What's the Difference Between All These Wire Types?!?!
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
- As with most things in the construction industry, there are multiple ways to perform every task and there are MANY different types of materials to use! The wire we use in the electrical field is no different. So, what are the differences in the types of wire and where can we use each? In the latest installment of Electrician U, Dustin brings to light (pun intended!!) some of the more common types of wire.
[00:26] - Intro
[02:00] - Sizing 310.15 (ampacity)
[02:50 - Steve "The Namer of Things"
[03:35] - 310.4 Table
[10:50] - Merch messages
[14:13] - Outro
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Article 310 of the NEC covers conductors for general wiring. Table 310.4(A) within the article covers conductors and insulations rated for 600v, and this is the table we would use for most of our general electrical applications. One thing to keep in mind here is that the tables in Article 310 are referring to the different INSULATION types as that is what is generally changing from one certain conductor to another. Not necessarily the metal within but the insulation.
Reading the tables are relatively easy. Left column is the trade name, second from left is the abbreviated version (what we would refer to the conductor as so we don’t have to say the entire thing each time!), third in the order is the temperature the conductor is good for, 4th is what environment the conductor can be used in, the 5th column is what the insulation is made of, the next three columns give you the insulations thickness and the last column lets us know what type of overall outer covering the conductor has.
The operating temperature column you see may have 2 different temperature ratings. This means the wire is rated for dual use. Look one column to the right and it will tell you what environment each temperature rating is good for. Also, there may be fine print notes next to an item, and to see what those are, just go to the end of the table and they are all listed there! These may contain conditions for the special applications or something of that nature.
Ok, so on to something we may see a bit more often. THHN is a conductor type that we use often. We can see that its insulation is of a thermoplastic nature (that is the T in the abbreviation), that the conductor is good for 90 degrees (that is the HH in the abbreviation), and that it has an outer covering of nylon (that is the N in the abbreviation). THHW is another conductor we may use often. Reading its information, we see that it is relatively the same as THHN, but it can be used in WET or DRY locations (that is the W in the abbreviation). THW is also close to the other two we just mentioned, but it is only allowed to be used as a 75-degree conductor (hence the single H). THWN is next on the list, and reading its composition, we can see that it still is a thermoplastic insulation type, rated for 75 degrees, moisture resistant, with an outer coating of nylon. THWN-2 is closely related but that 2 signifies that it can be used in a 90-degree environment as well. TW is the last of the thermoplastic conductors within the group. Much the same as the others, but without the heat ratings, it is only allowed to be used as a 60-degree conductor.
Thermoset is also something quite common for us electricians. The conductor types are preceded with the letter X. They are structured much the same, but have a thermoset type of insulation, whereas the others we discussed were of the thermoplastic type. Thermoplastic insulation types will break down and almost melt when heated too much and harden when cool. Thermoset insulation types are insoluble and non-melting.
So, picking the wire type to use isn’t terribly awful. You must research what environment you will be using the conductor in, what type of heat rating you want it to have, and a few other job specific items and there you have it!
#electrician #electrical #electricity
I would love to share the following information:
No H - 60 Celsius insulation rating
H - 75 Celsius insulation rating
HH - 90 degree Celsius permitted in dry or damp locations
-2 - 90 degree Celsius permitted in wet or dry locations
N - Nylon outer cover
T - thermoplastic insulation
U- underground
W- permitted in wet locations
X - Thermoset insulation.
@@URBANENGINEER X means cross-linked polyethylene.
a "most common residential code violations" type video would be neat.
top 25 violations the inspectors find
@@Ezzell_ important distinction
Agreed. I do new resi construction, so I would prob know most of them but would still love to see that video
@@Ezzell_ ya i like this better, actually.
Agreed!!!!
This channel easily deserves 1 million subscribers. I have been in the electrical field for 15+ years but I still learn something new after watching one of Dustin's videos.
Thank you my dude we’ll get there ⚡️⚡️💪
I just looked up... 432,000 currently, as of 4 August 2022. Almost halfway there!
As a veteran who got discharged during the height of c19 I was offered NO type of technical training schools because they all shut down.
This channel has given me so much hope that there's a career I can delve into without needing to pay for a formal education.
Thanks for everything you put into this channel man, really 🙏
@@mikeburrello4396if you want to learn the trade to a very very in depth study of electricity and most everything about the entire trade including why electricity functions the way that it does right down to how to produce electricity then I would strongly suggest a real union apprenticeship. As far as no programs available during Covid I have to say the union apprenticeships did not stop taking in apprentices.
