A system of wires that is used to provide

electricity to electrical appliances is called

electrical wiring system.

 Enlistsome wiring accessories?

Wiring accessories include switch, fuse,
socket, plug, lamp holder, ceiling rose etc.
 Define wiring tools?
Tools that are used for electrical wiring are
called wiring tools.

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A wire is a single conductor(material most
commonly being copper or aluminum). A wire
is a single strand (element/conductor) or a
group of strands of an electrically conductive
material.

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A cable is two or more insulated wires
wrapped in one jacket, in other words, A
cable is two or more wires running side by
side and bonded, twisted, or braided
together to form a single assembly.

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 Wire gauge is a measurement of how large a
wire is, either in diameter or cross sectional
area.
 Wire gauge also determines the amount of
electric current a wire can safely carry, as
well as its electrical resistance and weight
per unit of length.
 A lot of wire gauges have been proposed and
utilized in the past, among all those, two are
of some importance due to their use in
today’s real world.
 Standard Wire Gauge (SWG)
 American Wire Gauge (AWG)
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 It is also known as Imperial Wire Gauge or
British Standard Gauge.

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 In SWG system, if a wire is called as 3/0.029,
then it means that the wire is group of
strands and has three copper conductors,
while the diameter of each conductor is
0.029 inches.

 Similarly,
if a wire is called as 7/0.036, then
it means that the wire is group of strands
and has seven copper conductors, while the
diameter of each conductor is 0.036 inches.

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 Conductor: Usually stranded copper (Cu) or
aluminum (Al). Copper is denser and heavier,
but more conductive than aluminum.
Electrically equivalent aluminum conductors
have a cross-sectional area approximately
1.6 times larger than copper, but are half the
weight (which may save on material cost).
 Annealing: is the process of gradually heating
and cooling the conductor material to make it
more malleable and less brittle.

Conductor
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 Insulation: Commonly thermoplastic (e.g.
PVC) or thermosetting type materials are
used. Mineral Insulation (MI) is sometimes
used, but the construction of MI cables are
entirely different to normal plastic / rubber
insulated cables. Some insulation materials
used for electrical cables are as follows.
 Thermoplastic.
 Heat-resistant Plastic.
 Moisture-resistant Plastic.
 Asbestos.
 Outer nylon jacket.
 Oil-resistant Plastic.
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 Paper.
 Enamel.
 Mineral-insulation.
 Silk and Cotton.

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 Typicallya thermoplastic or thermosetting
compound, the inner sheath is there to keep
the bundle together and to provide a bedding
for the cable armor.

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 Formechanical protection of the conductor
bundle. Steel wire armor is typically used.
Tinning or galvanizing is used for rust
prevention. Phosphor bronze or tinned
copper braid is also used when steel armor is
not allowed.

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 Applied over the armor for overall
mechanical, weather, chemical and electrical
protection. Typically a thermoplastic or
thermosetting compound, and often the
same material as the bedding.

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 The interstices of the insulated conductor
bundle is sometimes filled, usually with a
soft polymer material.

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 Thewiring cables are classified into some
general categories as listed below.

Types of
Cables

On the basis
On the basis On the basis
of voltage
of insulation of core
grade

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On the Vulcanized Rubber insulated (VRI) Cable
basis of
insulation Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Cable
Paper Insulated (PI) Cable
Armored Cable
Lead Sheathed (LS) Cable
Tough Rubber Sheathed (TRS) Cable
Mineral Insulated (MI)/ Fire Proof Cables
Cotton Flexible Cable
Butyl Rubber insulated Cable
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 As the name suggests, vulcanized rubber is
used as insulation in this type of cable.
 Advantages:
 Flexible.
 Economical.
 Disadvantages:
 As vulcanised rubber is made by adding Sulphur
in pure rubber, so when sulphur comes in contact
with Copper conductor, it makes Copper Sulphate
(CuSO4) that increases the resistance of
conductor (wire).
 Easily catch fire and spread it quickly.
 Gets affected (wear and tear) by weather
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 Remedy to avoid forming CuSO4:
 Copper conductor must be tinned before
insulating with vulcanized rubber in order to
avoid forming of CuSO4.
 Uses:
 Normally used for domestic electrical wiring.

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 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used as insulator
in this type of cable.
 Advantages:
 These cables are less affected by chemicals (e.g.
acid/alkali etc.)
 No degradation due to moisture.
 No chemical reaction between Copper conductor
and PVC insulation.
 Neither catch fire easily nor spread it rapidly.
 Have good mechanical impact protection.

