- Every wire gauge has a number.electrical wires image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
The North American standard for wire sizing, known as American Wire Gauge (AWG), designates every wire with a number, such as 12-gauge wire. Under this system, sometimes called Brown and Sharp (B & S) wire gauge, which measures the diameter of the wire without its insulation, the thinner the wire the larger the number, so an 18-gauge wire is thinner than a 12-gauge wire. - This wire specification represents a typical household wire with the number based upon the diameter. In determining what circuits will support a 12-gauge wire, it becomes necessary to know the voltage of the system, the number of amperes, or amps, the wire will carry and the distance of the wire. Once those variables are determined there is a wire gauge table at RBE Electronics that provides the highest gauge wire that can safely be used. For example, in a 12-volt system pulling 24 amps over 15 feet, a 12-gauge wire represents the minimum wire for safety. A lower gauge can always be used if desired.
- In a 12-volt system, this thinner wire will carry at 3 feet, 50 amps; at 5 feet, 30 to 40 amps, at 7 feet, 18 to 30 amps and at 10 feet, 18 to 24 amps. Thus the longer the distance of wire the less amps a 16-gauge wire can safely carry.
- In a 12 volt system, as the number gets higher and the wire gets thinner the amount of amps lowers. For 3 feet of wire 40 amps becomes the maximum for an 18-gauge wire, as compared with 50 amps for a 16-gauge and 100 amps for a 12-gauge. For 20 feet with an 18 gauge, 7 amps is the maximum.
12-Gauge
16-Gauge
18-Gauge
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