Q: I have two identical pieces of equipment connected to a panel. One uses #12 wire and the other uses #10 wire. Why are they different?

A: Design Master Electrical has an option to automatically upsize branch circuit wires from #12 wire to #10 if they exceed a certain length. The default value is 75′, but you can change that.

To change the length, use the Options command.

In the Circuits, Load Types, and Wire Sizes section, find the Upsize #12 to #10 wire length option. To prevent wire sizes from being upsized automatically, enter a larger number in the field provided.

The Show #10 on homerun when wires upsized option in the same section controls whether the upsized wire is displayed on homeruns. When this is set to Yes, a #10 is inserted for the wire callout. The tick marks are inserted normally. When this is set to No, no notation is made on the homerun that these wires have been upsized.