, but it's a little
less heat generated inside the house and a little more energy
delivered to the AC compressor, so why not?

That would be my suggestion too. And if he ends up with only a small
amount of 12 GA, why not change it to 10 GA after moving the junction
box.

Of course I'm still left with the question. What size breaker is on it?
If it's a 20A, then the 12 GA is actually fine. If it's bigger, such as
a 25A or 30A, then that 12 GA wire is too small. The OP did not say the
breaker size.

19A starting, is below 20A, but barely.
If the breaker is 20A, he could just leave it too, or clean it up just
to look better and maybe get a very slight better voltage to the unit
when starting. If it was mine, I'd clean it up, and I'd save as much 10
GA as possible.

On 8/14/2012 1:44 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:48:16 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

On Aug 13, 8:42 pm, Duesenberg wrote:
Was poking around my basement looking for paths to run new electrical
wire/circuits when I traced the wire for my central air.

2 things struck me as odd:

First is there appears to be about 40 feet extra wire in the run to my
outside a/c unit. My guess is that the compressor unit was moved from
one side of the house to another but whomever installed the unit on the
move didn't bother to shorten the run. So the wire runs along a joist
then suddenly enters a junction box and reverses course 20 feet back.

Secondly the wire that comes out of the breaker panel to the "halfway"
junction box is 12/2 (originally from 1967 builder) but the wire coming
out of the box that finishes the run to the a/c is 10/2 and is much newer.

A/c unit is 15 years old, 1.5 ton. Claims to be 19 amps start, 13 amps
nominal.

So my questions are this: is 12/2 actually acceptable, and is 12/2
acceptable for todays central air units as well (2 ton lets presume)?
Also is there some voltage drop from the extra 40 feet of wire that
could be costing me some money? Remember, in that 40 feet, 20 feet is
12 gauge and 20 feet is 10 gauge.

You're ok. But, if it were me, I would shorten the 12 GA run as much
as possible and use as much of the 10GA as possible. SInce there is
already a junction box, you can move it to the most convenient spot
for maximizing the 10GA and minimizing the 12 GA. It would't make
more than a 1-2 % difference in your overall bill, but it's a little
less heat generated inside the house and a little more energy
delivered to the AC compressor, so why not?

That would be my suggestion too. And if he ends up with only a small
amount of 12 GA, why not change it to 10 GA after moving the junction
box.

Of course I'm still left with the question. What size breaker is on it?
If it's a 20A, then the 12 GA is actually fine. If it's bigger, such as
a 25A or 30A, then that 12 GA wire is too small. The OP did not say the
breaker size.

19A starting, is below 20A, but barely.
If the breaker is 20A, he could just leave it too, or clean it up just
to look better and maybe get a very slight better voltage to the unit
when starting. If it was mine, I'd clean it up, and I'd save as much 10
GA as possible.


Can't change all the 12 to 10 easily. I can remove 20 of the 45' of 12
gauge, put in the junction then run the 10 gauge after the junction to
the a/c. Too much drywall and stucco ceiling to rip out the 12 guage
left from the panel to the new junction box location.

It'll be easier to start from 10 guage at the panel and make the run
from that, which I'll consider when it comes time to replace the
condenser unit.

Breaker is 30 amp, indeed, but there is an outdoor disconnect that has
fuses. When it stops raining i'll check to see the ratings on those fuses.

Will also see if I can find the built in disconnect ratings from my unit.

As it stands, I'll most likely leave things alone until next air
conditioner purchase, whihc hopefully won't be for a long time... Was
asking these questions out of curiosity more than anything...

On Aug 14, 3:15*pm, Duesenberg wrote:
On 8/14/2012 1:44 AM, wrote:





On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:48:16 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

On Aug 13, 8:42 pm, Duesenberg wrote:
Was poking around my basement looking for paths to run new electrical
wire/circuits when I traced the wire for my central air.

2 things struck me as odd:

First is there appears to be about 40 feet extra wire in the run to my
outside a/c unit. *My guess is that the compressor unit was moved from
one side of the house to another but whomever installed the unit on the
move didn't bother to shorten the run. *So the wire runs along a joist
then suddenly enters a junction box and reverses course 20 feet back.

Secondly the wire that comes out of the breaker panel to the "halfway"
junction box is 12/2 (originally from 1967 builder) but the wire coming
out of the box that finishes the run to the a/c is 10/2 and is much newer.

A/c unit is 15 years old, 1.5 ton. Claims to be 19 amps start, 13 amps
nominal.

