![]() ![]() These are mostly used for appliances and objects that require much more electrical power to operate or special use situations. This one features an in-built USB port What About Other Cable Sizes?Īside from the 3 most commonly used cable sizes of 1, 1.5 and 2.5mm twin and earth there are in fact numerous other larger sizes of cable that include 4mm, 6mm, 10mm and 16mm. Standard double socket as seen in many homes across the country. The size of cable used for sockets needs to be larger than that used for lighting circuits because it will have to cope with more load due to the number of different appliances with different power supply needs that could potentially be plugged in to the circuit. In most domestic situations the cable size used for sockets on a ring main or radial main is 2.5mm twin and earth cable. Lighting is usually fed by a 1mm or 1.5mm cable What Size Cables for Sockets? If quite a few are required or the cable run is over a long distance, then 1.5mm cable should be used to cope with supply demand and voltage drop. In most cases 1mm should be fine but depends on how many lights are on the circuit and how long the cable run is. The Cable sizes for domestic lighting circuits is usually 1mm or 1.5mm twin and earth cable (aka two core and earth). With this in mind, ultimately it is the appliances or items that will draw power from the circuit they are powered from and the location in which cables will run that decides on the size of cable required. a cable installed in an empty stud wall will dissipate heat much easier than a cable in a loft that buried under 200mm of insulation, so this needs to be considered also. This can be further complicated by the location in which they will be installed and how effectively a given cable will be able to disperse heat e.g. If this is ignored there’s a chance the cable could get hot and catch fire! ![]() The electrical cables used to power the lights and appliances in your home come in several different cable sizes, primarily to accommodate the amount of current required to run the items that are drawing power from it.Īll cables are rated to carry a specific amperage meaning that the load imposed on them should be no more than they are able to safely carry. Why are There Different Sized Electrical Cables? To learn about all the different sized electrical cables that are used in your home and how they should be used, read on below. Used with permission.The electrical circuits in your home power all of your appliances and to ensure everything works as it should each socket, light and switch has to be wired up using the right type and size of cable. Wire SizeĬhart developed by John Davey and Windy Dankoff. What if this system was 24-volt? The modules would be wired in series so each pair of modules would produce 4.4 amps. Looking at our chart, a VDI of 29 means we’d better use #2 wire in copper, or #0 wire in aluminum. These modules are rated at 4.4 amps x 4 modules = 17.6 amps maximum. This is actual wiring distance, up pole mounts, around obstacles, etc. (This is not usually a problem in low-voltage circuits).Įxample: Your PV array consisting of four 75W modules is 60 feet from your 12-volt battery. Be sure that your circuit amperage does not exceed the figure in the Ampacity column for that wire size.Take the VDI number you just calculated and find the nearest number in the VDI column, then read to the left for AWG wire gauge size.Determine the appropriate wire size from the chart below. % Volt Drop = Percentage of voltage drop acceptable for this circuit (typically 2% to 5%)Ģ.VDI = AMPS x FEET ÷ (% VOLT DROP x VOLTAGE) Calculate the Voltage Drop Index (VDI) using the following formula: Note: This formula doesn’t directly yield a wire gauge size, but rather a “VDI” number, which is then compared to the nearest number in the VDI column, and then read across to the wire gauge size column.ġ. There’s no sense using your expensive PV wattage to heat wires. For most DC circuits, particularly between the PV modules and the batteries, we try to keep the voltage drop to 3% or less. This chart is useful for finding the correct wire size for any voltage, length, or amperage flow in any AC or DC circuit. ![]()
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