As its name suggests, it is any wire that comprises a copper conductor and non-conductive insulation material. The most popular non-conductive materials applied in the cable manufacturing industry include PVC, XLPE, and Silicone, to name a few. Whether it is a house wiring wire or an appliance wire, there is a significant chance it is copper insulated wire. Logically, copper is not the only conductive material that can transmit electric power. Nonetheless, it is the most preferred material for making electrical conductors because of its excellent properties. The most notable ones include;
What do you understand when somebody says copper is a highly conductive metal? Well, it means that electric current can easily pass through it. Fundamentally, any copper-based wire, including the thin insulated wire, guarantees top-notch performance.
Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity. It is also relatively cheap compared to other prospective conductor materials, including silver and gold. If you were to go for a gold electrical wire, you would be wasting your money. Copper is the de-facto standard for electrical cables because it offers the necessary top-notch conductivity at a more affordable cost.
Generally, you need to bend and flex electrical wires to a certain degree when performing an installation. This is primarily because they mostly have to move through walls, ceilings and other close-fitting spaces. Copper insulated wires are popular because they can bend and flex without damage. Copper conductors can transmit electrical current optimally even under the most extreme flex situations.
Generally speaking, copper-insulated cables are the best option for you. However, it would be best to keep in mind that different types of electrical wires have copper conductors. Essentially, insulated copper wires come in different voltage ratings, number of cores and nominal cross-sections.
Thus, it would help if you were pretty careful when selecting an ideal cable, especially when dealing with cable sizes. An electrical wire’s size determines its current carrying capacity. For instance, 22 gauge insulated copper wire can transmit 8 to 13 amperes depending on the insulation material and ambient temperature. It would help to understand the voltage ratings of different copper insulated cables before picking out the most suitable one for you.
Well, there is no fixed insulated wire price because there are several types of insulated copper-based wires. So, the first thing you ought to do is learn the basics of identifying your specific needs. An essential aspect of electrical wire identification is its sizing. Generally, the American Wire Gauge System (AWG) denotes the sizes of different cables and wires. You can rest assured that the pricing of a 14 gauge copper insulated wire is different from that of a 22 gauge insulated wire. Therefore, you need to be sure of what you need before buying a wire to avoid unnecessary expenditures.
Knowledge and taxonomy of an insulated cable also help when shopping for an electrical wire. NEC dictates a system of letters that allow buyers to identify various wires and their aptitudes. The most common ones for insulated wire identification include THHN, THW, and THWN. Each of these wires has a different price point depending on their capabilities. As far as cables are concerned, you need to note that different types of copper-based electric wires. The most popular varieties include;
Whatever copper insulated wire you need, you have to remember that they are generally sold by the foot. Thus, you need to determine the exact length you need to avoid unnecessary expenses. It would also help to visit different sales platforms and compare prices before settling on the most affordable seller. However, cheap often translates to low quality and therefore, you have to find a perfect balance between price and quality.
For the most part, NEC regulations permit the use of bare and insulated ground wire interchangeably. Thus, you are free to choose between a plain and insulated wire. However, there are some situations where it would be sensible to use the insulated option. What are some examples of such cases?
Sometimes you may be forced to perform installations in high-risk areas. In such sites, you may accidentally ground the wire to objects not meant for grounding. Using an insulated option may minimize the chances of such an unfortunate occurrence. It would be best to choose the protected option when dealing with aluminium conductors, especially in wet areas. Still, it is essential to remember that NEC regulations explicitly limit the colour-coding of ground wires to yellow and green.
Well, there are countless places where one can buy an insulated copper wire. In fact, you can type in “insulated copper wire near me” on your Google search engine, and the results will amaze you. Nevertheless, you need to pick out a supplier who can guarantee quality at an affordable price. Considering that prices tend to increase as commodities move along the supply chain, it would be best to order direct from the manufacturer.
Does this mean you should order from any manufacturer near you? Well, the answer to that question is most certainly, no. Not all manufacturers can warrant the quality of a cable or electrical wire. It would be best to order an insulated wire from a leading manufacturer such as ZW Cable. It doesn’t matter which part of the ecosphere you reside in. You can count on us to deliver quality cables at an affordable price to any part of the world within a reasonable time. All it takes for us to arrange is a message outlining all your specific needs.
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