In any new household wiring, we use “electric wire” to conduct electricity. Electric wires are mainly used to transmit electricity from an electrical circuit to household applications. Electric wires are made of copper or aluminum materials because they are conductors and these electric wires are insulated outside with the coating of plastic or rubber materials to prevent any electric shots or electrical shocks. Electric wire provides a way for the flow of electricity from electrical power sources to appliances easily.
Electric Wire
The main usage of electric wire is to transmit electricity from electrical power sources like batteries or generators to home appliances like bulbs or switches and connections.
Properties of an Electric Wire
- It is mainly used to conduct electricity to household appliances.
- They are made of copper or aluminum because they act as a conductive material.
- They are insulated with rubber or plastic to prevent electrical shorts or electrical shocks.
- By insulating wire, it ensures safe and secure transmission of electricity to household appliances.
- They are flexible and easy to use because they need to bend or turn in the electrical circuits.
- They are durable and they can be suitable to different environments.
Electric wire
Different Types of Electric Wires Categorized Based on their Uses
Electric wires are categorized into different types based on their usage in household wiring :
- NM Cable
- UF Cable
- THHN/THWN Wire
- Low-Voltage Wire
- Phone and Data Wire
- Coaxial Cable
NM Cable
- NM Cable stands for non-metallic cable which contains two or three wires insides it. NM cable is also known as “Romex”. NM cable wiring is generally used in interior design modern household wiring. NM cable has an plastic protective shielding and inside consists of two or more individual wires warped in it. NM cable usually contains one hot-current-carrying wire, a neutral wire, and a ground wire wrapped inside.
UF Cable
- UF Cable stands for Underground Feeder (UF) .It is made up of nonmetallic material. UF cable is mainly used for wet locations and for direct burial in the underground. It is mainly used for outdoor applications for supplying current to outdoor lights or lampposts. UF cable is normally sold and non metallic with gray color outer sheathing.
THHN/THWN Wire
- THHN/THWN Wire stands for Thermoplastic High Heat-Resistant Nylon-coated Wire (THHN) or Thermoplastic Heat- and Water-Resistant Nylon-coated Wire (THWN).THHN and THWN are codes for most common types of insulated wires. They are mainly used for commercial building wiring.
THHN/THWM Wire in these codes each letter has its own definition as follows:
- T stand for : Thermoplastic.
- H stand for: Heat-resistant, whereas HH stand for highly heat-resistant.
- W stand for: Water Resistant ,used for wet locations.
- N stand for: Nylon-coated, for added protection.
THHN or THWN wires have colored sheathings which helps us to identify their function in the circuit:
- Hot wires represented as : Black, red, orange colored wires.
- Neutral wires represented as : White, brown colored wires.
- Ground wires represented as : Green, yellow-green colored wires.
Low-Voltage Wire
- Low-voltage wires are mainly used when the circuit require very less voltage like min 50 Volts current or less. They are mainly used for door bell connections ,water sprinkler connections and outdoor lighting connections. By using Low-voltage wires costs can be reduced and it can minimalize electric shocks or electric shots.
Phone and Data Wire
- Phone and Data wiring requires low-voltage wires. Generally telephone cables may contain four or eight wires wraped around a cable. They provide greater quality and often available at cheaper cost as low-voltage wires. They are generally used for landline telephones and internet connection cables.
Coaxial Cable
- Coaxial cable are mainly used for connecting televisions to dish antenna for receiving television signals. It typically has black or white colored insulation with perfectly round in shape. It also transmits minimum voltage and can prevent from electrical shocks. It is also affordable to buy as phone and date wire.
Color Coding of an Electric Wire
Color coding of an electric wire helps us to identify the function and purpose of wire in an electrical appliance. These three colored insulated wires of different colors are used in an electrical appliance. These three wires represent one live wire, the neutral wire and the earth wire. To identify these three wires easily, we have different color code to insulate these as show in below figure:
- Three different types of wires are mainly used in household circuits are Earth wire, Live wire, and Neutral wire.
- The live wire is given brown colored insulation.
- The neutral wire is given light blue colored insulation.
- The earth wire is given green-yellow colored insulation.
