6 Different Types of Electrical Wire and How to Choose One from qocsuing's blog

6 Different Types of Electrical Wire and How to Choose One

Electrical wire is typically made of copper or aluminum, and these conductive materials are insulated as wires that bring electricity to various parts of your home.Get more news about Custom Cables,you can vist our website!

When you're installing new wiring, choosing the right wire or cable is half the battle. On the other hand, when examining the old wiring in your home, identifying the wire type can tell you a lot about the circuit the wiring belongs to (for example, if you open a junction box and need to determine which wires go where). Wiring for modern homes is quite standard, and most homes built after the mid-1960s have similar types of wiring. Any new electrical installation requires new wiring that conforms to local building codes.

Below, learn the different types of home electrical wires to choose the right option for completing electrical projects accurately and safely.

Wiring Terminology
It helps to understand a few basic terms used to describe wiring. An electrical wire is a type of ­conductor, which is a material that conducts electricity. In the case of household wiring, the conductor itself is usually copper or aluminum (or copper-sheathed aluminum) and is either a solid metal conductor or stranded wire.

Most wires in a home are insulated, meaning they are wrapped in a nonconductive plastic coating. One notable exception is ground wires, which are typically solid copper and are either insulated with green sheathing or uninsulated (bare).
Often called “Romex” after one popular brand name, nonmetallic (NM) cable is a type of circuit wiring designed for interior use in dry locations. NM is the most common type of wiring in modern homes. It consists of two or more individual wires wrapped inside a protective plastic sheathing. NM cable usually contains one or more “hot” (current-carrying) wires, a neutral wire, and a ground wire.

These conductors are insulated in white (usually neutral) and black (usually hot) for installation. Most NM cables have a flattened tubular shape and run invisibly through the walls, ceiling, and floor cavities of your home.
Underground Feeder (UF) is a type of nonmetallic cable designed for wet locations and direct burial in the ground. It is commonly used for supplying outdoor fixtures, such as lampposts. Like standard NM cable, UF contains insulated hot and neutral wires, plus a bare copper ground wire. But while sheathing on NM cable is a separate plastic wrap, UF cable sheathing is solid plastic that surrounds each wire. This type of electrical wire is also a bit more expensive than NM wire because of its durable insulation. UF cable is normally sold with gray outer sheathing.

THHN and THWN are codes for the two most common types of insulated wire used inside conduit. Unlike NM cable, in which two or more individually insulated conductors (copper or aluminum) are bundled inside a plastic sheathing, THHN and THWN wires are single conductors, each with its color-coded insulation. Instead of being protected by NM cable sheathing, these wires are protected by tubular metal or plastic conduit.

Conduit is often used in unfinished areas, such as basements and garages, and for short exposed runs inside the home, such as wiring connections for garbage disposers and hot water heaters. These wires typically have similar prices to NM wire (plus the cost of the conduit). The letters indicate specific properties of the wire insulation: