NEC Table 430.248 & 430.250
Motor Full-Load Current Chart (NEC 430.248 & 430.250)
Single-phase and three-phase motor full-load current (FLC), straight from NEC Tables 430.248 and 430.250. Use these table values, not the nameplate, to size the branch circuit.
Motor FLC Tables (NEC 430.248 & 430.250)
| HP | 115V | 208V | 230V |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/6 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| 1/4 | 5.8 | 3.2 | 2.9 |
| 1/3 | 7.2 | 4 | 3.6 |
| 1/2 | 9.8 | 5.4 | 4.9 |
| 3/4 | 13.8 | 7.6 | 6.9 |
| 1 | 16 | 8.8 | 8 |
| 1-1/2 | 20 | 11 | 10 |
| 2 | 24 | 13.2 | 12 |
| 3 | 34 | 18.7 | 17 |
| 5 | 56 | 30.8 | 28 |
| 7-1/2 | 80 | 44 | 40 |
| 10 | 100 | 55 | 50 |
| HP | 208V | 230V | 460V | 575V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| 3/4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| 1 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
| 1-1/2 | 6.6 | 6 | 3 | 2.4 |
| 2 | 7.5 | 6.8 | 3.4 | 2.7 |
| 3 | 10.6 | 9.6 | 4.8 | 3.9 |
| 5 | 16.7 | 15.2 | 7.6 | 6.1 |
| 7-1/2 | 24.2 | 22 | 11 | 9 |
| 10 | 30.8 | 28 | 14 | 11 |
| 15 | 46.2 | 42 | 21 | 17 |
| 20 | 59.4 | 54 | 27 | 22 |
| 25 | 74.8 | 68 | 34 | 27 |
| 30 | 88 | 80 | 40 | 32 |
| 40 | 114 | 104 | 52 | 41 |
| 50 | 143 | 130 | 65 | 52 |
| 60 | 169 | 154 | 77 | 62 |
| 75 | 211 | 192 | 96 | 77 |
| 100 | 273 | 248 | 124 | 99 |
| 125 | 343 | 312 | 156 | 125 |
| 150 | 396 | 360 | 180 | 144 |
| 200 | 528 | 480 | 240 | 192 |
Full-load current in amperes. The three-phase 115V column exists only through 2 HP in NEC Table 430.250. These are the standard table values used for branch-circuit sizing; a design may use a higher listed motor current where marked, per NEC 430.6(A)(1).
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How to Size a Motor Branch Circuit
A motor circuit is sized differently from an ordinary load, and it turns on one rule that trips people up: you size the circuit from the NEC table full-load current, not the motor nameplate. NEC 430.6(A)(1) says the values in Tables 430.247 through 430.250 determine the conductor ampacity, the disconnect, and the branch-circuit short-circuit and ground-fault protective device. The nameplate full-load amps (FLA) is used only to size the running-overload device (430.6(A)(2) and 430.32).
From the table FLC, the branch circuit has two independent parts. The conductor is sized so its ampacity is at least 125% of the FLC (NEC 430.22). The short-circuit/ground-fault breaker may be sized up to 250% of the FLC for a standard inverse-time breaker (NEC 430.52 and Table 430.52), rounded up to the next standard size if needed to let the motor start (430.52(C)(1) Exception 1). That is why a motor circuit legally shows a small conductor under a large breaker: the conductor is protected from sustained overload by the separate overload device (430.32), and motor conductors are exempt from the 240.4(D) small-conductor limit via 240.4(G). The tables below apply these rules to the table FLC.
Motor Branch-Circuit Sizing (Conductor & Breaker)
| HP | FLC (A) | Min. conductor (75°C Cu) | Max. inverse-time breaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/6 | 2.2 | #14 | 15A |
| 1/4 | 2.9 | #14 | 15A |
| 1/3 | 3.6 | #14 | 15A |
| 1/2 | 4.9 | #14 | 15A |
| 3/4 | 6.9 | #14 | 20A |
| 1 | 8 | #14 | 20A |
| 1-1/2 | 10 | #14 | 25A |
| 2 | 12 | #14 | 30A |
| 3 | 17 | #12 | 45A |
| 5 | 28 | #10 | 70A |
| 7-1/2 | 40 | #8 | 100A |
| 10 | 50 | #6 | 125A |
| HP | FLC (A) | Min. conductor (75°C Cu) | Max. inverse-time breaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 1.1 | #14 | 15A |
| 3/4 | 1.6 | #14 | 15A |
| 1 | 2.1 | #14 | 15A |
| 1-1/2 | 3 | #14 | 15A |
| 2 | 3.4 | #14 | 15A |
| 3 | 4.8 | #14 | 15A |
| 5 | 7.6 | #14 | 20A |
| 7-1/2 | 11 | #14 | 30A |
| 10 | 14 | #14 | 35A |
| 15 | 21 | #10 | 60A |
| 20 | 27 | #10 | 70A |
| 25 | 34 | #8 | 90A |
| 30 | 40 | #8 | 100A |
| 40 | 52 | #6 | 150A |
| 50 | 65 | #4 | 175A |
| 60 | 77 | #3 | 200A |
| 75 | 96 | #1 | 250A |
| 100 | 124 | #2/0 | 350A |
| 125 | 156 | #3/0 | 400A |
| 150 | 180 | #4/0 | 450A |
| 200 | 240 | 350 kcmil | 600A |
Conductor is the smallest 75°C copper wire whose Table 310.16 ampacity meets 125% of the FLC (valid for THHN/THWN-2 on 75°C terminals); NM-B cable is limited to the 60°C column. The breaker shown is the maximum permitted short-circuit/ground-fault device; a smaller standard size is used when the motor will start on it. Overload protection is separate and sized from the nameplate (430.32).
