What is the difference between an electrical cable and a wire? How are wires different from cables?

The words "cable" and "wire" are not synonymous. For the consumer, they mean the same thing. But when confronted with the repair of wiring, electrical products, laying the network, the question immediately arises: “What is the difference between a cable and a wire?”. In the estimates, the builders indicate the required number of both those and other products. And it's not a matter of literary flair, which does not allow using the same word several times in a row.

Cables and wires have the same scope. It's just that the former are better protected from external influences. The range of cables is huge: from small items, through which current flows to portable equipment, to huge lines connected directly to power plants. The wire is used less often, most often - inside electronic devices, under the protection of their shell.

Main differences

Wire - stranded or solid conductor in tubular insulation or without insulation. This is just a piece of copper or aluminum, which can be protected from external influences.

Solid and stranded wires

Cable - a system of insulated conductors, which are united by one sheath. That is, the main thing that distinguishes a wire from a cable is insulation, protection from external influences. In fact, all cable products are sheathed wires twisted together and protected by several layers of different materials.

Cable

The differences between the products are described in the table below.

When the difference between cable and wire is obvious, the problem of product selection arises.. Both those and other products are classified according to different criteria. They should be selected based on the situation, the place of use. The higher the characteristics of the product, the more expensive it is. Buying just the most expensive product is a waste of money, because not always its capabilities will be fully used. Sometimes the use of certain types of products is prohibited. For example, armored cables have low tensile strength and therefore are not used in overhead power lines. Product types

Wire classification

It is important to know about the difference between wires different type between themselves. This will help you choose the right products needed for the repair of electronics, household appliances.

The classification of products is carried out according to the number of cores:

monolithic wires. They have only one, a whole vein. Similar products ceteris paribus has less resistance. Therefore, less interference is created during the transmission of information. Solid wires are used when it is necessary to reduce the amount of noise at high frequencies. The disadvantage is the low bending strength. Such products should not be bent many times.
Stranded - consist of thin wires twisted together. This increases the mechanical strength of the products. If they break, then not completely - only a few veins break, which slightly affects the characteristics.

Wires are copper and aluminum. The former are superior to the latter in all respects, including price. Aluminum wires are less durable and strong, but they are cheaper.

Classification of cable products

Cables are divided by flexibility into 7 classes. The first one is the hardest. It has only one core and does not tolerate a lot of bends. The product is used for hidden installation- in soil, walls, etc. Flexible products are more expensive, but have a wide range of applications. They can be used in moving mechanisms.

An important characteristic of a cable is the type of its insulation. It is described in the product label. There are several types of shells:

Ceteris paribus, the more shells in the product, the more expensive it is, the more it weighs and the longer it lasts. Cable in double outer insulation can be used for at least 30 years, in single - 15 years. Therefore, in order to optimize financial and labor costs, suitable options are selected for each specific purpose.

Cables are also divided according to the voltage that can be passed through them. Depending on this indicator, low-voltage products (up to 1 kV) and high-voltage products are distinguished. The visual difference between these types of cables is in the thickness. The thicker the core, the more current it can pass without overheating.

When choosing, it is important to remember the following:

In rooms with high air temperature, for example, in saunas and baths, special products in a heat-resistant shell are used.
Heat resistance and incombustibility are different indicators. Therefore, products labeled with the letter “ng” are not necessarily suitable for rooms with extreme temperatures.
Marking E120, E30, etc. means that the cable is capable of transmitting electricity even if it is affected by fire. The designation number means the number of minutes that the product is capable of functioning. Such products are used in security systems.
For laying in the ground, a cable with a polyethylene sheath is needed - the material resists decomposition well, which is its difference from PVC.
Cable with a polyethylene sheath can be laid both in an open way and in the ground.

Creating an estimate for cable laying work is the task of professionals. There are many factors to consider before choosing the right wire for the characteristics. The wrong choice will at least lead to a quick failure of all wiring.

Quite often you can hear in a conversation that people perceive the words "wire" and "cable" as synonyms. But, despite the almost identical appearance, these two items differ from each other. It will be difficult for a person who is not versed in electrics to determine where which object is, and an electrician will distinguish a wire from a cable in no time and vice versa.
Yes, visually these two items are similar, but in the documentation they go under different names, and in the estimate you can also see the difference in price. The main separating fact of cable and wire is the specification. But for a more accurate understanding of the difference between them, it is worth considering each item in more detail.

This is a system of conductors with insulation, which are combined into a single structure for the purpose of convenience when performing installation work, operation, as well as to protect against external environment and various mechanical damage. Electrical wiring is bundled together to improve safety conditions when operating electrical wires in normal and difficult situations, to facilitate their joint laying. The wires are covered with an additional insulating layer.