I’m a apprentice electrician just finally got my hours needed to go for journeyman’s. Your channel has been so helpful on my journey so far really can’t see myself doing anything else love being a electrician
Did you ever get your license?
For context, almost all "THHN" on the shelf is going to be cross listed as THWN as well so you can use it in PVC which is considered a wet location. Also, almost everyone I know uses XHHW for overhead services where the conductors are exposed to rain/snow.
This is really good to know, Thank you !
You don’t know how many times I’ve seen so many contractors or even guys who been doing this for years who don’t use the right type of insulation for the right applications. Love this video!
If you're dealing with building wire (single conductor wires) almost all them are multi-purpose, meaning they have many different ratings to each wire. If you look at a THHN listed wire, it'll also be rated THWN, THW-2, MTW, T9O, etc. Good for use both in USA and Canada. (Which is why most wires are rated 600V instead of 480.)
Thank you so much for explaining these questions. Electrician U is definitely the most interesting and useful channel if you're interested in electrical stuff.
Why thank you Shawn Y 👌 glad I saw the comment, keep them coming!
Nice work on the code book video, I really like seeing the layout and the zooming capabilities in action. No one else has this (apparently) and it makes a world of difference. Thanks for the commitment to continued improvement of teaching methods, Dustin! We see you bro...
Excellent video
Being a plastics injection molder, this was very interesting.
Thermosets will not melt again. There is a chemical transition that happens when heat is applied to the material. It can burn, but not melt.
Good examples of their use is a plastic ashtray and these newer soft cooking utensils. Some electrical boxes and circuit breakers are also a thermoset.
I always remember "stat" means quickly..."set" means just that....Set ( leave and forget)
Dustin is the man! I’m very appreciative for his information and entertainment. All the electricians I know under 40 all watch his videos.
Your the man Dan!! I’m a licensed electrician in Massachusetts and I have a brand new apprentice that still has not attended school but will be in 6 months or so . I’m not the best at teaching or the technical stuff so I tell him to watch a lot of your videos , this way he may understand a bit better . Your awesome at explaining things even for me who is a licensed journeyman. I hope you extend over to Massachusetts for the continued education part . Love your channel and will continue to support it! Last note … I need to get me a ElectricianU shirt and hat !! Love the logo . Anyways take care and keep up the awesome work 🤙🏻👍🏻.
- Chris Schwab
No BS I was just googling types of wire yesterday! You the man Dustin!
Enjoying this video with some beers bro. Thanks for posting this. Just an average retiree trying to learn a little something tonight to clear up the murky magic that is y'all's world of electrical
A video interviewing a inspector would be great. Some topics can include common code violations/misconceptions, and quality of work in the trade. Thanks!
That’s a great idea
Absolutely! Even better would be actual body-cam footage of electrical inspectors yelling at homeowners for not doing the work to Code, and making dumb mistakes that clearly indicate that they don't know what they're doing!
LOVE THIS! Thank you so much for explaining this in simple terms with code references!
I went through hvac school. I wish it was more focused on the electrical end. Currently working at a hardware store and these videos are extremely helpful and entertaining and just the right length.
So happy you got back into making these videos, always stoked when I get the notification 👍
Thanks for watching my dude!
Great video! I used to work in the plastics department at an auto plant in the plastics department. Propylene is just another type of plastic. Just different manufacturing processes. Think dash of your car vs insulation on speaker wire. At any rate, keep up the great work you're doing👍
I appreciate you for bringing this content I’m in hvac but I thank you for this!! 👏🏽
The MOST succinct explanation I have ever heard on this topic! Well worth the listen! 😃
So much great info! Thanks man, you're doing good things here!!
That was awesome, it was not a question that I knew I needed to ask. So I'm really grateful that someone else asked.
You're always sharing some important knowledge. Thank you.
Keep it's up, man. Your videos are essential to the trade!
This Chanel is truly one of a kind!! 5 Diamond status! Keep up the amazing work and thank you kindly for all involved bringing this info to us.
Dustin! Thank you my man for all the extraordinary content. 🤘🏽
really appreciate this video, we’re doing correction factor calculations in class right now !
I was just looking this up over the weekend. The timing couldn't have been better!
