Different Power Cables Used In Home Wiring Systems

 

Choosing the appropriate wire or cable is half the battle when installing new wiring. Identifying the wire type can tell you a lot about the circuit and the wiring it belongs to. When you're inspecting existing wiring in your home, you need to figure out which wires go where. Modern home wiring is fairly conventional, and most homes constructed after the mid-1960s have similar types of wiring.

 

Before learning about the different electrical wires, let's learn about the basic electrical system. A conductor is a material that carries electricity, and an electrical wire is one form of a conductor. The conductor is commonly copper, aluminium, or copper-sheathed aluminium in residential wiring, and it is either a solid metal conductor or stranded wire. Most wires in a home are shielded, which means they are coated in a nonconductive material. Ground wires, for example, are normally solid copper and are either insulated with green sheathing or are uninsulated, bare.

 

The different types of wires used in electrical wiring are as follows:

 

1. Non-metallic Cable(NM Cable): NM cable is a form of circuit wiring intended for dry interior environments. Most NM cables are flattened tubular and run silently through your home's walls, ceiling, and floor cavities. We use NM cable in almost all outlets and light fixtures in modern homes. The NM cables are colour-coded, which means the colour of the cable's outer jacket shows the wire gauge. 

 

2. Armoured Cable (AC Cable): Local ordinances are harsher than national codes in real estate electrical wiring. As a result, you may find that they do not permit NM cables in some areas, and instead protect or AC cables are used. AC wiring, also known as BX, dates from the early 1900s and features a flexible metallic covering that provides additional protection for the conductors inside. They do not permit AC in commercial or residential structures with more than three stories.

 

3. Underground Feeder(UF Cable): The UF (underground feeder) cable is a type of NM cable that is designed for moist areas and direct ground burial. The UF cable is required when running lines underground or to outdoor installations. Using PVC conduit and pushing wires through is another alternative that electricians use. This cable has insulated hot and neutral wires, as well as a bare ground wire, and is typically used to serve outdoor fixtures. Unlike the NM cable, the UF cable has a grey outer wrapping and solid plastic sheathing around each wire. This sort of cable can also be utilized for large circuit wiring.

 

4. THHN and THWN Wire: The two most popular varieties of insulated wire utilized inside the conduit are THHN and THWN. THHN and THWN wires are single conductors with colour-coded insulation, unlike NM cable, which has two or more individual insulated conductors wrapped under a plastic sheathing. These wires are covered by tubular metal or plastic conduit rather than NM cable sheathing. The most significant distinction between these two standards is their maximum temperature in damp environments. THWN wire can withstand temperatures up to 90°C in both dry and wet environments, but THHN wire can only withstand temperatures up to 75°C in wet environments. However, most of these wires are interchangeable, therefore THHN and THWN can be used interchangeably.

 

5. Phone and Data Wire(Optical Cable): Low-voltage lines used for landline telephones and internet connections are known as telephone and data wiring or optical cable. There are four or eight wires in a telephone cable. The most common type of domestic data wiring is category 5 cable. It has eight wires twisted together in four pairs. It has a higher capacity and quality than a normal phone cable and may be used for both phone and data transmission. Although data wire does transmit some voltage, anything less than 30 volts is generally considered safe. However, there is always the risk of data wiring colliding with domestic wiring, so proceed with caution and avoid touching naked wires.

 

These are the five common types of electrical wires used in house wirings. Any home or business can benefit greatly from an electrical renovation, both in terms of value and beauty. You'll be surprised at how much a good electrical improvement will benefit your home or business. If you're looking for an electrical firm to help you improve your house, make sure you check out Cabcon India. Cabcon is one of the top cable manufacturers in India. Visit their official website at www.cabconindia.com to learn more about their products and services.