WIRING SYSTEMS 1
KWARE VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
ARTISAN LEVEL
Different Types of Electrical Wires and Cables
Electrical cable and wires are considered as a same thing. In fact they are quite different. A wire is made
of a single electrical conductor while a cable is a group or bundle of multiple wires inside a common
sheathing. Both of them are used for carrying electrical current.
Nowadays due to the advancement in technology, almost everything is powered by electricity. Be it
indoor or outdoor, we need supply of smooth, uninterrupted electricity which is achieved by using
suitable type of wires and cables. Not only the electrical sector uses cables and wires for power
transmission and distribution to our house and industries, the Telecom sector also relies on various
types of cables for uninterrupted data transmission.
Electrical cable types
Coaxial cable – used for radio frequency signals, for example in cable television distribution
systems.
Communications cable
Direct-buried cable
Flexible cables
Heliax cable
Non-metallic sheathed cable (or nonmetallic building wire, NM, NM-B)
Metallic sheathed cable (or armored cable, AC, or BX)
Multicore cable (consist of more than one wire and is covered by cable jacket)
Paired cable – Composed of two individually insulated conductors that are usually used in DC or
low-frequency AC applications
Portable cord – Flexible cable for AC power in portable applications
Ribbon cable – Useful when many wires are required. This type of cable can easily flex, and It is
designed to handle low-level voltages.
, Shielded cable – Used for sensitive electronic circuits or to provide protection in high-voltage
applications.
Single cable (from time to time this name is used for wire)
Submersible cable
Twinax cable
Twin-lead – This type of cable is a flat two-wire line. It is commonly called a 300 Ω line because the
line has an impedance of 300 Ω. It is often used as a transmission line between an antenna and a
receiver (e.g., TV and radio). These cables are stranded to lower skin effects.
Twisted pair – Consists of two interwound insulated wires. It resembles a paired cable, except that
the paired wires are twisted
Dimension criteria of electrical conductors
There are two sizing criteria for copper conductors:
In the AWG-American Wire Gauge, conductors are defined by specifying a number of wires and a
diameter of each wire.
In European sizing (mm2), the conductors are defined by specifying the maximum resistance of the
conductor (Ω/km). Solid or flexible conductors are defined by specifying the minimum number of wires
or the maximum diameter of the wires that form it. In addition, the actual geometrical sections are
somewhat smaller than those indicated as nominal.
Electric cable measurements
CROSS-SECTION CURRENT
in mm2 (AWG) CONSUMPTION USED
Central air conditioning and industrial
25 mm2 4 Very high equipment..
Conditioners, electric stoves and electric
16 mm2 6 High air power connections.
10 mm2 8 Medium high Refrigerators and dryers.
6 mm2 10 Medium Microwave and blenders
KWARE VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
ARTISAN LEVEL
Different Types of Electrical Wires and Cables
Electrical cable and wires are considered as a same thing. In fact they are quite different. A wire is made
of a single electrical conductor while a cable is a group or bundle of multiple wires inside a common
sheathing. Both of them are used for carrying electrical current.
Nowadays due to the advancement in technology, almost everything is powered by electricity. Be it
indoor or outdoor, we need supply of smooth, uninterrupted electricity which is achieved by using
suitable type of wires and cables. Not only the electrical sector uses cables and wires for power
transmission and distribution to our house and industries, the Telecom sector also relies on various
types of cables for uninterrupted data transmission.
Electrical cable types
Coaxial cable – used for radio frequency signals, for example in cable television distribution
systems.
Communications cable
Direct-buried cable
Flexible cables
Heliax cable
Non-metallic sheathed cable (or nonmetallic building wire, NM, NM-B)
Metallic sheathed cable (or armored cable, AC, or BX)
Multicore cable (consist of more than one wire and is covered by cable jacket)
Paired cable – Composed of two individually insulated conductors that are usually used in DC or
low-frequency AC applications
Portable cord – Flexible cable for AC power in portable applications
Ribbon cable – Useful when many wires are required. This type of cable can easily flex, and It is
designed to handle low-level voltages.
, Shielded cable – Used for sensitive electronic circuits or to provide protection in high-voltage
applications.
Single cable (from time to time this name is used for wire)
Submersible cable
Twinax cable
Twin-lead – This type of cable is a flat two-wire line. It is commonly called a 300 Ω line because the
line has an impedance of 300 Ω. It is often used as a transmission line between an antenna and a
receiver (e.g., TV and radio). These cables are stranded to lower skin effects.
Twisted pair – Consists of two interwound insulated wires. It resembles a paired cable, except that
the paired wires are twisted
Dimension criteria of electrical conductors
There are two sizing criteria for copper conductors:
In the AWG-American Wire Gauge, conductors are defined by specifying a number of wires and a
diameter of each wire.
In European sizing (mm2), the conductors are defined by specifying the maximum resistance of the
conductor (Ω/km). Solid or flexible conductors are defined by specifying the minimum number of wires
or the maximum diameter of the wires that form it. In addition, the actual geometrical sections are
somewhat smaller than those indicated as nominal.
Electric cable measurements
CROSS-SECTION CURRENT
in mm2 (AWG) CONSUMPTION USED
Central air conditioning and industrial
25 mm2 4 Very high equipment..
Conditioners, electric stoves and electric
16 mm2 6 High air power connections.
10 mm2 8 Medium high Refrigerators and dryers.
6 mm2 10 Medium Microwave and blenders