Worked Example
10 HP, 460V, three-phase motor
Table 430.250 FLC = 14A. Conductor = 14 × 1.25 = 17.5A. Breaker = 14 × 2.5 = 35A.
The conductor needs 17.5A of ampacity, so #14 copper (20A at 75°C) works. The maximum inverse-time breaker is 35A, which is a standard size. So the branch circuit is #14 copper on a 35A breaker, with the overload device set from the nameplate (about 125% of nameplate FLA). If you had (wrongly) sized from a nameplate reading of, say, 13A, you would get a different, non-code result. The table value governs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the full-load current of a 1 HP motor?
Per NEC Table 430.248, a single-phase 1 HP motor is 16A at 115V and 8A at 230V. Per NEC Table 430.250, a three-phase 1 HP motor is 4.2A at 230V, 2.1A at 460V, and 1.7A at 575V. Use these table values, not the nameplate amps, to size the branch-circuit conductors and the short-circuit/ground-fault breaker (NEC 430.6(A)(1)).
Do I use the nameplate amps or the NEC table to size a motor circuit?
Use the NEC table. NEC 430.6(A)(1) requires the values in Tables 430.247 through 430.250 to size the branch-circuit conductors, the ampacity, the disconnect, and the short-circuit/ground-fault protective device. The motor nameplate full-load amps (FLA) is used only to size the running-overload device, per 430.6(A)(2) and 430.32. This is the single most common motor-circuit mistake.
What size wire and breaker for a 10 HP three-phase motor at 460V?
A 10 HP, 460V, three-phase motor has a table full-load current of 14A (NEC Table 430.250). The branch-circuit conductor is sized at 125% of FLC = 17.5A, which is #14 copper at the 75°C column. The maximum inverse-time breaker is 250% of FLC = 35A (NEC 430.52, Table 430.52). So #14 copper on a 35A breaker, with the overload device set from the nameplate. The small #14 conductor under a 35A breaker is code-correct because motor conductors are exempt from the 240.4(D) small-conductor rule (240.4(G)); the overload device protects the wire, not the breaker.
Why is the motor breaker so much bigger than the wire ampacity?
A motor draws several times its running current for a moment at startup (locked-rotor / inrush). NEC 430.52 lets the branch-circuit short-circuit/ground-fault breaker be sized up to 250% of the full-load current (inverse-time type) so it does not trip on that inrush. The conductor is only sized to 125% of FLC (430.22) and is protected against sustained overload by the separate overload device (430.32), not by the branch breaker. That is why you see a small conductor under a large breaker on a motor circuit, and why motor conductors are exempt from the 240.4(D) small-conductor limit via 240.4(G).
What is the full-load current of a 5 HP single-phase motor at 230V?
Per NEC Table 430.248, a 5 HP single-phase motor at 230V has a full-load current of 28A (56A at 115V). Sized to 125%, the conductor ampacity is 35A, which is #10 copper at 75°C, and the maximum inverse-time breaker is 70A per NEC 430.52.
Are the NEC motor FLC tables the same in the 2017, 2020, and 2023 editions?
Yes. The full-load current values in NEC Tables 430.248 (single-phase) and 430.250 (three-phase) have not changed across the 2017, 2020, and 2023 editions of NFPA 70. The section numbers for the sizing rules (430.6, 430.22, 430.32, 430.52) are also unchanged.
How do I size motor overload protection?
Overload protection is sized from the motor nameplate full-load amps (FLA), not the NEC table. Per NEC 430.32(A)(1), a continuous-duty motor over 1 HP uses 125% of nameplate FLA when the motor has a marked service factor of 1.15 or higher, or a marked temperature rise of 40°C or less; otherwise 115%. This overload device, separate from the branch-circuit breaker, is what protects the motor and conductor from a sustained overload.
Related Calculators & Charts
Wire Ampacity Chart (310.16)
The copper and aluminum ampacity table the motor conductor is sized from, at 60, 75, and 90°C.
Wire Size for a Well Pump
The most common single-phase motor branch circuit, worked all the way through with the same rules.
Standard Breaker Sizes (240.6)
The standard OCPD ratings the motor breaker is rounded up to under 430.52 Exception 1.
Have the FLC. Now size the whole circuit.
The wire size calculator sizes any conductor for a load and picks the protecting breaker, and the well-pump and air-compressor pages walk a real motor branch circuit end to end.