Awesome video! Been going over this in school and they have a weird way of explaining this... you cleared it right up for me haha! Great video!
This is so helpful! Im just getting into the trade and wow this was a super simple and well spoken video!! Thanks!
I literally have used a website called wire and cable your way. They have wire of all kinds, sell it by the foot, and I've always got good quality from them.
Yes, this helps. We always ran THHN for our automatic electric gates but never knew why. -- Thanks ---
Omg I love this thank you so much for keeping everyone humble man...facts I love it 👌🖖🤘
Very well explained. Thank you for the information.
So, Dustin, "etc." is the written abbreviation for "et cetera". The little 3 up to the right of the note is superscript (subscript is written below the base height). Electricians are generally brighter than the average public, so I'm surprised you were never taught these common details.
American public schools have been totally failing our students. This is so sad.
Your coverage of the NEC table was good, so good vid.
Very solid introduction. Thank you. I don't have time to dig into it at the moment but this gives me a platform to answer some questions I have about wiring inside furnaces. I'm HVAC. Thank you again!
Thank You, man. That was really helpful.
Nice presentation. Love the animation with the arrow pointing my attention to where I need to be looking at as he explains.
Dummy - proof!
Great content overall!
Great information, thank you Dustin!
Well said. Pretty straight and to the point. All the info that 95% of guys will need to know.
Thanks for the explanation well illustrated.
THANK YOU! MUCH NEEDED VIDEO
Thanks, your videos are really helpful
This chanels helped me so much with figuring out what the hell everything means and just getting a general understanding of everything thanks for spreading ur knowledge
No problem my friend, thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
Super useful! Thank you.
Thanks for the knowledge it helps alot
The outer coating of THHN also provides less surface resistance, and allows for an easier pull.
This is the greatest RUclips channel of all time, undisputed.
Thanks for the hard work
Cool. Super Helpful.
It would be great if you covered the assembled cords too! SJ JOOW, PVC and more, you could get less common and cover some of the spiffy wires used in solar also, this is interesting stuff
Thank you for this information!! But now it leads me to the additional question; how do you calculate what the heat rise will be so you then know which covering to use?
Great edits adding the arrow to follow along.
Great job/ thanks for the information
Dude, I'm really appreciating these videos. I like to think I'm caught up and then bam there's another extremely relevant and practical application video WITH the details my brain needs to apply said details. Thank you for making an impact with the details by making it interesting and not dry and boring. U da man.... See what I did there....U
Hahaha thanks man I’m glad you get something from all this craziness. We have so much more coming, especially on the Website. Stay tuned 👌
Thanks for sharing your expertise and passion for the electrical trade. Got any advice for someone who is looking to get back into it after being out of it for 10+years?
New sub, great stuff brother 👍
Great education video
Many thanks
P.S. Please keep it up for us.
Thanks my friend! No plan on stopping anytime soon 🤙
I loved it the one day in class, the teacher brought 20 3ft pieces of wire. Showed the difference in casing and how the casing can look similar but have totally different rating/use.
Dustin can you do a video on how to navigate through the Code book? I have trouble going through even when I was in school.
Thanks you and you best.
Nice one!
My favorite channel for furthering my electrical knowledge. It’s also fun to put on because my wife automatically leaves the room . “ Why are you always watching that show?!!” I’m going to go to bed 🤪
Super informative. Even for a non electrician 🤙
If THHN is cross listed as MTW or THWN or THWN-2 how do you know which temperature rating to reference in 310.4A.
Also my PDF version of the 2020 NEC Book does even have THHN listed in the 310.4A table.
Thank for the great explanation. What about high temp wire. In work in facility that has a very hot room? At the top of the 20 foot ceiling can be up to 200 degrees f due to a burner we have the heat molten sulfur up to 1200 degrees f to burn the material into a gas
Thank you! Learn something new every video!
Any chance you have or could do one on how 310.x and 240.x (2017) OCP marry up? 240.x
Hi Dustin. Saludos desde Tijuana, BC. México. Good video
Cool books for home use
Any chance you’ll be adding Florida to the continuing education list? Can’t wait! :)
Great video. I wish you would have made note of the diameter size difference which changes the number of allowable conductors in a raceway.
SHAWN Y THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION!!!!!
My pleasure. Surprised to see he actually saw my question and made a video about that. Best and most interesting channel for those who are interested in electric trade.
