Although you may not tackle electrical issues around the house on your own, it is very useful to be informed of what lies inside your home’s walls. In the event you come across electrical wiring, call our Central Florida electricians at Sanford Electric Company II, Inc. to do Central Florida electrical services. Even if you are experienced with minor electrical repairs, it is best to leave it to the professionals as it could be your health on the line.
Central Florida electrical services:
Last time you dropped in, we shared some basic electrical terminology. Now, we are going to dive right in. Let’s begin sharing the most common types of electrical wire used in homes.
NM cable:
First, we are sharing info on the NM cable. This cable is often called the Romex because that is one popular brand name of this sort of wire. NM cable is a certain type of circuit wiring.
It is designed for interior use in dry locations in homes. Many NM cables are tubular shaped and flattened. They run hidden behind walls, under the floors, and in cavities inside your homes.
In a modern home, almost all of wiring in outlets and light fixtures is comprised of NM cable. The most common size of NM cable are:
- fourteen gauge
- twelve gauge
- ten gauge
- eight gauge
- six gauge
The most common amperage of these NM cables are:
- fifteen amp circuits
- twenty amp circuits
- thirty amp circuits
- forty amp circuits
- fifty-five amp circuits
To make it easier to tell the wire gauge of each NM cable, they are color coded with an out jacket such as:
- white sheathing indicates NM cable that has fourteen gauge conductors
- yellow sheathing indicates NM cable that has twelve gauge conductors
- orange sheathing indicates NM cable that has ten gauge conductors
- black sheathing on cables indicates six and eight gauge wire
- gray sheathing indicates it is underground cable (UF), not NM cable
That brings us into the next cable, UF.
UF cable:
Underground feeder, or UF cable, is a type of nonmetallic cable. It is designed for wet locations and direct burial in the ground. It is most commonly used for supplying power to outdoor fixtures such as lamp posts. Similarly to NM cable, UF cable has insulated hot and neutral wires plus a bare ground wire.
UF sheathing is a solid plastic that completely surrounds each wire. Unlike UF cable, NM cable has a separate plastic wrap. As we mentioned before, UF sheathing is usually solid with grey outer sheathing.
Thanks for stopping by! We are going to be sharing more common types of wires used in homes like yours. Stop by again for more electrical information. Make a call to our Sanford office today for Central Florida electrical services.
Staff Writer
