Electrical Cable Size:5 Ways To Help Identify And Understand

1. How To Identify The Electrical Cable Size?

Electrical cables are usually used to transmit electricity to different places from one angle to the other. Therefore, to identify these electrical cable sizes, it is essential to understand that incompatible sizes of electrical cables can convey incompatible amounts of current.

Also, the electrical cable is determined and measured in American Wire Gauge (AWG) and the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) electrical wire standards. As a result, the larger or higher the AWG number becomes, the smaller or lower cable size is indicated. While for IEC, electrical cable standards enable easy operation of computers, workstations, printers, laptops, etc.

While identifying the right electrical cable size for lighting depending on their types, it’s not advisable to run too much current by way of too small of a cable because it can cause lasting impairment to the wiring. It’s also possible that it could start an electrical fire.

As luck would have it, there are a distinguished number of ways to identify the size of an electrical cable. These electrical cable and wire size methods only require essential appliances that are efficacious for indirect connections to all cables.

The following are the simplex methods or ways of identifying the electrical cable sizes:

• Firstly, please look at the cable insulators and their insulation.

• Afterward, explore for text or written digits on the insulation. This is done to check whether the last numbers in each string of text represent the AWG of the wires or not.

• Once you have confirmed that and find they are not, you continue to the next step, incising the wires with your wire cutter. But, it is good to note that the cut should stand up to the run of the wire.

• Make sure you measure the diameter of the cross-section in inches, of which the diameter is known to be the distance from one side of the cross-section to the opposite side in a straight line.

• Divide the diameters of the wires by 45.

• Determine the load of your suitable and fitting electrical cable size.

• Check the colors; supposedly, they should be black, red, white (neutral), and green in most cases.

• Examine and differentiate between cable sizes and understand their purposes depending on where one will use them.

2. What Electrical Cable Size Use?

Generally, one of the most commonly used electrical cable sizes is 12 and 14 gauges, consecutively, in residential, industrial, and different workplaces. Also, lots and lots of research has found that the larger appliances of electronics, such as electric stoves, electric heaters, water, dryers, and central air units, will often use 6, 8, or even ten gauges electrical wires.

But, the right size of electrical cable wire to use varies among different types of cable sizes. To understand or even select the right size of electrical cable, here are some types of electrical cable sizes that are useful and the ones that rely on our products:

Solar cable: These cables connect the components of a circuit and serve as a conduit where electricity travels. You have to mainly mount solar cable panels on the rooftop to avoid obstruction. The panels help the energy trespass to the current electrical cable size.

There are three types of solar cable, which enable and differentiate the classification of solar cables. Whereby the classification is done based on the numbers of wire gauges. Generally, these types are DC solar cables, DC main cables, and AC connection cables, either in modules or strings.

Electrical cable size itself: These electrical cable sizes have a significant role in transporting the energy power or electricity from one point to another. These cables are above local services; they are international ones.

Fire-resistant cable: This type of cable continues to operate in the presence of fire. They are good at testing the electrical cable size in earning different classifications. Typically, they work hand in hand with flame.

Besides that, fire-resistant are designed to maintain and retain the circuit and integrity of electrical cable size. Also, it continues to work for a specified period under defined conditions.

Armored cable is defined as a cable with a metal protective covering, making the best electrical cable size to use. Usually, these armored cables have hard-wearing power cables, which transfer and supply leading electricity.

Control cable: The control cable are famously known as multi-conductor cables, basically used in automation and instrumenting applications. They are in a UL relationship, where they are being measured purposefully to regulate the transmission of automated processes.

Typically, the control cables have a massive concern of flexibility when they are designed. This is because it is imperative to know if the control cable will require flexibility or you will continuously flex it. Also, control cable comes in 3 applications that do not limit against assembly lines, power distribution, and robotic.

All the above types of best electrical wires and cables have different sizes. That is where you will learn about the best sizes to use in each type of electrical cable. Additionally, the classification of electrical cables is also determined by numbers. Of which each number has a function. Other types include the low, medium, and high voltage cables, which are also helpful.