Page 208 - Electromechanical Devices and Components Illustrated Sourcebook

170 Electromechanical Devices & Components Illustrated Sourcebook

Without a doubt, wire is the most important electromechani-
cal device ever conceived. Without it, electrical and elec- Armored (MC)
tromechanical devices could not exist.
Most of us pay very little attention to wire until we need
Solid
some for a project. When we go to the hardware store, we are
presented with a dizzying array of different types of wire and Stranded
conductors. The store attendant is typically of little value and Lamp Cable
we are left to try to decipher the wire types and their intended (Zip Cord)
purpose by reading the little tags on the spools. This is a very
poor method to educate yourself about something as impor- Direct Buried
tant as wire. To make matters worse, most hardware stores
carry at least two specialty wire types for a special customer
and you have no way of knowing if the particular conductor Romex
you are looking at is common to all stores.
Although there are only about 20 different types of wires
commonly used, the different gauges and conductor configura- Multiconductor
tions provide us with hundreds of different wires to choose from.

Figure 10-1 Various Commercial Wire Types
Common Wire Types
Figure 10-1 shows a few of the most common general purpose commonly used in wiring the internals of home, commercial,
wire types. Armored and Romex are commonly used for and industrial equipment. Direct buried cable is used when it
home and office wiring. Lamp cord or, as it is commonly is necessary to route a conductor underground in the absence
referred to, zip cord, is used for household lamps and light of buried conduit. Multiconductor cable is used in a wide
appliances. It also makes an excellent speaker wire. Single- range of control applications.
strand wire, both solid and stranded, is generally used for Figure 10-2 shows a few common specialty wires. Self-
commercial and industrial wiring. Single-strand wire is also retracting wires are commonly found in telephone receiver sets

Self Retracting

High Temperature (MG)
(Mica Tape w/ Fiberglass Braid)

Welding

High Temperature
(Silicone Rubber Insulation)
High Temperature
(TGGT)
(PTFE w/ Fiberglass Braid)

Spark Plug

Magnet Wire
(Enamel Coated)

Coaxial

Twisted, Shielded

TV Antenna

Thermostat Cable
Figure 10-2 Specialty Wire Types