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 Disadvantages:
 It must be used in an environment where max.
temperature should not be above 45o C because
above 45o C the cable starts to soften up and
insulation starts becoming weak.
 Uses:
 Normally used for domestic electrical wiring.
 Widely used for installation of domestic
electrical motor.

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 Cables in which paper is used as insulating
surface over Copper conductor are called
Paper insulated cables.
 Advantage: Proved excellent solution for
under ground wiring.
 Disadvantages: Severely affected by moisture
and extreme weather conditions.
 Remedy: A lead covering is optionally used for
this type of cable to make it moisture resistant.
 Uses: Normally used for underground
electrical wiring.
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 It is a modified version of Vulcanized rubber
insulated (VRI) cable. A steel reinforce
armour layer is rapped around the VRI cable
to make it more resistant against mechanical
and weather hazards.
 Advantages:
 Very resistant against mechanical and weather
hazards.
 Does not catch fire easily.
 Normally utilized where conduit pipes can not be
used easily.
 Normally used for underground electrical wiring.
 Normally used for 380V, 3-Ø electrical lines.
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 Disadvantages:
 Very expansive due to steel armour.

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 It is also a modified version of Vulcanized
rubber insulated (VRI) cable. A lead sheathed
protective insulation layer is rapped around
the VRI cable to make it more resistant
against moisture and chemical hazards.

 Advantages:
 Moisture and chemical fumes resistant cable.
 Does not catch fire easily.
 Normally utilized where conduit pipes can not be
used easily.

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 Disadvantages:
 Due to lead sheath, the cable has small
mechanical protection to internal Vulcanized
rubber insulation.
 Due to conductive properties of lead sheath, a
necessary earth wire should be installed along
lead sheathed cable to avoid possible electrical
shock to human person.

 These types of cables are obsolete in

Pakistan now a days.

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 It is also a modified version of Vulcanized
rubber insulated (VRI) or Polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) cables. A tough rubber sheathed
protective insulation layer is rapped around
the VRI/PVC cable to make it more resistant
against moisture, chemical and mechanical
hazards.
 Advantages:
 Very effective protection against mechanical
risks.
 Insulation does not get affected easily due to
tough rubber’s mechanical hazard protection
capability.
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 Disadvantages:
 Relatively expansive due to tough rubber
sheathed armour.

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A cable in which Magnesium Oxide (MgO) is
used as an insulator is called mineral
insulated/fire proof cable.
 Advantages:
 Fire proof capability due to Magnesium Oxide
layer.
 Used very effectively in high temperature
environment (e.g. in boiler or Nuclear reactors
etc.)
 Have very good mechanical strength.
 High moisture resistance capability.
 Provides good mechanical protection to electrical
wiring.
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  Can be effectively used for voltages up to 1000V.

 Disadvantages:
 Very expansive due to high manufacturing price
of mineral insulated cable.

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A cable in which cotton cover is used for
insulation of electrical wire is called cotton
flexible cable.
 Advantages:
 Insulation is very much resistant against high
temperatures.
 Disadvantages:
 Relatively expansive due to extra cotton cover on
the cable.
 Uses:
 Normally used for electrical iron, electrical
heaters, electrical rods for boiling water etc.

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 A cable in which Butyl rubber is used for
insulation of electrical wire is called butyl
rubber cable.
 Advantages:
 Temperature resistant as compared PVC or VRI cables.
 Resistant against moisture, petroleum, and
chemicals.
 Resistant against Ozone gas damages.

 Disadvantages:
 Relatively expansive due to high manufacturing cost.
 Uses:
 Normally used in power station and grid stations.
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On the basis of Core

Single Core Cable

Twin Core Cable

Three Core Cable

Four Core Cable.

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A cable consists of single strand or a group of
strands twisted together and housed in a
single PVC/VRI covering is called single core
cable.

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A cable consists of two insulated sub-cables
and is further sheathed with some material is
called twin core cable.

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A cable consists of three insulated sub-cables
and is further sheathed with some material is
called three core cable.

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A cable consists of four insulated sub-cables
and is further sheathed with some material is
called four core cable.

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 Low Voltage
Grade Cable

Medium
On the basis of
Voltage Grade
Voltage Grade
Cable

High Voltage
Grade Cable

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A cable that can be used at voltages as high
as 240V/380V is called low voltage grade
cable.

 These
types of cables are normally used for
domestic/public electrical wiring.

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A cable that can be used at voltages as high
as 660/1100V is called medium voltage grade
cable.

 These type of cables are normally used at

grid stations and power generating stations.

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A cable that can be used at voltages above
660/1100V is called high voltage grade cable.

 These type of cables are normally used for

transmission of electrical energy to distant
locations at high voltage levels.

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