Excellent. Question , can TNNW Tray cable be used in residential to feed subpanel in detached garage. 100 amp with conduit from house to garage .
Great video and information, thank you for sharing it with us!
Dustin, I'm looking for a very flexible wire that is impervious to gasoline, alcohol, oils (natural and synthetic), and other types of chemicals that may be found in the automotive world.
Do you have any suggestions, please? Thank you!
There's actually a rating for that, and its in my (now ancient) 3rd edition Pocket Ref book.
What you're looking for is THOW or THOWN (not sure if they make a THOWN-2 tho).
The "O" in those stands for "oil-resistant".
However, I don't think there's a rating for specifically gasoline, or alcohol resistant insulation that I know of. Light hydrocarbons tend to attack most any kind of plastic we can come up with. IMO best bet would be Teflon or Silicone insulation, however I'm unsure if the NEC has anything about those particular materials used as electrical insulation.
Silicone is an EXCELLENT high voltage insulator, and silicone-insulated wires are (were) often used for the wire leading from the flyback transformer to the CRT in old computer monitors and televisions. I know that much for certain.
⚡️much respect
⚡️ back atcha bubba!
Can you make a video of conduit fills please, your videos are really helpful
For next vid, explain to ppl what types of these conductors (& romex) that can be run through conduit outdoors (or underground) & in diff weather conditions etc…. As get so many questions all the time about that, & another question I get: having J-boxes in attics, crawl spaces & the “types of materials they made from” & if need cover plate or not. Last question answer a lot (these like top 3 I get) is: what do we do with wires we cut & are not working (maybe breaker tripped or disconnected), we cut & shove into wall to remove “outlet/switch” that’s in the way BUT are working & can be live, etc….. Never a dull day😊
Just use Romex (nm-b) outdoors in 1 inch of water when rains inside conduit to a 20a receptacle. Hey, it’s gfci, not TWR rated, but it’s gfci, & is what the contractor ran from my parents 15a outlet (on inside of wall they drilled they & took a traveler to a new outdoor outlet) to a 20a & from the 20a connected a sprinkler controller (if not familiar, sprinkler systems aren’t supposed to be connected to gfci when “hardwired”): & did back stab connections & didn’t even “screw down” hot & common terminals in the side. Hate backstab & wish didn’t make ever, although back connections are great.
Also, finding THWN not easy to find in my area AT ALL. THHN, easy to find & THWN, gotta work for it😉. Now, I gotta get that romex out of the conduit & redo everything. Oh joy for handymen: which in my state can’t even legally install a ceiling fan, let alone electrical rough in & anything else a remodel includes. Imo, this guy messed up this house as flickering lights, tripped breakers, & so on (installed water heaters & oh boy, that cost $1300 to fix & bring to code).
Thx Dustin, cheers!
Hey @Dustin, I’m confused about wire types to used for outdoor Generator Power Inlet box. Are the UF-B, THHN or THWN etc wires good for these application or what wire should I use? I am confused…all the video I watch only showing the ampacity and the wire size but never mentioned any type of wire. Hope you can help me out. Thanks
Hey Dustin. Can you explain how a rib relay works and how to wire it
Well you hit on a lot of things I was looking for. I wish you had talked about what these wires are used for. I need to run from my panel through the basement then outside in conduit ending up at a sub panel. I was originally going to run SER 1/0 cable, it seems that electricians disagree on whether or not it could be burned in conduit. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.
Just got out of my wire class where they showed us all this now I’m eating lunch watching this video on all the same stuff
I'd really like to see you interview Steve.
Hi Dustin. You can explain how to wire a cable from transformer (delta or wye) to main panel of commercial building (3 phase).
So there is stranded and solid too. Is stranded wire at the same AWG rated to the same ampacity? For example is 12 AWG THHN stranded and solid both OK for 20amp branch circuits?
Cool. Why would you use a thermoset over the other thermoplastic?
Hi Dustin! Could you please do a video on SER cable? Please! I'm wiring a 100 amp sub panel (80 ft run, through attic). I love the price of aluminum, but I'm hesitant due to the cold creep issues and corrosion problems (with/without Noalox). Copper just seems to exceptionally stable. I'm honestly not sure if aluminum is worth using, albeit 1/3 the price of copper. Maybe I'm just too old school. Thank you.
I'm trying to figure out a similar situation. I would be interested in hearing what route you went.