Three insulated colored wires
Different Sizes of a Electric wire
There are different sizes of wire available in electrical systems, you can select the right wire size depends on the electric current requirement and the distance the wire needs to travel in the connected devices. The Wire Size depends on the diameter, commonly known as (AWG) which stands for American Wire Gauge. Selecting the correct wire size is crucial because it ensures safe and efficient operation in an electrical circuits.
The below table show the AWG(American Wire Gauge) and based on the AWG the current it flows and its applications.
|
AWG(American Wire Gauge) |
Current in Amps |
Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
4/0 |
230 Amps |
Heavy duty applications |
|
3/0 |
200 Amps |
In Industrial appliances |
|
2/0 |
175 Amps |
In power cables. |
|
1/0 |
150 Amps |
In industrial power machinery |
|
1 |
130 Amps |
In High amps circuits |
|
2 |
115 Amps |
In Heavy power duty circuits |
|
4 |
95 Amps |
In Large house appliances |
|
6 |
75 Amps |
In electrical circuits |
|
8 |
60 Amps |
In Small home apppliances |
|
12 |
35 Amps |
In low voltage lightings |
|
16 |
20 Amps |
In low-power devices like speakers |
|
20 |
10 Amps |
In Signal wiring |
|
24 |
3.5 Amps |
In Telecommunications and small devices |
|
28 |
1.5 Amps |
In Electronics and small signal wiring |
|
30 |
1.0 Amps |
In Very small electronics like sensors. |
Letters and Abbreviations of Electric Wire
If you observe an electrical cable you can see some letters and numbers are printed on the wires and cables because each letter has different abbreviation and different meaning:
Generally ,Cables have two groups of round and triangular divided based on their shape and cross-section:
- The letter (r) are used to identify the round conductors.
- The letter (s) are used to identify the triangular conductors.
- The letter (e) are used to identify the solid conductors.
- The letter (m) are used to identify stranded conductors .
These letter codes on the cable are used in the German cable classification standard to describe specific attribute and applications of electrical cables so that it makes easier for professionals to select the right cable according to their requirement. The below table describes each letter on the cable and its abbreviation:
|
Letter on the Cable |
Its Abbreviation |
|---|---|
|
N |
It indicates Copper Cable. |
|
Y |
It indicates full insulation (PVC) cable. |
|
Z |
It indicates Special Wires Cable. |
|
S |
It indicates Special Wires Cable. |
|
F |
It indicates Soft Wires. |
|
A |
It indicates cables used for Inside Pipes. |
|
M |
It indicates Water Resistant Cables. |
Examples on Usage of Electric Wire
- Electric wires are mainly used in any new household electrical wiring systems ,or in any industrial, offices electrical wiring systems. They acts as conductors to provide electricity to their appliances.
- In many entertainment industry like theaters, malls used electric wire for lighting and concerts and play studios.
- In our daily life we use charging cables for charging mobile phones or tabs, these charging cables are made of insulated electric wires.
- In surveillance systems and security alarms insulated electric wires play an important role in protection and security.
Conclusion
In Conclusion, Selecting an correct size electric wire in household wiring plays an important role. Electrical wires in electrical circuits plays an essential role in ensuring safe and secure operations in electronic systems. There are different size of electric wires available in market selecting correct size is important. Wire gauze depends on AWG standard metric, based on the wire’s capacity and wire length and extension we need to select correct electrical wires. Selecting the correct sized wire helps in preventing from any voltage drops or overheating in your household wiring. In an Electric Wire ,wire lettering will helps to identify the wires in any complex circuits.
FAQs on Electric Wire
1. Is Any fire-resistant or water-resistant wires available?
Yes, there are fire-resistant and water-resistant wire are available and these types designed for specific applications. They are mainly used to provide added protection and safety in environments where fire or moisture is present.
2.How can I safely connect or splice the wires together?
In Proper wire splicing involves using wire connectors, soldering, or wire nuts. It Ensure a secure and insulated connection to prevent any electrical hazards or fire risks in the circuits.
3. Can I run electric wires through walls or conduits without using any protection?
No, Electric wires should be protected when running through walls or conduits. Because In Conduit, raceways, or proper in-wall wiring techniques should be used to prevent physical damage and ensuring safety.
4. What is meant by stranded wires and when should we use them?
Stranded wires means it consist of multiple smaller strands, it offers flexibility and durability. They are mainly used in applications where the wire needs to bend or flex, such as in automotive wiring.