Electrical Wire for the Home
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Summary: Complete listing of electrical wire types and parts used for home projects with electrical code information serves as selection guidelines.
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The most common type of home electrical wire that is installed for general purpose electrical circuits is Romex, also known as Type NM or Non-Metallic sheathed cable made up of at least one pair of insulated wire conductors and one bare wire used for the ground conductor. The ground conductor is bonded throughout the home to maintain a contiguous grounded system which originates back at the Main Service Panel.
The installation of the Romex style home-electrical-wire is accomplished by drilling holes using approved methods which protects the wire and maintains structural integrity for the home. Methods are available to protect wiring which becomes vulnerable to damage which could occur during the installation of sheet rock or other wall coverings. This protection is provided by Safety Plates, as shown in the table below.
The insulated Romex wiring conductors are rated for temperature. This rating limits the current flow in amperage thereby preventing the home-electrical-wire from overheating and causing a fire. Using the properly sized wire will ensure safe circuit performance
This table shows the Amperage Rating for home-electrical-wire sizes:
60 Deg C
(140 Deg F)75 Deg C
(167 Deg F)90 Deg C
(194 Deg F)60 Deg C
(140 Deg F)75 Deg C
(167 Deg F)90 Deg C
(194 Deg F)TW,
UFRHW, THHW, THW, THWN, XHHW THHN,
THWN-2,
XHHWTW,UF RHW, THHW, THW, THWN, XHHW THHN, THWN-2, XHHW
Size
#14 20 20 25 - - - #12 25 25 30 20 20 25 #10 30 35 40 25 30 35 #8 40 50 55 30 40 45 #6 55 65 75 40 50 60 #4 70 85 95 55 65 75 #3 85 100 110 65 75 85 #2 95 115 130 75 90 100 #1 110 130 150 85 100 115 Although this table is true and accurate, many times the wire type is not known. There are also instances where more than one type of wire is used on a circuit. This is why it is best to use this default chart to determine the capacity of the wire sizes listed below
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Please Note: This table is for Copper Wire Only:
| Wire | |
| #14 | 15 |
| #12 | 20 |
| #10 | 30 |
| #8 | 40 |
Romex Wire |
Name & Amps |
Typical Use
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Receptacles and Lighting |
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Lighting - 3-Way Switches and Smoke Detectors |
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Receptacles |
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3-Wire Circuits - Kitchen / Garage |
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Water Heaters - Small A/C |
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Dryers 4-Wire Receptacle |
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Small Ovens |
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DESCRIPTION |
PURPOSE |
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Romex Staple Fasten cables to wood structure every 4-1/2' and within 8 " of boxes. |
7/16 - #14 Romex 9/16 - #12 & #10 Romex 1 - Inch for Larger Cables |
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Safety Plate |
Protect the wires in vulnerable areas [See How] |
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DESCRIPTION |
CAPACITY |
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Large Blue Wirenut |
#14 thru #6 AWG Min. 3 #12 Max. 2 #6 w/ 1 #12 |
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Large Gray Wirenut |
#18 to #6 AWG Min. 2 #12 Max. 6 #12 |
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Red Wirenut |
#18 thru #8 AWG Min. 2 #18 Max. 4 #10 |
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Yellow Wirenut |
#18 thru #10 AWG Min. 2 #18 Max. 3 #12 |
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Orange Wirenut |
#22 to #14 AWG Min. 1 #18 w/ 1 #20 Max. 4 #16 w/ 1 #20 |
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DESCRIPTION |
PURPOSE |
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Crimp Sleeve |
Joining two or three #14 or #12 bare ground wires to form a "tail" for bonding plugs & switches |
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Green Grounding Screw |
Bond the ground wire using tapped ground access #14 and #12 wires |
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Grounding Clip |
For older metal boxes without a ground screw access #14 and #12 wire |
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Ground Lug |
Bonding larger wires various sizes for wires |
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Remember to always check the device specifications for the Required Amperage and Circuit Breaker size, then select your home electrical wire size.
