Industry News

Electric Wire: The Complete Guide For All Your Wiring Needs

1. How To Connect Electric Wire?

The most crucial stage in making an electrical connection is picking the right job. Choosing the wrong wire will ultimately fail even if you perform the connection correctly. Secondly, you need to understand the type of connections around your home. Typical wiring in a home environment includes wiring to sockets, switches appliances, meters, and circuit breakers, to name a few. Understanding the type of connection you intend to make will help you figure out how to act appropriately. For example, when dealing with a heating appliance connection, you must go for a heating electric wire.

 

Connection techniques tend to vary depending on the type of connection. Consequently, it is best to consult electric wire diagrams dealing with your specific wiring needs. These diagrams are freely accessible on the internet, so all you need to do is perform a Google search. Nevertheless, there are some universal things you need to do when connecting an electrical wire.

Loosely connected wires can cause hazardous electrical fires. Therefore, you must check and confirm that your connection is firm, safe and secure before switching on the circuit. It is also wise to shut down the power before connecting any type of electric wire, including a low-voltage wire.

 

2. What Is The Color Code For Electric Wire?

Learning wire color codes is an important exercise, especially if you are a do-it-yourself kind of guy. Color codes are precious because they help you pinpoint each wire’s purpose for a proper connection. Coding may vary depending on the manufacturer’s country and the regulations governing the production of cables and wires. However, electric wire colors in the USA are applicable in most regions around the world. So, we will take a look at the color codes and what they mean.

In most instances, you will notice a black wire in switch and outlet electrical wiring systems. Also, you will see that electricians often use a black wire as a switch leg in all power circuits. It would be best if you always considered any black wire as a live electric wire. In a 220 electric wire circuit, the red wire represents the secondary live wire.

You might come across blue and red wires at one point or another, but they are not as common as black and red wires. Blue and yellow colors represent live wires that run through conduits. They are popular in ceiling fans wiring, structural lighting and outlets. On the other hand, you must treat any white or gray-colored wire as a neutral electric wire

 

3. What Size Electric Wire Do I Need?

The first and most crucial aspect you need to consider when choosing a suitable wire is its electric wire gauge size. A wire’s size determines its current carrying capacity. Considering that voltage needs vary depending on your project, there is no specific electric wire size that I can recommend.

Nevertheless, the most common sizes in residential wiring applications are 14 and 12 gauge. When dealing with high energy consumption appliances such as a heater and an electric stove, it would be best to go for an 8 electric wire or a 6-gauge wire. If you only intend to add an outlet, you should use the same gauge as the existing electric wire.