CONDUCTORS AND

WIRING ACCESSORIES
D E PA R T M E N T O F A G R I C U LTU R A L E N G I N E E R I N G A N D E N V I R O N ME N TAL M A N A G E M E N T
C O L L EG E O F A G R I C U LT U R E , R E S O U R C ES A N D E N V I R O N M E N TAL S C I E N C ES
C E N T R A L P H I L I P P I N E U N I V E R S IT Y
I LO I LO C I T Y
 Introduction
Electrical conductors are substances or materials used
to convey or allow the flow of electric current
◦ Silver, Copper, Aluminum, Nickel, Brass, Zinc,
Platinum, Iron, Lead, Tin, etc.
◦ Of all the conductors, silver is the best.
◦ Copper is next, followed by aluminum .
◦ But silver is weak and too expensive
Electrical insulators are substances or materials that
resist the flow of electric current.
◦ Rubber, Porcelain, Asbestos, Paper, Glass, Oil, Wax,
Latex, Mica, etc
Introduction
•There is no such thing as perfect conductor, or perfect insulator, because
conductors and insulators are resistors, and resistive materials.
•Good conductors are those substances with extremely low resistance to
current flow.
•Ordinary conductor wires for buildings is normally rated 300 or 600 volts.
•Good insulators are those with extremely high resistance to current flow ,
which serves as physical shield of the wire against heat, water, and other
elements of nature.
•Insulation is rated by voltage from 300 to 15,000 volts.
Conductors
• materials that readily conduct electric current
• transmission lines are usually aluminum placed
over a steel core for reinforcement
• transmission line conductors are not insulated; the
air provides insulation

Insulators
• connects conductors to tower
• must withstand normal operating voltage and
surges due to switching and lightning
• comprised of porcelain or toughened glass
• newer insulators are composed of polymer or
silicon

Ground wires
• also called shield or earth wires
• are strung along the tops of the towers to protect
the system from lightning strikes.
 Wires, Cables and Cords
•Wires – they are smaller
conductors 8 mm2 (AWG
No. 8) and below
•Cables – they are larger
than wire
•Cord – is an insulated
stranded wire
Classifications
•Solid Wire – They are
single wire
•Stranded – They are
group of smaller wires
twisted to form a
metallic string.
 Characteristics of Wire Size (COPPER
WIRE)
Wire Size Current Area Resistance Current
AWG Carrying Circular /1000 ft Carrying
Capacity Mils 20oC Capacity
2 to 3 wires in Amp for
cable or (Single Wire
raceway in open air)
(Amp)
14 15 4,107 2.58 20
12 20 6,530 1.62 25
10 30 10,380 1.02 40
8 40 16,510 0.641 55
6 55 26,250 0.410 80
4 70 41,740 0.257 105
 Characteristics of Selected Insulated Conductors for General Wiring
Trade Name Type Operating Application
Letter Temp. Provision
Moisture and heat Resistant rubber KHW 75o C Dry and wet
location

Thermoplastic T 60ºC Dry Location most ordinary type of plastic insulated wire

Moisture Resistant thermoplastic TW 60ºC Dry and Wet identical in appearance to T but may be used in
location wet or dry locations
Moisture and heat resistant THW 75ºC Dry and wet similar to Type TW but withstand a greater degree
thermoplastic location of heat, and consequently has a higher ampacity
rating in the larger sizes.
Thermoplastic heat resistant THHN 90ºC Dry location consisting of the basic
Type THH and THW but with less
Moisture and heat-resistant THWN 75ºC Dry and wet thermoplastic insulation, and with a final extruded
thermoplastic location jacket of nylon
 Characteristics of Selected Insulated Conductors for General Wiring
Trade Name Type Operating Application
Letter Temp. Provision
Moisture & heat resistant XHHW 90ºC Dry location • it resembles Types T, TW, THW
cross linked thermosetting but because of somewhat
thinner layer of insulation, the
over-all diameter is smaller
• insulation is “cross-linked
synthetic polymer,”
Polyethylene 75ºC wet location
Silicon asbestos SA 90ºC Dry location