So my questions are this: is 12/2 actually acceptable, and is 12/2
acceptable for todays central air units as well (2 ton lets presume)?
Also is there some voltage drop from the extra 40 feet of wire that
could be costing me some money? *Remember, in that 40 feet, 20 feet is
12 gauge and 20 feet is 10 gauge.

You're ok. *But, if it were me, I would shorten the 12 GA run as much
as possible and use as much of the 10GA as possible. *SInce there is
already a junction box, you can move it to the most convenient spot
for maximizing the 10GA and minimizing the 12 GA. *It would't make
more than a 1-2 % difference in your overall bill, but it's a little
less heat generated inside the house and a little more energy
delivered to the AC compressor, so why not?

That would be my suggestion too. *And if he ends up with only a small
amount of 12 GA, why not change it to 10 GA after moving the junction
box.

Of course I'm still left with the question. *What size breaker is on it?
If it's a 20A, then the 12 GA is actually fine. *If it's bigger, such as
a 25A or 30A, then that 12 GA wire is too small. *The OP did not say the
breaker size.

19A starting, is below 20A, but barely.
If the breaker is 20A, he could just leave it too, or clean it up just
to look better and maybe get a very slight better voltage to the unit
when starting. *If it was mine, I'd clean it up, and I'd save as much 10
GA as possible.

Can't change all the 12 to 10 easily. I can remove 20 of the 45' of 12
gauge, put in the junction then run the 10 gauge after the junction to
the a/c. *Too much drywall and stucco ceiling to rip out the 12 guage
left from the panel to the new junction box location.

It'll be easier to start from 10 guage at the panel and make the run
from that, which I'll consider when it comes time to replace the
condenser unit.

Breaker is 30 amp, indeed, but there is an outdoor disconnect that has
fuses. *When it stops raining i'll check to see the ratings on those fuses.

Will also see if I can find the built in disconnect ratings from my unit.

As it stands, I'll most likely leave things alone until next air
conditioner purchase, whihc hopefully won't be for a long time... * Was
asking these questions out of curiosity more than anything...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Where do you live that has rain, we have had 0.3 inches in the last 4
weeks, just W of Chicago. Corn and lawns are dead.

On 8/14/2012 9:36 PM, hr(bob) wrote:



Where do you live that has rain, we have had 0.3 inches in the last 4
weeks, just W of Chicago. Corn and lawns are dead.


Hour west of Toronto. Went 45 maybe even 50, but for sure 45 days
without rain, and now we've had 4 in a row with. Grass is green again,
but alot of crops will get this rain too late. Even had warning out
about the "rivers might be too flowing too fast so keep an eye on the
kids" from the local water and conservation authorities...

Calling for rain on Friday again...

Duesenberg wrote:
On 8/14/2012 1:44 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:48:16 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote:

On Aug 13, 8:42 pm, Duesenberg wrote:
Was poking around my basement looking for paths to run new electrical
wire/circuits when I traced the wire for my central air.

2 things struck me as odd:

First is there appears to be about 40 feet extra wire in the run to my
outside a/c unit. My guess is that the compressor unit was moved from
one side of the house to another but whomever installed the unit on the
move didn't bother to shorten the run. So the wire runs along a joist
then suddenly enters a junction box and reverses course 20 feet back.

Secondly the wire that comes out of the breaker panel to the "halfway"
junction box is 12/2 (originally from 1967 builder) but the wire coming
out of the box that finishes the run to the a/c is 10/2 and is much newer.

A/c unit is 15 years old, 1.5 ton. Claims to be 19 amps start, 13 amps
nominal.

So my questions are this: is 12/2 actually acceptable, and is 12/2
acceptable for todays central air units as well (2 ton lets presume)?
Also is there some voltage drop from the extra 40 feet of wire that
could be costing me some money? Remember, in that 40 feet, 20 feet is
12 gauge and 20 feet is 10 gauge.

You're ok. But, if it were me, I would shorten the 12 GA run as much
as possible and use as much of the 10GA as possible. SInce there is
already a junction box, you can move it to the most convenient spot
for maximizing the 10GA and minimizing the 12 GA. It would't make
more than a 1-2 % difference in your overall bill, but it's a little
less heat generated inside the house and a little more energy
delivered to the AC compressor, so why not?

That would be my suggestion too. And if he ends up with only a small
amount of 12 GA, why not change it to 10 GA after moving the junction
box.

Of course I'm still left with the question. What size breaker is on it?
If it's a 20A, then the 12 GA is actually fine. If it's bigger, such as
a 25A or 30A, then that 12 GA wire is too small. The OP did not say the
breaker size.

