A Guide To The Various Types Of Electrical Wiring In Your Home From Your Trusted Electrical Contractors | Arlington, TX
Over 30 million homes in the United States are at least 50 years old. Research shows that home fires are commonly high in these houses. This is because the electrical wiring used in these ancient buildings may not be able to cannot handle modern appliances.
Thus, it’s essential to know the type of wire or cable used in your house or the type you may need when installing new wiring. But most residents are unaware of the wiring used in their homes, and in case of any issue, they seek the help of electrical contractors.
But this does not have to be the case; knowing the kind of electrical wiring used in your home will help you learn more about your home’s circuit. Electrical wiring does not have to be boring; continue reading to learn about different types of wires commonly used in residential properties.
NM Cable
The NM cable is one of the most popular types of home electrical wiring. Electrical contractors use this circuit cable for dry, inner home wiring such as the outlets, fixtures, and switches. This wiring comprises three or more individual conductors swaddled in the sheathing, usually a flexible plastic jacket.
This cable comprises one or more hotlines and neutral and ground wires. Most NM cables come in the shape of a flattened tube and run obscurely through your home’s walls, ceilings, or floor cavities.
The electrical contractors use this cable for hidden wall applications since it tends to be cheaper than a conduit. The NM cables are color-coded; their outer jacket comes in various colors to indicate the wire gauge.
Underground Feeder Cable
This type of UM cable is explicitly designed for wet areas and burial grounds. Electrical contractors prevalently use it in supplying outdoor fixtures. Like the non-metallic cable, it is also made of insulated, hot-ground copper wires.
Unlike the NM cable, the UF wire has a solid sheathing plastic surrounding each wire. Also, because of its durable insulation, this electrical wire is more costly for homeowners in Arlington, TX, than the NM wire. You can purchase the UF wire in the gray outer sheathing.
In addition, the UF cable is used for significant circuit wiring; as long as the circuits are on, this wire carries a dangerous voltage.
Low-Voltage Wire
This wire is used for circuits that require 50 volts or below. Electrical contractors commonly use low-voltage wire in items without electricity, such as sprinkler systems, doorbells, thermostats, and landscape lighting.
These low–voltage wires can either be made up of aluminum or copper. Low voltage wires range from 22 to 12 gauge and are typically insulated and can also be held in cable sheathing or put together in twisted doubles like those of lamp cord wire.
Compared to household wires, the low voltage is cheaper. Low-voltage wires rarely give a severe shock, but turning off devices before working with them is always advisable for homeowners in Arlington, TX.
Phone and Data Wire
Data and telephone wires are typically low-voltage cables used for internet and landline phones. The telephone cable is made up of around four to eight threads.
The category five cable is the most popular home data wiring type, containing eight wires bundled together in four pairs. Compared to the standard phone wire, the phone and data wire offers a bigger capacity and quality and can be used for data and phone transmission.
Homeowners in Arlington, TX, seeking a less costly option, can opt for this wire because it’s cheaper than the UF and NM cables. Even though the phone and data wiring carries low voltage, it is dangerous if the data wiring touches the house wiring. Please treat the wire with care and also avoid touching naked cables.
THHN/THWN WIRE
Some common insulated wire types include THHN/THWN wire. The electrical contractors use them inside the conduit. These wires are single conductors, and each has color-coded insulation. And they are protected by a plastic conduit or tubular metal.
The conduit is mainly found in incomplete places such as garages and the basement. Also, these wires should only be used for temporarily exposed runs in the house, like in the wiring connections for water heaters and garbage disposers.
THWN and THHN wires have colored sheathings that electrical contractors use to determine their use in a circuit, i.e., the hot cables can either be black, red, or orange, while ground wires are green or yellow-green.
Lastly, the neutral wires are either white or brown. As for the insulation, the letters indicate their properties:
- T stands for thermoplastic.
- W pinpoints wet areas, N for nylon-coated protection, and H for heat-resistant.
- HH stands for highly heat resistant.
These two cables are circuit wires; you should not handle them when the circuit is on.
Coaxial Cable
The coaxial cable is becoming less and less popular because of other types of wiring. This wiring includes HDMI, which is used to transmit data from the television. The coaxial cable is a circular, insulated cable with a copper conductor.
This cable was, at a point, the primary wire connecting television to cable service delivery or antenna. It’s still used to connect satellite dishes to an in-home distribution point.
You can easily differentiate this cable from the NM cable since it has a white or black covering and typically has a round shape. The coaxial cable is unlikely to cause any shock, provided you ensure the wires are not in contact with any other live wire.
Schedule an Appointment with Tioga Plumbing & Electric Today!
You’ll be amazed at how upgrading your wire can enhance the value and appearance of your home. When you decide to install new electrical wiring, make sure to contact Tioga Plumbing & Electric.
We have a team of certified electrical contractors with the know-how to complete your electrical wiring project. We have a team of licensed electrical contractors who can assist you with all your electrical and plumbing needs, including all types of electrical wiring. Give Tioga Plumbing & Electric a buzz today!
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