Even though they are hidden within the walls of our homes, wires and cables play a crucial role in our daily lives. They deliver electricity to the appliances and devices that we use every day. Menards® offers a wide selection of wire and cable suitable for most residential and commercial applications. This buying guide will help you choose the correct wire for your project.
Before you begin any wiring project, it's important to research the local wiring codes in your area and obtain any necessary permits. Local codes can affect what types of wire and cable can be used for certain applications. For more information, contact your local inspector or a qualified trade professional.
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Choosing Wire
Circuit components must be matched according to their load ratings. For example, a 20-amp receptacle must be fed by 12AWG cable, which is also rated at 20 amps, and protected by a 20-amp breaker or fuse. Different wire gauges are designed for various loads. The higher the gauge number, the smaller the wire. Larger wires can carry greater amperage, just like a larger pipe can carry a higher volume of water. Using too small a wire increases resistance (measured in ohms), which can cause the wire to overheat and possibly melt, posing a fire hazard. Therefore, it's essential to use the right gauge wire for the load.
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One other thing to consider when running circuits over long distances is that the voltage will diminish as the length of the cable increases. This can be alleviated by using a larger diameter wire, similar to using a larger water pipe on a long plumbing run to maintain sufficient water pressure. Ask your electrical supplier to calculate the correct wire size for circuits that cover long distances (such as a feed to a subpanel in an outbuilding), or you can use an online voltage drop calculator if you know all the parameters of your planned circuit.
Wire Connectors
Wire connectors, sometimes known by the popular brand name Wire-Nut®, twist onto a group of like-colored wires to splice them together and ensure a solid mechanical connection. The importance of solid connections between spliced wires (or between wires and devices) can't be overstated. If wires work loose, electricity can arc (leap the gap) between them and cause a house fire. Wire connectors are sized according to the number of wires and/or wire gauge they can accommodate, with each size being color-coded.
Excerpted from Wiring Complete, 3rd Edition (The Taunton Press, 2017) by Michael Litchfield and Michael McAlister
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