Wire gauge are a measurement of the thickness of the wires. Wire gauge is also a measurement of the amounts of electrical current that the wire can carry. The American Wire Gauge system rate the thickness of wires, but it works in the opposite of the expected manner.
The lower the gauge number for a wire, the thicker the wire are going to be. The higher the gauge number for a wire, the thinner the wire is going to be. The thicker the wire is, the more space the electricity has to move through the wire.
What Is Wire Gauge and Why It Matters
The thinner the wire, the more resistance the wire presents for the electricity moving through it. The more resistance the wire presents for the electricity to move through it, the more the wire will heat up as the electricity move through it. The person must select the wire gauge correct for the electrical circuit that will use the wires.
If the wire gauge that is selected for the circuit is too small for the amount of electricity that will travel through it, the wire will overheat. If the wire gauge that is selected is too large for the circuit, it will cost more money for the copper to make the wire, and it will be more difficultly to pull the wire through the walls of the structure. For instance, the kitchen outlet that will power both an toaster and a microwave requires a specific gauge of wire.
However, the circuit does not need the same thickness of wire as is use for the main service entrance of the buildings. The material that is used for the wires will also affect the movement of electricity through the wire. The two main material that are used for electrical wires are copper and aluminum.
Copper is the most common electrical wire material because copper conduct electricity better and is easier to bend. Aluminum is another material for electrical wires. It is less costly than copper; however, it is also lighter than copper.
Aluminum conducts electricity different than copper; therefore, aluminum wires has a larger diameter so that they can carry the same amount of current as copper wires of the same gauge. Color coding are used for the insulation of the wires to allow for the identification of the function of each wire. Black and red insulated wires carry the hot conductor for the circuits.
White insulated wires are used for the neutral conductor for the circuits. Green or bare copper insulated wires are used for the ground conductor for the circuits. Using these color code allows for the identification of each wire and its function without making a mistake.
Making a mistake with the colors of the wires could result in the person receiving an electric shock or damage the electrical equipment. The distance that the wires will travel from one location to another is another factor that must be considered when purchasing the wire gauge for a circuit. Voltage drop occur along the wires as electricity moves through it.
As the length of the wire increases, the voltage drop increase, which can cause electrical issues. For instance, a wire that is 50 feet in length may be able to carry the voltage that is require for the circuits with a specific gauge of wire. However, a wire that is 120 feet in length may require a larger gauge of wire to prevent voltage drop along the wire.
The temperature of the environment where the wire will be located will also affect the function of the wire. Wires heat up with electricity moving through them, but they also lose heat. In hot environment like attics, the wire cannot shed the heat that is created as quick as it could in an area like soil.
Therefore, the wire gauge has to be selected with consideration for the temperature of the environment where the wire will be install. There are safety protocol that must be followed when working with electrical wires. Every electrical connection must be place within a junction box.
Every outdoor electrical location must have ground-fault protection. Every electrical circuit that is installed must have a circuit breaker that match the gauge of wire. The electrician must turn off the power to the circuits and test with a voltage tester to ensure that there is no electricity in the circuits.
Turning off the power and testing the circuits will prevent electrical accident from happening.
