Scroll Top

11 Electrical Cable type You must Know !

11 Electrical Cable type You must Know !

Before you take on your next home wiring project, arm yourself with basic information about the electrical cable and wiring that you’re likely to see.

wire electrical cable basics

Electrical Cable Types: The Basics

The wire and cable aisle at your home center can be a pretty confusing place. We’ll teach you how to identify different electrical cable types and their uses, and how to determine the size of individual wires and their purposes. You’ll be able to cut through the confusion, get exactly what you need and ensure that your wiring is safe.

Even if you have years of wiring experience, there are always a few tricks you may not know. We worked with two master electricians to gather these tips for easier home electrical wiring.

wire cutters

Cable vs. Wire

People often use these terms interchangeably, but there’s a difference:

  • Cable is an assembly of two or more wires in a single jacket.
  • Wires are the individual insulated or bare conductors inside the jacket.
wire sizes gauge

Wire Gauge

Wires come in different sizes/gauges to work with the amperage of the circuit in which they’re used. It’s counterintuitive, but the larger the number, the smaller the wire.

The most common sizes you’ll find in residential work are 14-gauge and 12-gauge. Larger appliances such as electric stoves, electric water heaters, electric dryers and central air units will often use 10-, 8- or even 6-gauge wire.

If you’re adding an outlet, you need to use wire the same gauge as the existing wiring. How do you tell your old wiring gauge? Here’s a simple visual.

cable by the numbers

Cable by the Numbers

An electrical cable is classified by two numbers separated by a hyphen, such as 14-2. The first number denotes the conductor’s gauge; the second denotes the number of conductors inside the cable.

For instance, 14-2 has two 14-gauge conductors: a hot and a neutral. This cable also contains a bare copper wire as the ground. Individual conductors are also color-coded, which tells you their purpose in the circuit.

cables outer sheath color coding

Outer Sheath Color Coding

The color of a cable’s outer sheath tells you the gauge of the wire inside the sheath as well as the amperage rating for the circuit.

WHITE = 14-gauge wire, 15-amp circuit

YELLOW = 12-gauge wire, 20-amp circuit

ORANGE = 10-gauge wire, 30-amp circuit

BLACK = 8- or 6-gauge wire, 45- or 60-amp circuits. Check sheath labeling for gauge and circuit specifics.

GRAY = Underground cable. Since all UF (underground feeder) cable is gray, check the sheath labeling for gauge and circuit specifics.

Cords, Chargers and Cables
/

Not All Cable Is Color-Coded

Cable-sheath color coding started in 2001 and is still voluntary. If you have older wiring, don’t assume it complies with the current color coding. However, most manufacturers now follow the standard color code.

Wiring problems and mistakes are all too common, and if left uncorrected have the potential to cause short circuits, shocks and even fires.

wire color coding

Wire Color Coding

This code is standard for all conductors. The colors you’re most likely to find in your home are the following:

BLACK (OR RED) = HOT. Hot wires carry current from the panel to the device, which could be a switch, receptacle, light fixture or appliance. There are other colors for hot wires, but they’re much less common.

WHITE = NEUTRAL. Neutral wires carry the current back to the panel, completing the circuit.

BARE (OR GREEN) = GROUND. In the event of a ground fault, the ground wire provides a path for the fault current to return to the panel, opening the breaker or blowing the fuse and cutting off the flow of electricity.

nonmetallic cable

NM-B – Nonmetallic Cable

This is the most common type of electrical cable in homes built since the mid-’60s. “Nonmetallic” simply means that the outer jacket is not metal. It’s often referred to as Romex, which is a brand name. Typically, NM-B cable has either two conductors and a ground, or three conductors and a ground. The conductors are individually insulated, wrapped in paper and sheathed in plastic. Ground wires are either bare copper or insulated in green.

14-2 Used for general lighting and receptacle circuits. 15-amp circuit maximum.

14-3 Used for three-way switches and split receptacle circuits. 15-amp circuit maximum.

