What Gauge Size Comes After 4/0 Electrical Wire?
by
ChristopherG Bell
AWG is an acronym for American Wire Gauge which can get a little bit confusing when gauges get larger than 1 AWG. First of all, as the numbers get smaller the amount of copper gets larger and the more power the cable can handle in terms of amperage. Once the sizes get as big as 1 AWG it moves on to 0 AWG or 1/0, then 00 or 2/0, then 000 or 3/0 and finally 0000 or 4/0. Anything larger than 4/0 will be identified in the industry as MCM, or thousand circular mils .
THHN wire and welding cable are two common items in the field that are manufactured regularly in 250 MCM, 350 MCM and 500 MCM. THHN wire sometimes gets as large as 1000 MCM for larger applications. Once into the MCM gauge sizes it actually gets easier to understand if you re an electrician because it s the actual size, or outer diameter, of the copper portion of the wire. Common gauge sizes such as 4 AWG would have to be broken down into the amount of circular mils with most engineers involved in the manufacturing process of electrical wire and cable.
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Remember that MCM sizes compared to AWG sizes aren t different kinds of electrical wire. They are merely ways to identify the amount of copper and that s it. Identifying the amount of copper will determine the amount of power that can be sent through it for a particular application. Any insulation over the copper will be added to directly help protect the copper from the environment it will be placed in. That might include temperature changes, voltage and weather conditions that could impact the copper if the insulation was penetrated.
THHN wire is a common type of 4/0 and 250 MCM wire. Those two sizes are in order of size. As THHN electrical wires they both have a PVC insulation with a nylon coating. That specific insulation was engineered and tested to be used indoors, outdoors and in conduit for typical house and building applications.
Welding cable is another common type of 4/0 and 250 MCM electrical wire. It s designed and manufactured with more flexible copper strands and tough rubber insulation for flexibility and daily impact in its particular field. A welding cable is more commonly touched, coiled and uncoiled by the operator while THHN wire is installed and never touched again until there s a problem. Therefore, added protection, such as rubber insulation, will help protect a welding cable for its day to day wear and tear.
Speak to your supplier about the type of insulation you need and speak to your electrician about the size of copper you need. Always remember that those are completely different questions to ask!
WesBell Electronics is a wire and cable distributor for
electrical wire
and many other types of portable cord and heat shrink tubing.
THHN 4/0 AWG
is a common item in our inventory with more than 5 colors to choose from in each AWG size. Please visit our website to find Free Shipping over $250 from an ISO9001 certified company.
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What Gauge Size Comes After 4/0 Electrical Wire?