2020 Buying Guide to Electrical Cables
Types Electrical Cable and Wire, Wire harness, DC Cables and Power Cords for Sale
What types of electrical cables are there?
In this publication of article, we will teach you in a detailed and simple way what types of electrical cables exist so that you know better these products, and you can choose the right one depending on the use to which it is going to be used.
We will also get to know aspects such as the most frequent measurements and colors of the cables, the types of insulation used, and the conductors’ types.
What do you think if we start? Come on, let’s get to it.
CLICK TO SHOW MORE An electric cable is an element manufactured and thought to conduct electricity. The main material with which they are made is copper (due to its high degree of conductivity), although aluminum is also used, although its degree of conductivity is lower, it is also cheaper than copper. Before continuing with the explanation, if what you are looking for is to buy electrical cables in the online store, click here: Electric cables are made up of the conductor, insulation, a filler layer, and a jacket. Each of these elements that make up an electric cable fulfill a purpose that we will know below: So far, everything is very interesting, right? Well, if you think so, we are going to know what types of conductors, insulations, cables according to voltages, colors and measurements exist. We remember that the conductor is the component that carries electricity. It is a single wire in solid-state; it is not flexible and has no coating; an example of this type of conductors is the use of grounding together with the ground rods. It is the same as the bare wire conductor with only one difference; in this case, the conductor is covered with a layer of plastic material insulation so that the conductor does not come into contact with any other elements such as other conductors, people, or objects. Metallic. Insulated wire is used much more than bare copper in both homes and offices. The flexible electric cable is the most commercialized and the most applied; it is composed of many fine wires covered by plastic material. They are so flexible because being many fine wires instead of a thick conductor wire makes it possible to bend easily; they are very malleable. They are made up of more than one cable or wire; they all come together and are wrapped together a second time; that is, they have the insulation of each conductor plus one that brings them all together in a single set. Remember that almost all cables have a coating or insulation layer to prevent them from coming into contact with each other and causing a short circuit. You can identify the type of insulation that a cable has in the inscriptions that appear on it; they are abbreviations of English. The cables used for installations in homes and offices are THN, THW, THHW, and THWN. The meaning of these abbreviations is as follows: 1 – T (Thermoplastic): Thermoplastic insulation (all cables have this. 2 – H (Heat resistant): Heat resistant up to 75 ° Celsius (167 ° F). 3 – HH (Heat resistant): Heat resistant up to 90 ° Celsius (194 ° F). 4 – W (Water resistant): Resistant to water and humidity. 5 – LS (Low smoke): This cable has low smoke emission and low content of polluting gases. 6 – SPT (Service parallel thermoplastic): This nomenclature is used to identify a cord that is composed of two flexible and parallel cables with plastic insulation and that are joined together and also called a duplex cord. In the insulations of electrical cables, we find two types of insulators, thermoplastic insulation, and thermoset insulation. Depending on the voltage for which they are prepared to operate, the cables are categorized into voltage groups that go by ranges of volts. Very low voltage cables (Up to 50V) Low voltage cables (Up to 1000V) Medium voltage cables (Up to 30kV) High voltage cables (Up to 66kV) Very high voltage cables (Above 770kV) The measurements of electrical cables and wires are usually categorized in gauges if we talk about the AWG (American Wire Gauge) system; however, it is more common to know them depending on the diameter of the cable in the decimal metric system and categorize them in square millimeters depending on the diameter of the section. The following table is also very useful to know the caliber equivalences in millimeters. Below we show you a table with the amperage that copper cables support . Electric cables are normally insulated in one of the following colors: Blue, bicolor (green and yellow), brown, gray, or black. It is the ground wire. In the past, gray or white cables were used but, to avoid confusion, this more striking two-color cable was used. It is the neutral wire. Until 1970 the red cable was used; check the cables of this color before using it. It is the phase cable, although it can also be black or gray, depending on the aesthetics of the device that displays it. Previously, the color green was used, so if you find a green cable, it would be better to check it before using it, as it may be dry or broken. It’s a phase wire, too, and it’s visible in the vast majority of installations and cables. Like white, it can respond to aesthetic reasons. The white wires are your neutral wires. These are also grounded but only connect to the transformer to bring the power back. Colored wires with a stripe (also called a “guide” are wires that are as neutral as white wires. These types of electrical wires are used to identify which neutral wire goes with which color wire. All colored cables (except those with a stripe) are current (or charging) cables. The most commonly used is red. When there are many cables, it is easier to identify where each cable goes if you use the colored ones. As we have seen, it is very important to know the electrical cables before using them since each one is intended for different use and application, we hope that thanks to this analysis you will know a little better the types of electrical cables that exist and that it has been helpful utility. Now that you know a little more about the matter, if you want to review the electrical cables that we have for sale, you can find them here: CLICK TO COLLAPSEWhat is an electric cable?
Parts of an electric cable
Types of electrical conductors
Bare wire conductor
Insulated wire conductor
Flexible cable conductor
Cord conductor
Types of electrical cable insulation
What is the insulation of the cables made of?
Thermoplastic insulation
Thermoset insulation
Tensions of electrical cables
Measurements of electrical cables
PHOTO
CALIBER / AWG
SECTION IN MM2
CURRENT CONSUMPTION
EXAMPLES
4
25mm2
Very high
Central air conditioners, industrial equipment (requires special installation of 240 volts).
6
16mm2
High
Air conditioners, electric stoves and electric power connections.
8
10mm2
Medium – high
Clothes dryers, refrigerators, window air conditioners.
10
6mm2
Means, medium
Microwave ovens, blenders, home and office contacts, heavy duty extensions.
12
4mm2
Medium – low
Lighting wiring, house contacts, reinforced extensions.
14
2.5mm2
Low
Low consumption extensions, lamps.
16
1.5mm2
Very low
Electronic products such as thermostats, doorbells or security systems.
What amperage do copper cables withstand?
Amperage that copper cables support
Temperature level
60℃
75℃
90℃
60℃
type of insulator
TW
RHW,THW,THWN
THHN,XHHW-2,THWN-2
SPT
Measure/Cable Calibration
Amperage support
Measure/Cable Calibration
Amperage support
14 AWG
15A
15A
15A
20 AWG
2A
12 AWG
20A
20A
20A
20 AWG
2A
10 AWG
30A
30A
30A
20 AWG
2A
8 AWG
40A
50A
55A
18 AWG
10A
6 AWG
55A
65A
75A
18 AWG
10A
4 AWG
70A
85A
95A
18 AWG
10A
3 AWG
85A
100A
115A
16AWG
13A
2 AWG
95A
115A
130A
16AWG
13A
1 AWG
110A
130A
170A
14AWG
18A
1/0 AWG
125A
150A
195A
14AWG
18A
2/0 AWG
145A
175A
195A
12AWG
25A
3/0 AWG
165A
200A
225A
12AWG
25A
4/0 AWG
195A
230A
260A
12AWG
25A
Colors and meaning of electrical cables
Green and yellow electrical wire
Blue electrical wire
Brown electric wire
Black electric wire
White wire
Colored wires with stripes
Colored cables
Final conclusion