Bigger infrastructures, including electrical posts, use aluminum wires instead of copper.Īside from fire safety, infrastructure owners also take into consideration the economical aspect when choosing the right type of materials for their wiring system. Most houses use copper wires for wiring installations, including sub-panels and other electrical components. Most manufacturers put labels on wire coatings or insulation indicating the material’s type and gauge. Choosing the Right Wireĭepending on your preference, you may choose wires that you think will suit your project with respect to safety and fire hazard. Read more: Ideal Wire Size for a 60 Amp Sub Panel. Knowing this aspect or property of wire can save you or your appliances from electrical damage, especially short circuits or even fire. The smaller the number, the thicker the wire will be and vice versa.īy that, we can say that the thicker the wire, the more amperage a wire can support and deliver. Gauge simply describes the thickness of the wire through numbers. Many newbies or students without experience or advanced knowledge may miss these easily and cause serious damage to appliances and or components.Īmerican Wire Gauge (AWG) is the standard when measuring wire sizes. The size of the wire you will use will also differ depending on what particular electrical installation or servicing you will be doing.īefore reading wire sizes, it is important to know the basic technicalities of electrical installations. For example, you may use a 10 AWG or American Wire Gauge for a 30 amp appliance, and a size 8 AWG for a 45 amp device. Wiring size requirements differ per amp rating of the circuit.

100 amp wire size copper