Varieties

For a clearer understanding of what a cable is and where it is used, it is necessary to understand the existing types. Based on the scope of application, the cable is divided into the following groups:
Power - designed to deliver electricity. For the manufacture of stranded, or aluminum.

It is able to withstand voltages up to 750 kV.
Mounting - used to connect electrical equipment with each other. Withstands voltages up to 500 V. They are made of copper, as it is resistant to low temperatures.

Communications - used in wired communication systems and in a variety of signaling, also for laying long-distance communication lines and urban ones.
Controls - used in control circuits, as well as in the lighting system for machine tools and other equipment. Withstand voltage up to 600 V.
Radio frequency - electricity is transported, as well as signals at radio frequency.

The wire

The wire is made up of a single conductor, while the cable is made up of several combined insulated strands, combined together and having a common insulation.

The coefficient of flexibility with the degree of resistance determine the relationship between operation and application of wires.

Monolithic wires can be either with or without insulation. Such a wire, due to its design, implies a lower level of resistance. The use of just such conductors is most often resorted to in cases where it is necessary to increase performance at high frequencies.
A wire with several conductive cores consists of several copper strands of wire, which are interconnected to form a solid wire. Due to its structure and increased flexibility, such a wire, under the influence of external mechanical factors, increases the service life of the product.

What is the difference between cable and wire

Having initial, but basic, knowledge of electricity and electrical engineering, it will be clear what is the difference between any cable and wire. To do this, it is worth understanding the insulation, marking and service life.

Insulation

GOST 15845-80 says that the core of the current-carrying wire does not have a separate insulation coating. And about the cable in the same GOST it is written that the current-carrying core must be coated with insulation.

Based on this, one of the main differences is the presence of insulation on each current conductor and the overall coverage of the insulation. If there is insulation on each conductor, then this is a cable, if there is no insulation or several conductors without insulation are in a common insulating sheath, then this is a wire.

Insulation is produced in the following types:

Rubber. The advantages include the use in any hard-to-reach places due to good flexibility. And to the minuses: loss of properties after a long time.
Paper insulation. It has a low current carrying capacity. Because of this, paper-braided wires are rarely used and only in dry, ventilated areas.
Fluoroplastic. It is this isolation that has received widespread recognition. Masters call it one of the strongest and most reliable. It is quite difficult to damage it, since it is baked in several layers at high temperatures.

Marking

The difference between a wire and a cable is in the marking in letters and numbers. On the insulating coating of the cable there is an inscription AVVGng 3 * 2.5, which consists of three aluminum conductors, the cross section of each is 2.5 mm and is in polyvinyl chloride insulation (PVC). All cores are covered with a common insulating sheath, which is also made of PVC. The letters "ng" indicate that the cable does not support combustion.
A different number of letters in the marking indicates different parameters of the product. The presence of the letter B in the marking indicates that the cable is armored, W - protection in the form of a hose, R - protection in the form of rubber, E - the presence of a screen. If you can read the letters in the marking, you can find out the type of product, its scope.
Electrical wires also have their own markings. There is no strong difference between cable and wire marking, since all electrical standards comply with GOST and are the same for all products. For a beginner in this matter, there will not be much difference, the differences are insignificant.

Life time

The service life of the cable is longer compared to the wire. The reason for this is, first of all, the presence of at least double insulation. In addition, due to the armored coating, which is on some types of cable, the service life also increases. On average, the duration of the use of the cable is about 30 years, the service life of the wire is two times less.

When ordering the laying of new wiring, every homeowner wants it to last as long as possible. So, even at the beginning of repair or construction, he tries to find out how long this or that wire will last. He receives conflicting information: the people who design, manufacture and install different numbers. How to decide?

There are: nominal, warranty and real (actual) service life.

Under par understand the theoretically designated period of time when, under all operating conditions, the wire or cable will properly perform its functions.

Guarantee period from the manufacturer is usually issued for a shorter time than the nominal one. Moreover, if the cable fails, the manufacturer agrees to exchange it free of charge only under a number of conditions.

And here, actual service life products is the most realistic indicator. You can learn more about it from electricians who deal with it every day. They will tell you the rules of operation, as well as how to properly mount, calculate the power and which machines to put on the shield.

Where and what are they used for?

cable, having elevated level protection against mechanical and aggressive damage, can be laid under water, as well as in underground utilities. In addition, it is used in mines, fire hazardous rooms, in rooms with an increased risk of corrosion and other places.
The wire is used only inside electrical distribution devices. Outside of such devices, it is recommended to use only cables or conductive bars.

How to make the right choice

The correct choice depends on the purpose of these items. Knowing what type of work the cable or wire is intended for, it will be easier to decide what is still needed. The safety of the entire electrical system depends on this. And, consequently, it increases fire safety the entire object as a whole.

