Home Electrical Wiring Sizes

As we have established above how you identify electrical cable size is through the size of wire it houses e g 1 5mm cable houses 1 5mm wire.

Home electrical wiring sizes. The proper wire size is critical to any electrical wire installation. The electrical wire can come in rolls or on spools lengths of wire vary from standard cuts of 50 100 250 500 and 1 000 feet but can be special ordered for specific lengths. The choice of ground wire gauge is relative to the service size as indicated in table 2. Branch circuit electrical wire sizes such as the 14 copper electrical wire shown just below are also included in the tables in this article.

It helps to understand a few basic terms used to describe wiring. The divisions on the scale of my metal ruler each represent 1 mm. Wire is sized by the american wire gauge awg system. Common sizes include 14 12 10 8 6 and 2 gauge wire.

Radial circuits are used for lighting there is one lighting circuit on each lighting mcb lighting circuits are usually on a 6a mcb or 5a fuse though 10a can be used with some extra restrictions now removed in the 17th edition of the wiring regs for large circuits however if the area served is large more 5a or 6a circuits would in most cases be preferable. An electrical wire is a type of conductor which is a material that conducts electricity in the case of household wiring the conductor itself is usually copper or aluminum or copper sheathed aluminum and is either a solid metal conductor or stranded wire. This indicates wire size as defined by the american wire awg system. The most common gauges are 10 12 or 14.

The electrical calc elite is designed to solve many of your common code based electrical calculations like wire sizes voltage drop conduit sizing etc. Larger numbers represent smaller sizes or gauges of wire. Wire sizing indicates the diameter of the metal conductor of the wire and is based on the american wire gauge awg system. The gauge of a wire relates to the wire s current carrying capacity or how much amperage the wire can safely handle.

You ll see that this wire looks as if it s about 1 5 mm in. The electric toolkit provides some basic electrical calculations wiring diagrams similar to those found on this website and other electrical reference data. Wire gauge refers the physical size of the wire rated with a numerical designation that runs opposite to the diameter of the conductors in other words the smaller the wire gauge number the larger the wire diameter. Above is a close up photo of a 14 copper wire against a millimeter scale.

Choosing the correct wire gauge within your home wires that run from the electrical distribution panel load center to various appliances and electrical outlets receptacles is crucial.