ELECTRICAL WIRING

Wire talk
Dcor Speak


Electrical wire refers to conductors which route electricity from a power source to lights, appliances, and other electrical devices. Copper is the most commonly used material for electrical conductors used in home wiring; aluminum is occasionally used, too.
Although copper is the best and most commonly used metal for conductors, aluminum and copperclad aluminum are also sometimes used. Because aluminum is not as efficient a conductor as copper, an aluminum or copper-clad aluminum wire must be larger than a copper wire in order to conduct the same amount of electricity.
Wires have an outer sheath of insulation to prevent against the unwanted transfer of electricity with either a combination of single conductors (individual wires) or a multiconductor cable, which is more convenient to use.
Cable typically combines a neutral wire, one or two "hot" wires, and a grounding wire inside a plastic or metal covering.
The individual wires in a cable are insulated from one another by a color-coded thermoplastic material that doesn't carry current.
It is very important to choose the right type of wires for the job. The wires used to carry electricity or other pulses through the home can be instrumental in safety and can even control costs.