19A starting, is below 20A, but barely.
If the breaker is 20A, he could just leave it too, or clean it up just
to look better and maybe get a very slight better voltage to the unit
when starting. If it was mine, I'd clean it up, and I'd save as much 10
GA as possible.


Can't change all the 12 to 10 easily. I can remove 20 of the 45' of 12
gauge, put in the junction then run the 10 gauge after the junction to
the a/c. Too much drywall and stucco ceiling to rip out the 12 guage
left from the panel to the new junction box location.

It'll be easier to start from 10 guage at the panel and make the run from
that, which I'll consider when it comes time to replace the condenser unit.

Breaker is 30 amp, indeed, but there is an outdoor disconnect that has
fuses. When it stops raining i'll check to see the ratings on those fuses.

Will also see if I can find the built in disconnect ratings from my unit.

As it stands, I'll most likely leave things alone until next air
conditioner purchase, whihc hopefully won't be for a long time... Was
asking these questions out of curiosity more than anything...

In any case, the current breaker should be 20 amps. If you do install all
10 gauge, it's likely you can still use a 20 amp breaker. Wow, my 3.5 ton
unit is drawing 6 Amps only, and a 20 amp breaker is stated.

Greg

On Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:15:00 -0400, Duesenberg wrote:

Can't change all the 12 to 10 easily. I can remove 20 of the 45' of 12
gauge, put in the junction then run the 10 gauge after the junction to
the a/c. Too much drywall and stucco ceiling to rip out the 12 guage
left from the panel to the new junction box location.

It'll be easier to start from 10 guage at the panel and make the run
from that, which I'll consider when it comes time to replace the
condenser unit.

Breaker is 30 amp, indeed, but there is an outdoor disconnect that has
fuses. When it stops raining i'll check to see the ratings on those fuses.

Will also see if I can find the built in disconnect ratings from my unit.

As it stands, I'll most likely leave things alone until next air
conditioner purchase, whihc hopefully won't be for a long time... Was
asking these questions out of curiosity more than anything...

If the breaker is a 30A, 12 GA wire is too small. Personally, I would
not leave it. Either change the wire to all 10 GA, or change the
breaker to a 20A. If there's nothing else connected to that line,
you're probably safe as far as fires, but legally, you are under rated
on that wire. It's not just about fire safety, but about protecting the
motor of the AC. Any motor that has to work too hard to start, will
burn out sooner. It's similar to someone trying to use a heavy duty
power tool on a 100 foot 18 GA extension cord. The tool will run, but
slower than normal and it's life will be shortened.

Sometimes you can be lucky and tape new wire to the old stuff and pull
it thru sheetrocked walls and ceilings. Depends on how it was stapled.

If nothing else, remove as much of the 12 GA as possible. The shorter
distance helps.

If a 20A breaker trips, you will know that it's drawing more power.

On Aug 15, 3:13*am, wrote:
On Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:15:00 -0400, Duesenberg wrote:
Can't change all the 12 to 10 easily. I can remove 20 of the 45' of 12
gauge, put in the junction then run the 10 gauge after the junction to
the a/c. *Too much drywall and stucco ceiling to rip out the 12 guage
left from the panel to the new junction box location.

It'll be easier to start from 10 guage at the panel and make the run
from that, which I'll consider when it comes time to replace the
condenser unit.

Breaker is 30 amp, indeed, but there is an outdoor disconnect that has
fuses. *When it stops raining i'll check to see the ratings on those fuses.

Will also see if I can find the built in disconnect ratings from my unit..

As it stands, I'll most likely leave things alone until next air
conditioner purchase, whihc hopefully won't be for a long time... * Was
asking these questions out of curiosity more than anything...

If the breaker is a 30A, 12 GA wire is too small. *Personally, I would
not leave it. *Either change the wire to all 10 GA, or change the
breaker to a 20A.

As gfretw has explained several times now that
would be true if this were a general purpose branch
circuit. It's not. It's an AC unit, in which case the
circuit amps and breaker sizing must conform to
the manufacturer's requirements. That's because
these types of loads can have high starting currents
and they also have their own additional over
current protection in the eqpt.



*If there's nothing else connected to that line,
you're probably safe as far as fires, but legally, you are under rated
on that wire.

Not true. It is perfectly premissible as long as
it conforms to the manufacturer's reqts. And it
sounds like it very likely does.