12-2 Used for 20-amp kitchen, bathroom, laundry and garage receptacles; 230-volt heating circuits up to 3,700 watts; and 115-volt circuits up to 1,800 watts. Can be used anywhere in place of 14-2.

12-3 Same uses as 12-2, with the addition of three-way switches and split receptacle circuits.

underground feeder cable

UF – Underground Feeder Cable

UF is used primarily to bring power to detached garages, outbuildings or outdoor lighting. The insulated conductors are molded into the sheathing. Depending on the situation, UF is either direct-buried or run in conduit. It must be protected from physical damage by conduit where it exits the ground and is exposed.

metal-clad cable

MC – Metal-Clad Cable

MC cable is common in unfinished areas where the cable would otherwise be exposed and subject to physical damage. It’s also sometimes used inside walls. A bare aluminum wire is in continuous contact with the metal sheathing. The combination of aluminum wire, sheathing and metal boxes grounds the circuit.

stranded wire vs solid wire

Stranded Wire vs. Solid

Stranded wire is more flexible than solid. If you’re pulling wire through conduit, stranded wire makes it easier to get around corners and bends in the conduit. However, if the situation requires pushing wires through conduit, you’ll want to use solid wire.

11 Electrical Cable type You must Know !

 

Standard Cable & Wire Sizes

IEC 60228 is the International Electrotechnical Commission’s international standard on conductors of insulated cables.   Among other things, it defines a set of standard wire cross-sections:

International standard wire sizes (IEC 60228)
0.5 mm² 0.75 mm² 1 mm² 1.5 mm² 2.5 mm² 4 mm²
6 mm² 10 mm² 16 mm² 25 mm² 35 mm² 50 mm²
70 mm² 95 mm² 120 mm² 150 mm² 185 mm² 240 mm²
300 mm² 400 mm² 500 mm² 630 mm² 800 mm² 1000 mm²

 

In the United States, wire sizes are commonly measured in American Wire Gauge (AW). Increasing AWG give decreasing cross sectional areas (the smallest AWG size being 50 and the largest 0000).

