2.
Electrical wire in a term used to describe
insulated conductors employed to deliver
electricity. The type of electrical wire used for
the interior electrical systems of buildings is
determined by it’s purpose and the amount of
power demand on the circuit, the operational
environment of the wiring, the type of
occupancy and size of the building as well as
government regulations.
3.
Electrical wiring for a single family home is the
most simple as it requires far less power and
fewer changes to the building structure and
layout. In a light commercial building, such as
a hair salon or retail store, more complex
systems will be installed and wiring changes
may be more frequent. Electrical wire systems
for heavy industrial use are designed to
withstand large currents, high voltage, frequent
changes to equipment layout and dangerous
conditions.
4.
The first electrical wiring systems used
conductors that were bare or were protected
with cloth and then stapled to building frames
or running boards. Because of the high labor
cost to install those systems, and the danger
of electrocution or fire, the industry soon
turned to knob and tube wiring, which was the
first standardized method of wiring in
buildings.
5.
The first armored cables with two rubber-insulated
conductors in a flexible metal sheath were used
dating back to 1906. Beginning in the
1920s, polymers were used to insulate the cables
because rubber encasing becomes dry and brittle
over time. However, rubber insulated electrical
wiring cables is still used for short term projects
and in instances when flexibility is required.
Industrial cables that are buried underground are
often insulated in a rubber-like polymer in order to
protect against moisture.
6.
Modern cables used for electrical wiring are
commonly referred to as “Romex cables,”
named after the company that first
manufactured modern, non-metallic sheathed
cables. The design is comprised of two to four
wires covered with thermoplastic insulation
and a bare wire for grounding wrapped in a
flexible plastic jacket. Sometimes, the
individual conductors are wrapped in paper
before being encased in the plastic jacket.
7.
For the most part, electrical wiring used in
single conductor buildings wire is solid wire
because it is not necessary for the electrical
wire to be flexible. Building wire conductors
larger than
6 mm² are stranded for flexibility during
installation; however, they are not designed to
be flexible during use.
8.
Electrical
wire
cables
used
in
industrial, commercial and apartment buildings
are often manufactured with many insulated
conductors in an overall jacket, with helical
tape steel or aluminum casing, or steel wire
casing, and perhaps as well an overall PVC or
lead jacket for protection from moisture and
physical damage.
9.
Woven bronze wires are used to protect
electrical wiring cables intended for very
flexible services or in marine applications.
Power or communications cables such as
those used to build computer networks, and
that are routed in or through air-handling
spaces of office buildings typically fall under a
specific model code. These electrical wires
must be either encased in metal conduit or
rated for low flame and smoke production.