Asbestos & varnish cambric AVA 110o o C Dry location

Ampacity of Electrical Conductor
• In the National Electrical Code (NEC), ampacity is the maximum amount
of current a conductor can carry without exceeding its temperature rating the
wire or conductor can carry current without overheating.
•Conductor resistance to current flow generates not only heat but also
contributes to the voltage drop
•“Current size and rating should have sufficient ampacity to carry the load. They
should have adequate mechanical strength and should not be less than the
rating of the branch circuit and the maximum load to be served."
 Types of Cable
•Armored Cable (AC) – used for Mineral Insulated
both exposed and concealed cable
work
•Metal Clad Cable (MC) – used for
service feeders, branch circuits,
and indoor or outdoor work Armored Cable

•Mineral Insulated Cable (MI) –

used for dry, wet, or
continuously moist locations as
service feeders or branch circuits.
•Non-Metallic Sheath Cable (NM)
- used specifically for one- or
two-family dwellings not
exceeding 3 story buildings
Metal clad cable
Non-metallic sheathed cable
Types of Cable
•Power and Control Tray Cable (TC) – Flat Cable Assembly (FC)
used for installation in cable trays,
raceways, or where it is supported
by messenger wire.
•Flat Cable Assembly (FC) – for field
installation in metal surface or Power and Control Tray Cable (TC)
raceways.
Flat Conductor Cable (FCC)
•Flat Conductor Cable (FCC) – used
for general purposes such as
appliance branch circuit, and for
individual branch circuits especially
in hard smooth continuous floor
surface.
•Medium Voltage Cable (MV) – use
for power system up to 3,000 volts. Medium Voltage Cable (MV)
Types of Cable
•Shielded Non-Metallic Sheath Cable (SNM)
– used for hazardous locations or in a
cable tray or raceway.
•Underground Feeder and Branch Circuit
Cable (UF) – used for underground
connections including direct burial in the
ground or feeder or branch circuit.
•Service Entrance Cable – primarily used for
service wire.
WIRING ACCESSORIES
Raceway
•It is the channel or wiring accessories so
designed for holding wires, cables, or
busbars that are either made of metal,
plastic, or any insulating mediums.
•Electrical conduit pipe is the most
common electrical raceways used in all
types of construction.
The purpose of Electrical Conduit/Raceways are:
1. To provide a means for running wires from one point to another.
2. To physically protect the wires.
3. To provide a grounded enclosure
4. To protect the surroundings against the effect of faults in the wiring.
5. Protect the wiring system from damage by the building and the occupants.
6. To protect the building and the occupants from damage by the electric
system.
WIRING ACCESSORIES
•Receptacle –a contact device installed at the
outlet for connection of an attachment plug.
•Wall Outlet – same as convenience outlet for
attachment on wire coming from lamps and
other appliances.
•Lighting outlet – outlet intended for direct
connection with a lamp holder, lighting
fixtures, etc.
•Plug- is the proper term for the male cord
end (that plugs into the outlet or receptacle)
WIRING ACCESSORIES
•Junction Box – an
extension of the box
wiring.
•Utility Box – intended for
the housing/holding of
switches or convenience
outlets.
•Switch – a device that
opens or closes the
circuits in an electric
circuit.
 Service Entrance
The National Electrical Code (NEC) defined service
entrance as: The conductor and equipment for
delivering energy from electricity supply system to
the wiring system of the premises served.
Service Entrance is either:
1. Overhead service- A service drop, is connected
from the nearest utility pole to the building
service entrance point and enters the building
through the weather head, down to the electric
meter.
2. Underground service - consists of a raceway
(conduit) extending from the building to the
property line where it is tapped to the main.
The cable recommended is the
USE(Underground Service Entrance)
Electric Service Metering
•Electric Meter
- is generally installed outside the building
or electric post for ready access to the
meter reader, making it more difficult to
tamper or install jumpers.
Circular Mill
•A circular mil is a unit of area used
to measure the cross-sectional
size of a wire or cable Area, circular mil = D2
•Mil is equal to 1/1000 of an inch To find the circular mill area of
that is used to measure the any round wire, just know the
diameter of a round wire. diameter in mils and then
•1 circular mil =  /4 square mil square this value.
•The circular mil area of stranded wire is
found by multiplying the circular mil of each
strand by the total number of strands.
To find the area in Cir Mils, use the equation
A = 2 X 10.8 X length 1 way x I ( copper)
Edrop
A= in Cir Mil
L= length in one way
I= Amperes, I= P(watts) (pf)
E (input voltage)
Edrop = amount of voltage drop
= Allowable % of voltage drop X Input
voltage
Assumption: Power factor (pf)= 1
Solid copper
wire table
The following conversion factor in computing the area of wires and cable sizes.
Square mil = Square inch x 0.000001
Square inch = Square mil x 1,000,000
Circular mil = Square mil x 0.7854
Square mil = Circular mil x 1.273
Millimeter = Inches x 25.4
Square millimeter = Circular mil x 0.0005067

Note: mil is different from millimeter

What is the equivalent size in square millimeter of a cable 250 MCM?