Metric AWG Conversion

Number strands/diameter
per strand
Approximate overall
diameter
mm² Awg Circ.Mils inch mm inch mm
0.5 987 1/.032 1/.813 0.032 0.81
20 1020 7/.0121 7/.307 0.036 0.91
0.75 1480 1/.039 1/.991 0.039 0.99
18 1620 1/.0403 1/1.02 0.04 1.02
18 1620 7/.0152 7/.386 0.046 1.16
1 1974 1/.045 1/1.14 0.045 1.14
1 1974 7/.017 7/.432 0.051 1.3
16 2580 1/.0508 1/1.29 0.051 1.29
16 2580 7/.0192 7/.488 0.058 1.46
1.5 2960 1/.055 1/1.40 0.055 1.4
1.5 2960 7/.021 7/.533 0.063 1.6
14 4110 1/.0641 1/1.63 0.064 1.63
14 4110 7/.0242 7/.615 0.073 1.84
2.5 4934 1/.071 1/1.80 0.071 1.8
2.5 4934 7/.027 7/.686 0.081 2.06
12 6530 1/.0808 1/2.05 0.081 2.05
12 6530 7/.0305 7/.775 0.092 2.32
4 7894 1/.089 1/2.26 0.089 2.26
4 7894 7/.034 7/.864 0.102 2.59
10 10380 1/.1019 1/2.59 0.102 2.59
10 10380 7/.0385 7/.978 0.116 2.93
6 11840 1/.109 1/2.77 0.109 2.77
6 11840 7/.042 7/1.07 0.126 3.21
9 13090 1/.1144 1/2.91 0.1144 2.91
9 13090 7/.0432 7/1.10 0.13 3.3
8 16510 1/.1285 1/3.26 0.128 3.26
8 16510 7/.0486 7/1.23 0.146 3.7
10 19740 1/.141 1/3.58 0.141 3.58
10 19740 7/.054 7/1.37 0.162 4.12
7 20820 1/.1443 1/3.67 0.144 3.67
7 20820 7/.0545 7/1.38 0.164 4.15
6 26240 1/.162 1/4.11 0.162 4.11
6 26240 7/.0612 7/1.55 0.184 4.66
16 31580 7/.068 7/1.73 0.204 5.18
5 33090 7/.0688 7/1.75 0.206 5.24
4 41740 7/.0772 7/1.96 0.232 5.88
25 49340 7/.085 7/2.16 0.255 6.48
25 49340 19/.052 19/1.32 0.26 6.6
3 52620 7/.0867 7/2.20 0.26 6.61
2 66360 7/.0974 7/2.47 0.292 7.42
35 69070 7/.100 7/2.54 0.3 7.62
35 69070 19/.061 19/1.55 0.305 7.75
1 83690 19/.0664 19/1.69 0.332 9.43
50 98680 19/.073 19/1.85 0.365 9.27
1/0 105600 19/.0745 19/1.89 0.373 9.46
2/0 133100 19/.0837 19/2.13 0.419 10.6
70 138100 19/.086 19/2.18 0.43 10.9
3/0 167800 19/.094 19/2.39 0.47 11.9
3/0 167800 37/.0673 37/1.71 0.471 12
95 187500 19/.101 19/2.57 0.505 12.8
95 187500 37/.072 37/1.83 0.504 12.8
4/0 211600 19/.1055 19/2.68 0.528 13.4
120 237.8mcm 37/.081 37/2.06 0.567 14.4
250mcm 37/.0822 37/2.09 0.575 14.6
150 300mcm 37/.090 37/2.29 0.63 16
350mcm 37/.0973 37/2.47 0.681 17.3
185 365.1mcm 37/.100 37/2.54 0.7 17.8
400mcm 37/.104 37/2.64 0.728 18.5
240 473.6mcm 37/.114 37/2.90 0.798 20.3
240 473.6mcm 61/.089 61/2.26 0.801 20.3
500mcm 37/.1162 37/2.95 0.813 20.7
500mcm 61/.0905 61/2.30 0.814 20.7
300 592.1mcm 61/.099 61/2.51 0.891 22.6
600mcm 61/.0992 61/2.52 0.893 22.7
700mcm 61/.1071 61/2.72 0.964 24.5
750mcm 61/.1109 61/2.82 0.998 25.4
750mcm 91/.0908 91/2.31 0.999 25.4
400 789.4mcm 61/.114 61/2.90 1.026 26.1
800mcm 61/.1145 61/2.91 1.031 26.2
800mcm 61/.0938 91/2.38 1.032 26.2
500 1000mcm 61/.1280 61/3.25 1.152 29.3
1000mcm 91/.1048 91/2.66 1.153 29.3
625 1233.7mcm 91/.117 91/2.97 1.287 32.7
1250mcm 91/.1172 91/2.98 1.289 32.7
1250mcm 127/.0992 127/2.52 1.29 32.8
1500mcm 91/.1284 91/3.26 1.412 35.9
1500mcm 127/.1087 127/2.76 1.413 35.9
800 1578.8mcm 91/.132 91/3.35 1.452 36.9
1000 1973.5mcm 91/.147 91/3.73 1.617 41.1
2000mcm 127/.1255 127/3.19 1.632 41.5
2000mcm 169/.1088 169/2.76 1.632 41.5

 

Definitions

  • Circ.Mils – cross sectional area in Circular Mils
  • Awg  – American Wire Gauge size
  • mm² – Metric Wire Size mm²

كيفية توصيل القواطع الكهربائية المنزلية

lightning
We are pleased to have you visit our pages on social networking sites, where we publish exclusive offers on our website.

 Facebook page here.

Twitter account is here.

Related Posts

Privacy Preferences
When you visit our website, it may store information through your browser from specific services, usually in form of cookies. Here you can change your privacy preferences. Please note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our website and the services we offer.