Buying Tips for Electric Wires

Buying Tips for Electric Wires

Electric wires are used for wiring purpose. Therefore it is very much important to select good electric wires so as to make your home safe and electrically shock proof. 

In market there are plenty of wires available, but choosing a right wire is bit difficult. To make it easy, we have listed out some of the properties which one should consider while making a purchase.

Material: Electric wires are made of both Copper and Aluminium. But for wiring of home, one should always choose copper wires only. Also wires having multiple strands should be chose instead of single strand wires. But above all, the electric wire should have ISI mark, because it is a mark of quality. Wires can be ISI 694 (Part I) marked or IS 694 (Part II) marked. Buy IS 694 Part I marked wires. Next, the electrolytic grade. Choose copper wires of electrolytic grade 99.97%.

Wire insulation: A good electric wire should be three layered. Among the three layers, the first layer is water resistant, second is heat and high temperature resistant and third layer is fire retardant. Heat and fire resistant wires carry a mark HRFR. Check the highest temperature that the insulation can withstand without melting. It should be + 100^o C.

Size of wire: Commonly used sizes of wires are 1 sq mm, 1.5 sq mm, 2 sq. mm, 2.5 sq mm and 4 sq mm. Choose 4 to 6 sq mm size for AC points, 1.5 sq mm size for light points and 5 ampere three pin sockets and 2.5 sq mm size for power sockets. For split AC wiring, choose 6 sq mm size wires.

Colour of wire insulation: Choose red, yellow and blue colour insulation for the three phases, black colour for neutral and green for earth wire. However, every country has different colour code for electric wires. For example, in USA, live three phase wires are in black, red and blue and neutral is in gray or white. Only earth wire is green like in India.

Length of wire: Check the length of the coil printed on the pack, as normally contractors quote their rates, per coil and not per metre length of wire. Generally, length of wire in each coil is printed to be 90 metres.

The above information will certainly help you to choose correct electric wires that will make your home electrically safe.

http://www.dreamhomeguide.in/buying-tips-electric-wires/