*It's not just about fire safety, but about protecting the
motor of the AC. *Any motor that has to work too hard to start, will
burn out sooner. *It's similar to someone trying to use a heavy duty
power tool on a 100 foot 18 GA extension cord. *The tool will run, but
slower than normal and it's life will be shortened.

Sometimes you can be lucky and tape new wire to the old stuff and pull
it thru sheetrocked walls and ceilings. *Depends on how it was stapled.

If nothing else, remove as much of the 12 GA as possible. *The shorter
distance helps.

If a 20A breaker trips, you will know that it's drawing more power.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It probably will trip, but it's meaningless as many AC
units that are properly installed would trip the breaker
during start-up if the breaker was sized according
to the rules for regular branch circuits.

On Tue, 14 Aug 2012 02:14:22 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:44:05 -0500, wrote:

If it's bigger, such as
a 25A or 30A, then that 12 GA wire is too small. The OP did not say the
breaker size.

Not true at all on an air conditioner. That is why I did not want to
get into article 440. It makes people's head hurt.

The real answer is not in article 240.4(D) where that 12ga = 20a comes
from. You really need to read the label on the condenser and use
310.16 to size the wire.

Not to be a smartass, but I can only guess you're referring to articles
in the NEC code book. This is almost as bad as people who quote the
bible in religious topics, since there are hundreds of different bibles.
Which one are they referring to? I can only assume the code book you
have is the latest edition????

I understand that the NEC code book is available online (somewhere). It
sure would help if you'd simply quote the actual text of the article.
Not all of us have these books, and those of us who do, may not have the
latest edition. Unless we're in the biz, it's not something the average
homeowner has on hand, or updates every edition.

On Aug 14, 6:26*am, wrote:
On Tue, 14 Aug 2012 02:14:22 -0400, wrote:
On Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:44:05 -0500, wrote:

If it's bigger, such as
a 25A or 30A, then that 12 GA wire is too small. *The OP did not say the
breaker size.

Not true at all on an air conditioner. That is why I did not want to
get into article 440. It makes people's head hurt.

The real answer is not in article 240.4(D) where that 12ga = 20a comes
from. You really need to read the label on the condenser and use
310.16 to size the wire.

Not to be a smartass, but I can only guess you're referring to articles
in the NEC code book. *This is almost as bad as people who quote the
bible in religious topics, since there are hundreds of different bibles.
Which one are they referring to? *I can only assume the code book you
have is the latest edition????

I understand that the NEC code book is available online (somewhere). *It
sure would help if you'd simply quote the actual text of the article.
Not all of us have these books, and those of us who do, may not have the
latest edition. *Unless we're in the biz, it's not something the average
homeowner has on hand, or updates every edition.

You can access the NEC online for free. And because
it's complicated, that's why he didn't explain it. Basicly,
as he said, the eqpt specifies the min/max breaker and the min circuit
amps. I have a 5 ton that has a 50 amp
breaker, could use up to at least 60 with a circuit
that has 8 gauge wire. That's because the starting
current is a lot higher than the run current and the
eqpt has it's own overload protection.

Last time I put in a central air, 2 tons needs 12 gage, and 2 1/2 tons
needed 10 gage.

Of course, that was with a rotary compressor.

If memory serves 10 gage will handle 30 amp load, 12 gage will handle 20 amp
load, and 14 gage will handle 15 amps.

Shorter is good, less line loss. You can always have an electrician shorten
that wire. Also have a HVAC pro come out to clean the outdoor unit, and
check the freon level. The HVAC guy may have the skills to shorten the wire.
Keep the 10 gage, and shorten the 12.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Duesenberg" wrote in message
...
Was poking around my basement looking for paths to run new electrical
wire/circuits when I traced the wire for my central air.

2 things struck me as odd:

First is there appears to be about 40 feet extra wire in the run to my
outside a/c unit. My guess is that the compressor unit was moved from
one side of the house to another but whomever installed the unit on the
move didn't bother to shorten the run. So the wire runs along a joist
then suddenly enters a junction box and reverses course 20 feet back.

Secondly the wire that comes out of the breaker panel to the "halfway"
junction box is 12/2 (originally from 1967 builder) but the wire coming
out of the box that finishes the run to the a/c is 10/2 and is much newer.

A/c unit is 15 years old, 1.5 ton. Claims to be 19 amps start, 13 amps
nominal.

So my questions are this: is 12/2 actually acceptable, and is 12/2
acceptable for todays central air units as well (2 ton lets presume)?
Also is there some voltage drop from the extra 40 feet of wire that
could be costing me some money? Remember, in that 40 feet, 20 feet is
12 gauge and 20 feet is 10 gauge.