As a rule, people combine the words " the wire" and " cable' as synonyms. But this is absolutely not true. Their similarity is limited to appearance. According to explanatory dictionary Russian language, wire - metal wire used to transmit electricity. A cable is a special kind of electrical wire designed for underground and underwater electrical wiring.

Today, specialists use GOST, adopted in the USSR, to determine the cable and wire. They call the cable the content in it of several or one insulated core. Each core is insulated into a sheath, which, in turn, is covered with a protective cover. The cover may be armored in some cases.

Cable and wire insulation

Insulation is plastic, rubber, polyethylene. Insulation is needed in order to protect the conductors (cores) from moisture, chemical substances, light, mechanical damage. Due to its protective properties, the cable can be laid deep underground and under water. The peculiarity of the wire is that it consists of twisted one or more wires that are not insulated from each other, or insulated conductors. Over the stranded wires may be a non-metallic sheath, braid or winding of fibrous material or wire. The wires are not designed for underground or underwater wiring. For overhead power lines, bare wires are usually used. Insulated wires can be unprotected and protected from the effects of processes environment through sheath over insulation. Bare wires are conductors that conduct current and are not covered with protective or insulating coatings. Insulated wires - conductors that conduct current, covered with rubber or plastic insulation. Over the insulation of such wires is a braid of cotton yarn or rubber, plastic or metal tape. The wires are protected, i.e. isolated. A sheath is applied over their insulation, which is necessary for sealing and performing protective functions against negative impact environment. Also separate view wire is a cord. It consists of several flexible strands, twisted or laid in parallel. The cores are covered with a non-metallic sheath or other protective cover, depending on the conditions of use. ShVVP wires are necessary for connecting electrical appliances, electrical equipment to an electrical network with a voltage not exceeding 380V. ShVO cords are used to connect electrical appliances: irons, samovars, fireplaces, stoves and other heating equipment.

Scope of cables and wires

Installation wires are used to install power and lighting networks. They are necessary for fixed laying on outdoors and indoors. Installation wires are made from copper and aluminum conductors. They can be solid or stranded, insulated with rubber or plastic. There are installation wires with APV and PV plastic insulation. They are made without a sheath, as the plastic insulation perfectly withstands the action of light, humidity and mechanical damage. Wires with rubber insulation need to be protected from mechanical damage, exposure to light and moisture. To do this, use a shell with a folded seam and aluminum alloy AMC or brass. There may also be a sheath made of polyvinyl chloride plastic compound. The wires are insulated according to a certain operating voltage, at which the use of the wires will be safe and durable. When choosing a brand of wire, it is necessary to remember and take into account the operating voltage for which the wire insulation is designed. The voltage must be equal to or greater than the nominal standard value. When connecting the installation wire, one must also take into account the fact that wires of the same section can withstand different voltages. It all depends on the wiring conditions. Installation wires PV-1, PV-3, PV-4 are used when installing electrical wiring to supply power to electrical appliances, electrical equipment, for stationary installation of lighting electrical networks in AC and DC circuits. Installation wires PVS is intended in electrical networks with a rated voltage for connecting electrical appliances, electrical equipment. PUNP installation wires were previously used for the installation of stationary lighting electrical networks. Now the use of this wire is prohibited. There are many types of cables. Power cables of the VVG and VVGng brands are intended for the transmission of electricity in stationary equipment alternating current. They are produced with PVC insulation. The number of cores in the power cable is from 1 to 5.

Mounting

For industrial or domestic installation indoors and outdoors, NYM power cable is used. Outside, the cable is sheathed with PVC compound, which does not support combustion. The inner intermediate shell is made from a rubber compound.

The cores of the NYM power cable differ in color:

two-core cable includes black and blue colors
three-core - black, blue and yellow-green
four-core - black, blue, brown and yellow-green
five-core - black, blue, brown, black and yellow-green.

Cables and wires are used in various fields of use. Allocate ship cables, coaxial, radio frequency, optical, geophysical, etc. The wires are intended for the installation of overhead power transmission lines, rolling stock and electrical installations.

There are several differences by which you can distinguish a cable from a wire:

cables are always produced in sheath
cables are produced with such insulation protection that they can be used in the installation of underwater and underground wiring
wires are used to install power lines
cables and wires have different purposes.

Many ordinary consumers who are not connected with electricity still have little idea of the difference between cable and wire. For them, both are the same electrical wiring.

Even in separate articles, these materials are used as synonyms. Outwardly, they are very similar, but there are differences.

Five of them can be distinguished:

quality of insulation and conditions for its use

Let's take a closer look at how they differ and how they are similar.

Designation according to GOST

First, let's decide on a name.

