The insulation is neither thick nor heavy and it’s rated in voltage.įor instance, UL1015, an 18-gauge wire, can handle 600V up to a temperature rating of 105☌. These would be the next step up from just bare 18-gauge wire. It doesn’t matter what the application is, if you see it without insulation, there’s a large chance that it’s being used to ground, which means that it will channel the current into the ground in case something goes wrong. In its bare naked form, you will generally find that 18-gauge wire is used as a grounding wire. We aren’t referring to whether or not your 18-gauge wire is made of something other than copper, but rather, the different types of size 18 wire in terms of the insulative properties and how hot they get under a certain load. Read also: How Many Amps Can a 8 Gauge Wire Handle (AMPACITY CHARTS!) Different Types of 18-Gauge Wire So there is a lot more that goes into the wiring in your home, in the power lines that run down your street, in the factory downtown, and the giant manufacturing industries across the country. However, the overall formula is affected by the load as well. To determine the voltage drop for an 18-gauge wire, for example, you will determine the resistance at, let’s say, 500’ and multiply that by the voltage. That also comes into play when you are attempting to figure out what the voltage drop will be over a specific distance with a specific load and a specific wire diameter.
AWG also defines the resistance per foot for every gauge type, including a size 18 wire.įor instance, according to the AWG standards, 18-gauge wire has a resistance (represented in Ohms) of 6.4 per foot. The AWG has been around since 1857 so apparently, they found something pretty useful for it to have survived for a century and a half.īut AWG tells you more than just the diameter of the wire that you’re using. AWG stands for American Wire Gauge and 18 is simply the diameter of the wire under the AWG rating system.
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