My job runs 90ft from the main panel in a garage, over rafters, down inside the wall, through a 2" hole and 1.25" PVC with a section of schedule 80 underground 18" deep then up and through a shed wall to a subpanel. That was the plan, anyway, until I pulled it through the first wall and realized the twists from the spool made it nearly impossible and I was shredding the jacket trying to force it. It was 2-2-2-4 AL SER and I feel very stupid for trying.
I'm still not sure if I should use THHN/THWN-2 #4 with a conduit in the walls or if I can pull them through holes in the studs to the panel. The rafters in the garage need a 17ft ladder to access. If I have to put conduit up there, I may just consider not having power instead.
Not even sure how to ask my question. I recently made a 250 foot extension cord out of TW 8 AWG flat 3 wire. The conductor bundle is wrapped in a black rubber-like protective layer. In our area this wire is normally used in water wells. It is in excellent condition. One end is plugged into a 30 amp RV recepticle off of our main breaker panel. We plug an RV "shore power" cable into the other end for occasional use. It is layed out across an open yard. We are in SoCal. From your presentation I conclude it has a 140 degree rating at about 40 amps. How do I test it for temp to see how I am doing relative to the spec? Do I wait until noon on a hot summer day, crank up the load and use an infared thermometer to measure the temp of the wire bundle? (Like most such specs I assume there is a pretty good safety factor i.e. that the cable covering/insulation won't melt until say 170 degrees). I assume I would do this closest to the load.
actually aluminum alloy has changed over the years . old aluminum wire is not the same as new. aluminum wire older than 1971 has a different alloy . it is recommended to change it out.
Awesome
Bruhhh literally was looking at this stuff earlier today when I at the recyclers 😂😂😂
I'm a HomeOwner. Designed and built my 4,200.SF home in San Diego, CA after purchasing the land and having the septic system installed. I used mostly Subs as an "Owner Builder". I learned a bunch, but electrical I left to the Pros. I am adding Solar to my home now and want to do as much of/some of the electrical (legal) myself both the DC and AC. Is there a book(s) you would recommend for a person like me that is basically familiar but not schooled in "electrical"? For example, would purchasing the NEC be good or should I just get Ugly's Residential guide? Is there a need for both? What do you recommend?
I am installing a minisplit system. The max breaker size required is a double pole(240v) 15amp. I plan on installing this on an existing unused circuit. I plan on swapping out the 30amp double pole breaker for the 15amp double pole, but the would like to continue using the 10/2 wire that is still there. Are there any violations on using 10/2 wire on a 15amp 240v circuit? I know it is way oversized. Will the reduction in resistance, by using the thicker wire cause any negative effects?
Is there a such thing a a 16 AWG wire with silicone for automobiles for the low beam headlight ?
Kinda wish you got into the more exotic insulation types.
Like MI for instance, whole buildings will be done in MI, but they're specialized buildings doing specialized things.
I mean, from what I understand of electrical work, if you're building a rocket engine test stand, MI seems like a good choice.
Same (but for different reasons) if you're supplying electricity to something like a rock crusher or wiring up a foundry.
Things like that, what kinds of exotic wire types there are out there, and where you'd expect to find them, I think that could make an interesting video.
How do you relate those stated temperatures to a real-world description such as "one-inch EMT 50% full running horizontally in summer noon-time Texas sun"?
Hey Dustin. Miguel here.
If you have PVC conduit going underground; do you still have to use weather rated wire? ...Or even outdoor patio conduit for example... Could you just use THHN as long as it is inside conduit?
Thanks bud, love the content!
No, conduit outside is a wet location
Must use thhw
@ISaeProductions is right, but most THHN is cross rated as THWN as well. Check the listing.
Correct me if I’m wrong, so even though romex and thhn have conductors with the same jacket properties, romex is in 60C because the sheathing will melt if it was at 90C?
Do you have a video that explains VAR’s
What is the name of the thick wire used in temporary electrical power pole? There are 2 blacks and one silver for neutral?
Hi. I'm running a 240 volt welder plug off of my Siemens 200 Amp panel. I'm using a 60 Amp double pole QP style breaker. WHY do they make the breaker terminals SO SMALL 1/4" ??? I WANTED to try and use Kcmil 250 wire because I have a lot of it. The only other cable I have is 8 AWG. If I'm only running the cable less than 5 feet could I sneak by with this??? I know I'm suppose to use 8 AWG THANKS