What is electrical wires?

Electrical Wires are single electrical conductors, while cables are multiple conductors that have been encased in the sheathing.

Most wires are made of copper or aluminum, but they can also be made of steel. They may be bare or insulated, and they're typically covered in a thin layer of PVC. If they have a PVC sheath, then the PVC is colored to indicate whether the wire is a neutral, ground, or hot wire in your electrical installation. We discuss wire colors in their own section in this guide.

Cables contain at least a neutral wire, ground wire, and hot wire that are twisted or bonded together. Depending on its purpose, the cable may contain more wires. The wires in a cable are insulated in their own color-coded layer of PVC. The group of wires is then encased in an outer sheath to make up the single cable!

How to Identify Wires and Cables？

Wires and cables are one of the most important parts of your home's electrical system. They allow you to connect light fixtures, outlets, and appliances to your home power source (whether it's a generator or the grid).

But how do you know which wires are right for your project? It's easy! Each jacket will have information printed on it to help you choose the correct product for your job. A letter code provides the attributes of the wire, along with material, gauge and voltage rating.

Naming and Taxonomy

The NEC provides a system with letters to quickly identify what a wire's capabilities are. Some common lettering for wire includes THHN, XHHW, THW, etc.

THHN is the most commonly used type of wire in conduit and cable trays for services, feeders and branch circuits in commercial or industrial applications. Below are the letters and attributes you'll see regularly in residential wiring:

- T: Thermoplastic insulation - H: Heat resistance - HH: High heat resistance (up to 194 degrees Fahrenheit) - W: Suitable for wet locations - N: Nylon coating

Electrical Wire Color Coding

The color coding of electrical wires is an industry-standard that helps electricians and DIYers to identify the purpose of a wire. It's important to remember that not all wires are hot, even if they're colored black or red. All wires can carry current, but some may have been connected differently from the industry standard.

Black: Hotwire for switches or outlets

Red: Hotwire for switch legs and connecting to hardwired smoke detectors

Blue and Yellow: Hot wires pulled through conduit; blue is often used for three- or four-way switch applications, and yellow is for switch legs to control fans, lights, etc.

White: Neutral (can be hot if marked with black or red to indicate it's no longer a neutral)

Green and Bare Copper: Only for grounding purposes

what is the red wire in electrical？

When trying to understand your home’s electrical system, you may encounter a tangle of colored wires. Here’s what those colors mean.

Red WiresRed wires are usually used as secondary hot wires. Red wires are also hot and should be clearly marked to avoid the dangers of electrocution. Red wires are commonly used when installing ceiling fans, where the light switch may be.

Green WiresGreen insulated wires are often used for grounding. Ground screws on electrical devices are often painted green, too. Never use a green wire for any purpose other than for grounding, as this may pose a serious threat of electrocution for you or a professional working on your home’s electrical system.

Wire Sizing

Choosing the right wire size is very important. It affects the safety of your electrical system, so you want to make sure you get it right.

In most cases, wire size is determined by two things: the current-carrying capacity of the wire (how much amperage it can handle) and what it will be used for.

When choosing a wire size, you'll need to know its AWG number, which is based on its diameter in thousandths of an inch (see table below). For example, if you're installing a new circuit for a home theater system, you'll want to choose a larger gauge wire that can handle higher amperages than if you were installing lights in your garage.

where to buy electrical wire？

It's time to sell your electrical wire and copper wire surplus.

You've got old, broken, or out-of-date electrical wire and copper wire that you don't need anymore. You don't want to let it accumulate dust in your warehouse—or pay to have it thrown away.

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We're always ready to pay cash on the spot before we even leave your site, so you can turn your old, used, obsolete electrical wire into extra funds for new projects or internal initiatives at your company.

So if you're ready to sell your electrical wire and copper wire surplus, call us at (0086) 0755 8527 1922 for an easy and reliable solution!