Types Of Electrical Wiring Used In Homes

Check with your local building inspector before you start any electrical wiring and cable project and be sure to obtain required permits.

Types of electrical wiring used in homes.

Nm cable is usually three or more individual conductors. When wiring a house there are many types wire to choose from some copper others aluminum some rated for outdoors others indoors. In general however there are only a couple varieties used for wiring a residential home. Whether you re building a new home or replacing the wiring in an older home use this guide to learn more about the types of electrical wiring commonly used in homes these days.

Wire types and sizing. Electrical wires and cable have markings stamped or printed on their insulation or outer sheathing. Art plumbing ac electric is here to explain the basics of home wiring by looking at the different types sizes and colors of electrical wires. Electrical service to american homes began in the late 1890s and blossomed from 1920 to 1935 by which time 70 percent of american homes were connected to the electrical utility grid.

You may also know it as romex cable which is the most popular brand name of this type of electrical wiring. In order to understand the different types of wiring systems in your home it is important to first know the basics of electrical wiring. Those conductors are wrapped in a flexible plastic jacket also known as sheathing. An electrical wire is a type of conductor which is a material that conducts electricity in the case of household wiring the conductor itself is usually copper or aluminum or copper sheathed aluminum and is either a solid metal conductor or stranded wire.

Understanding electrical wiring labeling. Old electrical wiring types photo guide to types of electrical wiring in older buildings. The common type of home electrical wiring is non metallic or nm cable. Learning about the types of electrical wiring in homes is a great place to start.

The national electrical code nec and local building codes regulate the types of electrical wires and cable that can be used in specific electrical applications as well as the manner of installation. Aslan alphan getty images. We illustrate a variety of types of electrical wiring found in older buildings. It helps to understand a few basic terms used to describe wiring.

While varying somewhat by area of the country in the u s latin america europe and other areas there are recognizable generations of electrical wiring knob tube greenfield armored cable or bx wiring plastic or nm. Electric wiring in older homes ranges from perfectly usable to downright dangerous. An electrical wire is made up. We ve separated the guide into two sections.