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Originally Posted by KnightElite
Yeah, I use 8AWG wire for my TEC, and it doesn't get hot, but the solder joints from it to the tiny leads coming out from the TEC, and those leads themselves, get quite toasty during operation. Looks like a good idea.
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Another reason is to avoid disaster in case of a short circuit. The larger gauge wire will heat up, but it won't explode like a fuse, or turn red hot and drip molten insulation.
FWIW, I got a
MFJ-4245MV (9 to 16 Volts, 40 Amps @ 13.8 V) for experimentation. The voltage adjustment circuit is trivial (schematics are in the user manual), so I'm planning to add a constant temperature control circuit to it. The other "real" supplies are still on order.
Oh, and I picked up an
Ameritron ICP-120 Inrush Protector so I don't blow fuses on power-up until I can hire an electrician to wire some high current AC circuits. The ICP-120 limits the power-up inrush to 12 Amps, which dims the light, but doesn't force another trip to the panel.