Given: Cable size - 250 MCM

Required: Equivalent size of cable in square

mm

Solution: MCM stands for thousand circular mils

Circular mill = 250 MCM x 1000 circular mill/MCM

= 250,000 circular mill
Square mm = Circular Mil x 0.0005067
= 126.67 mm2
What is the equivalent area of No.8
conductor wire in square inch?
Solution:
Referring to the table, the area of No.8 conductor wire in circular
mil is 16510 mils. Using the conversion factor.
Circular mil = Square mil x 0.7854
Square inch = Square mil x 1,000,000
By Substitution:
Square Inch= 16,510 circular mill x 0.7854square
mill/circular mill x square inch/1,000,000 Square mil
= 0.013 square inch
Resistance of Wire
•The connecting wire in an electric circuit is like a road along which free
electrons can pass. But it is not an “empty” road.
•There are atoms of the wire scattered along the way.
•They are obstacles in the path of the electrons.
•When free electrons move through the wire, they collide with atoms,
reducing the electron flow.
•The tendency of a wire to resist the passage of electric current is called
resistance, which is measured in ohm (Ω).
Factors that Influences Conductor Resistance
1. Composition of the Conductor. This refers to a conductor
having free electrons that has low resistance.
2. Length of wire. The longer the wire, the higher is the
resistance. Resulting in greater voltage drop and power loss
3. Cross Sectional Area of Wire. The bigger the cross-sectional
area of wire, the lower its resistance. Leading to less voltage
drop and power loss.
4. Temperature. Metal offers high resistance to high
temperature (heat).
Resistance of Wire
R = 10.8 L / A (for copper)
R = 17.0 L / A (for aluminum)
◦ Where:
R - wire resistance, ohms
L - length of wire, ft (one line)
( 2L for 2 lines)
A - area of wire, circular mills
So, R = 10.8 (2L) /A (for copper wire)
10.8 – conductivity constant for copper
wire or the resistivity of the material
Voltage Drop and Power Loss in Wire
Note: Current flows through wires encounter
resistance, causing a voltage drop along the
conductor, which results in power loss in Voltage drop in wire= Circuit current x
wires. Resistance of wire
= I xR
Voltage Drop
energy is lost as heat when Power loss in wire = Circuit Current x
current flows through the wire Voltage drop

Power Loss =Resistance x square

amount of electrical power of the current
dissipated as heat within the wire
P= I x(IxR)= I2R
Allowable % of Voltage Drop
The commonly used design percentage values are:
1% - used for branch-circuit wires and for
loads involving constant voltage
2% - adequate design for practically all
conditions
3% - average design figure
5% - used only if the economy wire cost
demands
Example no.1
Calculate the resistance of 1000 ft (total length
for 2 line lines) of No.14 copper wire .
 Solution:
From table no. 14 copper wire the
equivalent area in circular mil = 4,107

R=10.8 L/A= 10.8 x1000/ 4,107 =2.6 ohms

R=10.8 L/A= 10.8
2. Consider a circuit with a length of 200ft having no.
14 wire size with an input of 120-volt and the
appliance the causes the current to flow in the wire
is 8 amperes. Determine the voltage drop in the
wire.
Solution:
From table for no. 14 wire, the resistance
(Ohms) per 1000 ft= 2.58 Ohms., Wire
Size
Current
Carrying
Area
Circula
Resista
nce
Current
Carrying
AWG Capacity r Mils /1000 Capacity
for 200ft= R=0.516 Ohm 2 to 3
wires in
ft 20oC Amp for
(Single
cable or Wire in
I=E/R , I=current, E= voltage, R=resistance raceway
(Amp)
open air)

