Different Home Wiring Types

Explained
Old house or new, you should be familiar with the type of wiring
you have. Building standards change periodically, so make sure
yours is up to code.

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An electrician apprenticeship starts as little as 100 hours in a trade school lab, all the way
up to universities offering 4 year degrees. That’s how much training and knowledge goes
into becoming a licensed electrician. But understanding the basics of your home electrical
wiring doesn’t have to be so intensive.

If you’re doing a simple DIY project around the house, you should know about the types of
electrical wire in a home. There are also common coding, sizing, and labeling you’ll need to
understand.
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We’ve broken down everything you need to know about house electrical wire in this basic
guide.

Why You Need to Know About Your Home’s Electrical Wiring

If you’re doing any type of project around the house, understanding your home electrical
wire can make the job easier. You need to know about the types of electrical wire when
you’re:

installing new wiring and need to know what type of wire to use /
 looking for electrical problems in your home (i.e. knowing the circuit that wiring
belongs to can help you determine the cause of an issue)

doing any electrical repairs or remodeling

Remember that any changes to your home electrical wire must be up to code. That means
following the National Electrical Code as well as any local ordinances in your geographic
location.

The latter tend to be more strict and should be followed closely to avoid errors.

Not following code increases the risk of hazards like fire. It can also cost you if you ever
decide to sell your home and it’s caught by a home inspector.

The Basics of Home Electrical Wire

Before we dive into the types of electrical wire, there are some basic terms, labeling, and
coding you should know about. Understanding these can make your trip to the hardware
store that much easier.

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Cable vs. Wire

The terms ‘cable’ and ‘wire’ so often used interchangeably that you might think they’re the
same thing. But they’re not.

Electrical wire is any material that conducts electricity. They’re the individual conductors
inside a jacket. They’re either insulated or bare.
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A cable, on the other hand, is the combination of two or more wires. These wires are
assembled together with a single jacket.

Cable-Sheath Color Coding

The outer sheathing of cables is color coded. Cables are color coded to tell you about the
size of the wires inside the cable. The color code also indicates the cables amperage.

Below are the color and their associated size and amperage:

Black. 8 or 6-gauge wire, 45 or 60 amp circuits

Orange. 10-gauge wire, 30-amp circuit

Yellow. 12-gauge wire, 20-amp circuit

White. 14-gauge wire, 15-amp circuit

Gray cables are underground feeder (UF) cables. All UF cables are gray. In order to know the
gauge of the wire and the circuit information, you’ll have to check the cable-sheath labeling.

In addition, cable-sheath color coding is a relatively new innovation in the electrical industry.
It wasn’t introduced until 2001 and companies aren’t obligated to use it. For that reason, you
should always check with the manufacturer if the color coding complies with current
standards.

Wire Color Coding

Unlike cable-sheath color coding, wire color coding is standard for all conductors. Home
electrical wire is usually limited to the following colors:

Live
White. This is a neutral wire. It’s responsible for completing a circuit by Chat
carrying the
current back to the panel.

Black/Red. These are hot wires. That means that they carry electrical current from the
panel to a device. The device might be a receptacle, light fixture, switch, or an
appliance.

Bare/Green. This color code indicates ground wires. A ground wire comes into play
when there’s a ground fault. These wires create a path for the current to return to your
home’s breaker , blow a fuse, and cut off electricity.

There are other colors of wire but there are the most common ones you’ll find in your home./
Knowing what each wire represents can help you understand how the various wires in your
home contribute to your electrical system.

Labeling
Both wires and cables use labeling to tell you about the wire size, the material, the number
of wires inside a cable, the type of insulation, and other special ratings. The labels are
printed on the wire insulation or on the outer sheathing of a cable.

Wire Size
The size of the wire refers to the diameter of the conductor itself. It’s regulated by
the American Wire Gauge system . In a nutshell, the smaller the wire is, the larger the
gauge.

It’s imperative that the size of the wires you choose matches the amperage of the circuit. If
they don’t match, the risk of short circuits and fires is greatly increased.

But how do gauges and amperages work together?

The gauge of a wire determines how much current-carrying capacity it has. Current-carrying
capacity is essentially the amount of amperage a wire can safely handle.

In terms of home electrical wire, you’ll usually be working with 12 or 14-gauge wire. But for
appliances, you’ll be using 10, 8, or 6 gauge. Things like stoves, water heaters, dryers,
and air conditioning units use these larger gauges because they require a lot of
amperages.

Stranded Wire vs. Solid Live Chat

When you need to push the wire through a conduit, you need solid wire. But when you need
to pull wire through a conduit, you might think about using stranded wire. Because it’s more
flexible, it’s easier to get around corners or hard-to-reach areas.

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Types of Electrical Wire in a Home
There are a number of different types of wiring and cable found throughout a home as well
as around it. We’ll go through the most common types in more detail below.

Non-Metallic Cable
In homes built after the mid-1960s, the wiring is relatively standard.

