Living in the era of technology, almost every house has wired connections for Televisions, kitchen accessories, or other electronic equipment.
Is My House Wired for Cable?
It is nowadays conventional to have wires and cables in house. The type and shape of a wire depend on where it will be employed. Wiring and cable come in a variety of shapes and sizes, both inside and outside the home.
Below, we will go over the most prevalent varieties in further depth.
Non-metallic cable
This type of wiring is conventional in homes built after the mid-1960s. Non-metallic, or NM, the cable is the most prevalent type of home electrical wiring.
Three or more separate conductors are commonly seen in NM cable. These conductors are wrapped in a flexible plastic jacket. A hot wire, a ground wire, and a neutral wire are commonly found in a single NM cable.
The inner wiring of homes is done with NM. Appliances, switches, light fixtures, and outlets are all included. The following are the most common sizes of NM found in modern homes: 15-amp circuits with 14-gauge wire, Circuits with a 12-gauge and 20-amp rating, Circuits with a gauge of 10, and a current of thirty amps, etc.
Alternatively, the electrical lines in your home could be run through a conduit which is a flexible metal or plastic tubing. It is mostly employed in situations where the wire is visible.
Metal Coated Cable
The home electrical wire running through unfinished spaces such as basements requires a more durable outside surface. In these places, metal-clad cables are required. It is utilized in unfinished locations where the wiring is at risk of being damaged physically.
Low Voltage Wiring
Low-voltage wiring is appropriate for circuits that utilize less than 50 volts. In places in the home where less power is required, this type of electrical cable is used. Doorbells, most thermostats, and landscape lights are all included.
Low-voltage wire comes in sizes ranging from 12 to 22 gauge. It’s commonly sheathed in cable sheathing or insulated.
Coaxial Wires
Because other types of data wiring, such as HDMI, are increasingly being used for television data transmission, coaxial cable is becoming less widespread. A coaxial cable is a spherical jacketed cable with an inner conductor surrounded by a tubular insulating layer and a tubular braided wire conducting cover.
Coaxial cable was originally the industry standard for connecting televisions to antenna or cable service delivery, and it is still widely used to link satellite dishes or provide subscription television service to a house distribution point.
Data and Phone Wire
You’ll need special wiring if you still have a landline phone. Your internet connection is in the same boat. Low-voltage lines are used for both your phone and the internet. The number of wires in your phone and data cords might range from four to eight.
What Kind of Cable is Right for Your Home?
Electrical wiring in the home is sophisticated. Understanding its components, on the other hand, can assist you in diagnosing issues, completing repairs, planning renovations, and keeping your wiring up to code.
The fundamentals of electrical wiring in your home are the first things you should learn. You should understand how amperage is proportional to cable size, how cable sheath and wire color coding work, and how to read a cable or wire label.
You should be aware of all the different varieties of electrical cable in your home. Everything from the NM cables that power your outlets to the UF cables that light your outdoor lamp posts falls into this category.
However, knowing and understanding your home’s electrical system does not always imply being able to repair or replace it. You might need the assistance of an expert for this.
How to Choose the Best Cable or Wire for your House?
To take advantage of all the modern services that are now accessible, it’s critical to make the proper decisions while cabling your home. Until recently, homes were solely wired for power.
When selecting an electrical wire or cable, there are various aspects to consider. The electrical requirements of your application are the most critical considerations.
The electrical needs to consider while choosing an appropriate wire or cable are listed below:
Current Carrying Capacity:
The amount of current a cable can carry is calculated using current carrying capacity. The wire’s or cable’s current carrying capacity is proportionate to its size. Amperes are the unit of measurement for current (Amp). The more current a wire can carry, the larger it is.
Inductance:
When the value of current changes, inductance is the property of a wire or circuit that causes an electromotive force. The voltage lags because of inductance. This can happen on the same cable or a nearby wire. Microhenries per foot (H/Ft) is the unit of measurement.
Impedance:
When voltage is applied, electrical impedance is the overall opposition that a circuit or wire presents to alternating current (AC). Ohms are used to measuring impedance. The length of the cable has no bearing on its impedance, but both the transmitting and receiving ends should have the same impedance.
Capacitance:
The amount of charge a cable can store within itself is measured by capacitance. Pico farad per foot (pF/ft) is the unit of capacitance. High capacitance can degrade a cable’s performance at high frequencies.
Related questions
Is a phone line required for cable Internet?
To get Internet service, you don’t need a phone line. Most cable companies, in fact, provide Internet access by connecting a coaxial cable line to a particular cable modem. Most cable companies provide free installation and, for low price, cable modems and wireless routers.
Is there a specific kind of coaxial cable that I should consider?
A high-quality coaxial cable improves your internet connection speed by reducing signal loss and preventing radio frequency interference. A low-quality coaxial cable, on the other hand, limits your internet speed, is incompatible with HDTV, and is difficult to install.
Conclusion
You are now aware of the importance of the type and applications of wires and cables in your homes. The right choice at the installation time will save you from any problem in the future.