Electric Wire Size

Electric Wire Size 

Electrical wire that is in a residence will vary in size from No. 14, the smallest permitted to No. 0. The smaller the number of the wire the larger the wire is. Sizes to 0000 are available for special high voltage work.

The wire used may be solid or stranded. No. 6 and larger are stranded for flexibility. A solid wire has less resistance than stranded, that is why No.14 to No. 9 is solid and these are flexible enough to run without major difficulty. The larger wire, No. 6 and larger are stranded so they can bend when they are run.

Drop cords and extension cords and most electrical appliance cords are stranded so they are flexible. These type cords should not be used for in wall wiring. They have higher resistance and heat up more under load.

The size of wire used in a circuit is dependent on how much load it needs to carry. The wire in the circuit should be the same or larger than what is going to be plugged in to it (preferably larger). If you are not sure, have it checked out.

The size of cord that is on the appliance or fixture will give you a good idea what type of load the product will pull. (Big cord = big pull of current.) If you are installing a big ceiling fan for example and the wires in the fan are larger then the ones in the ceiling electrical box, the wires in that circuit are probably not large enough for the fan. Have your electrician check to see if it is safe.

You do not want to overload the wiring and cause a fire hazard.