Here is the summary comparison table VVG cables and PVS wires. Their disadvantages and advantages.

Insulation quality difference

But still, in the first place in any comparison, the quality of the insulation comes out. It plays an important role depending on the installation conditions.

Many cables can be placed open in aggressive environments without any cable ducts or corrugated sleeves.

But the wires, not even in an active environment, but only under the influence of water (rain), temperature changes or direct rays sunlight will gradually fail. Not to mention other extraneous influences.

Except of course SIP. But unlike cables, it cannot be laid underground, even in a pipe or corrugation.

Hence there will be a difference in price, although it would seem that both types are similar in design (with double insulation). Therefore, wires are used in buildings, ZRU (closed switchgear), and not on the street.

Sometimes, armored grades are used to lay cables in the ground and provide additional protection. In addition to all layers of insulation, they have a layer of aluminum or lead sheath over the cores.

Stranded or solid - which is better

Wires are:

stranded-flexible (one wire consists of dozens of thin wires)

For example, wire PV-3.

It is often used in the assembly of input and distribution switchboards.

Just keep in mind that it cannot be connected without a sleeve. Even in those machines with a semicircular shape of the contact pad, where it would seem that the wires should ideally occupy all the space, everything will only get worse.

The cores will bend, deform, some of them simply will not participate in the transmission of current.

Under heavy loads, everything will melt and burn. This is one of the problems of connecting the SIP to the machine. She lived there not at all a monolith, and even aluminum!

solid-rigid (monolithic wire)

For example PV-1. If the letter “A” (APV) is at the beginning of the name, this means the material of manufacture is aluminum. If not, then copper wire.

Aluminum wires are not flexible. They are able to withstand a maximum of 10 kinks, after which they break off. Copper can be bent up to fifty times.

Stranded wires are used in places where many bends are required, or where the wire must be pulled through narrow openings.

Single-core, due to their design, have less resistance. It is advantageous to mount them where you need to increase performance at high frequencies.

Over time, the resistance of stranded wires can change upwards and deteriorate.

Why is this happening?

The fact is that the surface of each thin wire is subject to oxidation. As a result, the contact between them worsens. And the cross section ceases to be uniform, changing the resistance.

A monofilament will not have this effect. There, oxides can multiply only on the surface, but naturally they will not penetrate into the whole metal.

Some other electricians consider monocore to be more resistant to short circuits. In a flexible wire, due to the fact that its copper strands do not fit too tightly to each other, in the first moments of a short circuit, the dynamic shock current does not immediately cover the entire cross section of the strand, but acts more on the wires near the surface.

As a result, they, being under a greater load than their "internal counterparts", will melt first. But for a monocore, this is not scary - it is solid. True, this theory is quite controversial.

Cables can also be single-core and multi-core. In this case, the core in this cable can be single-wire or multi-wire.

For example, if you have a KG 3 * 50 cable, then it would be more correct to talk about it - a three-core copper cable with stranded wires. Instead, a three-phase cable with flexible conductors. In the first definition, there is more information and it is more accurate.

Single-core cables are called rigid, and multi-core flexible. According to the flexibility of the cable is divided into six classes.

The first class is a single core cable. The sixth grade is the cable with the best flexibility. But it also costs an order of magnitude more.

The thinner each strand, the more flexible the cable. All conductors of a certain section are designed for their rated current. If it exceeds this value, then the insulation heats up and begins to melt.

Rigid cable is usually laid in the ground, sealed under plaster. Flexible, connect portable electrical appliances. It is also used in the manufacture of carriers and extension cords.

Advantages hard cable when connecting devices, that its ends do not need to be soldered or pressed with special tips.

To connect a flexible cable, you will have to purchase a lot of different additional consumables and tools.

Often, lamps are connected with a flexible cable and table lamps. Since these devices are subject to frequent revision, replacement of light bulbs, etc.

Which is better, monofilament or stranded? If we approach the issue of operation, then there is no difference. The main difference is in the installation.

You do not want to buy tips and are ready to tinker longer with broach and laying - your choice is a hard single-core.

Otherwise, choose stranded.

However, if we are talking not about overhaul, and for example, building up old aluminum wiring when connecting an additional outlet, then here you need to dwell only on the flexible option.

Why so, and not otherwise, read in a separate article:

Rated current tables

If you need to find out how much load can be passed through conductors of different sections, depending on the laying conditions, voltage and material of the conductors, use the tables of rated currents for cables and wires:

KL (Cu) rubber and PVC insulationKL (Al) rubber and PVC insulationCL flexible with rubber and PVC insulationCL (Cu) with paper insulation in the groundCL (Cu) with paper insulation in airCL (Al) with paper insulation in the groundCL (Al) with paper insulation in air