Conductor types
Wire and cable connects allows the safe transport of electricity between all of the different components of an electrical system. Wire refers to a single conductor whereas cable contains various different conductors within an additional layer of insulation. The proper size of wire for a cirucit depends upon:
- Wire ampacity - which is the amount of current that it can safely carry under the conditions without overheating.
- Voltage drop - which is the percentage of voltage that is lost when the circuit is operating.
Wires for use in electrical systems are made of copper or aluminum, but for offgrid applications copper is almost universally used as it can carry more current for the same wire size and is more flexible.
Color!!!!!!!!!!!!
Contents
Size
Wires come in standard sizes that are linked to the amount of current that they can safely carry (see wire ampacity). The two most common standards for wire size are American Wire Gauge (AWG) and mm². These two systems are not directly equivalent.
| Standard AWG | Metric equivalent | Standard metric equivalent (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 18AWG | .82mm² | 1mm² |
| 16 AWG | 1.31mm² | 1.5mm² |
| 14 AWG | 2.08mm² | 2.5mm² |
| 12AWG | 3.31mm² | 4mm² |
| 10 AWG | 5.26mm² | 6mm² |
| 8 AWG | 8.37mm² | 10mm² |
| 6 AWG | 13.3mm² | 16mm² |
| 4 AWG | 21.2mm² | 25mm² |
| 3 AWG | 26.7mm² | |
| 2 AWG | 33.6mm² | 35mm² |
| 1 AWG | 42.4mm² | 50mm² |
| 1/0 AWG | 53.5mm² | |
| 2/0 AWG | 67.4mm² | 70mm² |
| 3/0 AWG | 85mm² | 95mm² |
| 4/0 AWG | 107mm² | 120mm² |
Wire types
| Letter designation | Signifies |
|---|---|
| T | Thermoplastic insulation |
| H | Heat resistant |
| HH | High heat resistance up to 194-degrees Fahrenheit |
| W | Rated for wet locations |
| N | Nylon-coated to resist damage from oil or gasoline |
| X | Synthetic polymer, flame-resistant |