The common type of home electrical wiring is non-metallic, or NM, cable. You may also know
it as Romex cable, which is the most popular brand name of this type of electrical wiring.

NM cable is usually three or more individual conductors. Those conductors are wrapped in a
flexible plastic jacket also known as sheathing. In one NM cable, you’ll usually find a hot
wire, a ground wire, and a neutral wire.

NM is used for dry, interior home electrical wiring. That includes appliances, switches, light
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fixtures, and outlets. The most common sizes of NM found in modern homes are:

14-gauge, 15-amp circuits

12-gauge, 20-amp circuits

10-gauge, 30-amp circuits

8-gauge, 40-amp circuits

6-gauge, 55-amp circuits

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Alternatively, your house electrical wires may be installed in a conduit. This is a flexible
metal or plastic tubing. It’s usually used in situations where wiring is exposed.

Regulations Around NM Cable

There are a few regulations around NM cable that you should be aware of.

First, they cannot be used in residential construction that exceeds three stories in height.
Strictly designed for homes, they can’t be used in commercial constructions either.

NM cable is designed as a permanent home electrical wire system. They shouldn’t be

used as a substitute for extension cords. They also shouldn’t be used to substitute the
wiring for your appliances.

You must use the proper support for the cables where necessary. You cannot support them
with nails or stables. Anything that could damage the cable is not permitted as support and
they must be secured at intervals of less than 4.5 feet.

Armored Cable
As mentioned, local ordinances on house electrical wire tend to be more strict than national
codes. And in some communities, Romex or NM cable is not permitted for use. Instead,
these communities use armored cable or AC.

Also known as BX, this type of electrical wire dates back to the early 1900s, but it’s still in
use today. AC wiring is designed with flexible metallic sheathing. This provides extra
protection for the conductors inside.

Similar to NM cables, AC isn’t permitted for use in commercial buildings or residential

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constructions exceeding three stories. The regulations surrounding support are also similar.

Underground Feeder Cable

While AC and NM cables are designed for dry, interior conditions, you need a cable that’s
okay for use outdoors or in wet conditions. This type of cable doesn’t need the protection of
walls, floors, and ceilings.

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That’s why when you need to run wire underground or to outdoor projects, you use an
underground feeder, of UF, cable. This type of electrical wire is also non-metallic cable and it
can be buried under the ground without conduit.

It can also get wet without any issues.

Similar to NM cable, UF cable is made up of three wires.

One hot wire, one neutral wire, and a bare ground wire. They appear similar to NM cable as
well, but the sheathing around UF cable is a solid plastic that you can’t roll between your
fingers.

Metal-Clad Cable
If you have some home electrical wire running through unfinished areas like basements,
they need a stronger outer surface. That’s where the metal-clad cable comes in.

It’s used in unfinished areas where the wiring is exposed to the possibility of physical
damage.

Low-Voltage Wiring
When you have a circuit that uses less than 50 volts, you might use low-voltage wiring.

This type of house electrical wire is used for items that don’t require a lot of electricity. This
includes doorbells , most thermostats , and landscape lighting .

You’ll find low-voltage wire ranges in size from 12 to 22-gauge. It’s usually insulated or
covered in cable sheathing.

Phone and Data Wire

If you still have a landline telephone, you have special wiring for it. The same can be said for
your internet connection.

Both your phone and internet use low-voltage wires. Your telephone and data cables can
contain anywhere from four to eight wires. But the most common type of cable used for this
purpose is Category 5, or Cat 5.

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Cat 5 cables are eight wires that are wrapped together in four pairs. This is actually the most
efficient type of cable for a phone and data transmission.

Electrical Wiring Channels

Well not exactly a home electrical wire, wiring channels definitely come in handy with home
wiring systems.

Also known as electric channel raceways or plastic channels, these extruded profiles help
you protect and organize all of the types of electrical wire in your home. But they can also
be used in commercial, medical, and industrial applications.

Made in a square, round, flat, rectangular, domed, or completely customized shape,

electrical wiring channels have a range of applications. In your home, you use them to
prevent tangling, wire damage, and disorganization.

They may also help prevent trip hazards when you have cables running along floors and
walls.

More Help Understanding Your Home and its Electrical Wiring

Home electrical wire systems are complicated. But understanding its components can help
you diagnose problems, complete repairs, plan for renovations, and keep your wiring up to
code.

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The first things you need to know about your house electrical wire are the basics. You
should know how size relates to amperage, how cable-sheath and wire color coding works,
and how to read a cable or wire label. But you should also know the difference between
wires and cables and when you use a stranded versus solid wire.

After that, you have to know all of the types of electrical wire in your home.

These include everything from the NM cables powering your outlets to the UF cables
powering your outdoor lamp posts. But your home may also use AC cable in place of NM, as
well as metal-clad cable in unfinished places and low-voltage cable for low-power
receptacles.

But knowing and understanding your home electrical system doesn’t necessarily translate to
being able to repair or change it.

For that, you might need the help of a professional. If that’s the case, check out our wide
range of electrical services and see how we can help you.

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