Current= voltage/resistance 14 15 4,107 2.58 20

12 20 6,530 1.62 25
E= 8X 0.516= 4.12 volts 10 30 10,380 1.02 40
is used in pushing the current through the 8 40 16,510 0.641 55
opposition of each wire, or a total of 8.24 volts 6 55 26,250 0.410 80
(for two wires) is lost in the lines. The remaining
part of the input voltage will be available for the 4 70 41,740 0.257 105

appliances .
•And 120- 8.24= 111.76 volts available at the appliance
This means a reduction of voltage from 120-111.76
volts.
•
•Or the percentage of the input voltage lost in lines would
be: 8.24/120=0.06866=6.86%
or the voltage drop =6.8%
The amount of energy lost in the lines can be calculated as follows:
oKwhr=volts lost in lines x current flowing x hr
of operation/ 1000
For one day operation =24hrs
o kwhr= 8.24x8x24/1000= 1.58
This is considered as power loss, if the
cost per kwh is 12.00
oThe total cost is = 12 x1.58=18.96 per day or 24 hours operation which
represents the amount
lost /day.
Conclusion
Therefore, change No.14 wire with a bigger wire to
reduce the voltage drop and power loss.
What is the resistance, at 20C, of an electric motor winding that uses 200 meters of
copper conductor which is 0.26 square centimeter (approximately 3/16 in. by 3/16 in.)?
The resistivity of copper at 20C is 0.00000172 ohm-centimeter.

Given: K - 0.00000172 ohm-centimeter

L - 20,000 centimeters
A - 0.26 square centimeter
Required: R

0.00000172 -cm x 20,000 cm

Solution: R = ------------------------------------------------------
0.26 sq cm
= 0.132 ohm
Seat Work/Board Work
A poultry house is located 250ft from the distribution center. The
input voltage is 230 volts, and the load for the building is 4,600
watts. What size of the feeder lines (single phase) should be used if
the voltage drop is to be limited to 2%?
Solution:
Area, cir mils= 2x 10.8xlenght 1way x I
E drop
where, I=P/V

= 2x10.8x250 ft( 4600w/230v)

(2%)(230)

=23,478.26cir mils
= select No. 6 wire from the table with an area
of 26,250 cir mils
 Series Circuit
oSeries Connection: A single path exists for current to flow;
elements are arranged in series, one after the other; there are
no branches; the current is the same, but the voltage differs.
oVoltage: Vt = V1 + V2 + V3 …
oResistance: Rt = R1 + R2 + R3 …
oCurrent: It = I1 = I2 = I3
Series Connection
Sample Problem
Calculate the current flowing, the total
resistance and the voltage drop across each
resistor with the total applied voltage Et = 200
v and the value of each resistor is R1 = 24
ohms, R2 = 66 ohms, and R3 = 44 ohms.

R1=24 R2=66 R3=44

It

Et=200v

Given:Et - 200 volt R1 - 24 ohms

R2 - 66 ohms R3 - 44 ohms
Required: Rt, It, voltage drop
 Solution:
Rt = R1+R2+R3
= 24 ohms + 66 ohms + 44 ohms
= 134 ohms

It = Et / Rt
= 200 v / 134
= 1.49 amp
ER1 = It R1= 1.49 amp x 24 ohms = 35.6 volt
ER2 = It R2= 1.49 amp x 66 ohms = 98.34 volt
ER3 = It R3= 1.49 amp x44 ohms = 65.56 volt
 Parallel Circuit
oParallel Connection—Multiple connections exist for current to
flow; this is the standard arrangement for house wiring
connections; voltage is the same, but current differs.
oVoltage: Vt = V1 = V2 = V3 …
oResistance: 1/Rt = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 …
oCurrent: It = I1 + I2 + I3 ...
Parallel Connection
Sample Problem
The total voltage Et of 200 volts is the same
across all three resistive branches, R1is 40
ohms, R2 is 100 ohms, and R3 is 200 ohms.
Calculate the current flowing in each resistive
branches and also the total current.

Et=200v R1=40 R2=100 R3=200

It

Given:Et - 200 volt R1 - 40 ohms

R2 - 100 ohms R3 - 200 ohms
Required: I1, I2, I3, It
I1 = E / R1 = 200 v/40 ohms = 5 amps
I2 = E / R2 = 200 v/100 ohms= 2 amps
I3 = E / R3 = 200 v /200 ohms= 1 amps

It = I1 + I2 + I3
= 5 amps + 2 amps + 1 amp
= 8 amps
References
Brown, R. 1956. Farm electrification. McGraw-Hill Book Company.
New York. 367pp.
Subhash Metha. Electrical Engineering. Synergy Books
International. A division of Sam Publishing Sdn. Bhd. 7 Jalan Bangsar
Utama 3, Off Jalan Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. 388pp.