How to Tell What Gauge Wire You Have

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The "gauge" of a piece of wire refers to its diameter. On the American Wire Gauge (AWG) scale, gauge sizes run from 0000 (too written 4/0) to nearly 60. The larger the diameter of the wire, the smaller its guess number volition exist. You can measure the gauge on either circular solid wire (an private wire with no insulation) or stranded wire (a number of strands wrapped together). To measure the gauge of a piece of wire, you lot'll need to strip any insulation (the plastic coating which surrounds the wire), and and so utilise a wire-estimate tool to mensurate the size.

1. ane

   Purchase a wire-stripping tool. Equally it's impossible to gauge a wire with the insulation on, y'all'll need to remove this sparse plastic protective coating before measuring the wire gauge. The wire-stripping tool is specifically designed for this task: it looks a piddling like a pair of pliers. The tool has a small hole near its tip, which is lined with a abrupt blade to cut through and remove plastic insulation.^[1]

   • You should exist able to find a wire-stripping tool at any local hardware store.

2. 2

   Identify two inches of wire through the stripping tool. Your insulated wire should fit tightly into the small, sharp hole in the wire-stripping tool. Stripping the insulation off of about 2 inches (5 cm) of wire will give you enough to work with when measuring gauge.^[two]

   • Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all wire-gauging hole, many pairs of wire strippers are themselves gauged. A gauged stripper volition have near 10 holes of varying estimate sizes running up and down the interior of the tool's 'blades.'^[3]
   • This means that you'll need to approximate the gauge of the wire (even if you don't know it beforehand) to remove the insulation from the wire.

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3. 3

   Clamp downward and pull off the insulation. Once the wire has been inserted into the stripper tool's hole, squeeze the handles together. Pull the stripper tool away from the full slice of wire to piece through the plastic insulation and slide it off the stop of the wire.^[4]

   • At this point, you should have 2 inches (5 cm) of exposed wiring, of which you tin can measure the gauge.

4. 4

   Contact the wire manufacturer for the diameter of insulated wire. If it's of import to your electrical project that you know the exact diameter of insulated wire, you'll need to go far touch with the manufacturer directly. If you're unsure which company manufactured the wire, take it to your local hardware shop. They may be able to identify the visitor, and if non, they can measure the wire for you anyway.^[5]

   • Although judge sizes are universal, unlike companies put different amounts of plastic insulation effectually their wires.
   • The diameter measurement will not exist an actual judge size, since only uninsulated solid wires are gauged.

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1. 1

   Purchase a wire gauging tool. A wire gauging tool is a slice of metallic (typically circular or rectangular) which is studded with dozens of holes around its perimeter. Each pigsty is labeled with—and corresponds to—a different gauge size.^[6]

   • Make sure that the gauge tool specifies which measurement system it corresponds with. If you're located in Due north America, your tool will probably measure on the AWG calibration.
   • You tin can purchase a wire gauging tool at your local hardware shop or home-supply store).

2. two

   Estimate the estimate size of the wire. Begin past eyeballing the approximate size of the wire and run into which gauge holes are roughly the aforementioned size. This will save you fourth dimension that you lot'd otherwise spend on trying to fit the wire into many too-large or too-small-scale gauge grooves.^[seven]

3. 3

   Slide your wire into the judge groove and see where it fits. Place the wire into each groove until you detect the best fit. Your wire will correspond with the size of the smallest gauge groove that information technology slides into. The fit should be snug but non besides tight.^[eight]

   • Note that each of the grooves volition accept a slightly larger pigsty located next to it. These holes are not used to measure approximate size. They're only on the tool to permit y'all to easily remove the wire from the grooves.

4. four

   Compare the wire against some other wire whose gauge is known. If yous practise non accept a wire gauge tool, you can still find a wire's estimate by measuring it confronting another wire of known gauge size. For case, if yous take a small-diameter section of wire, hold it side by side to wires of known estimate (e.thousand. 20, 21, and 22) to see which your segment matches.

   • If yous don't accept any other wires whose estimate y'all know, take your wire strand to a local hardware store. They'll probable have enough gauged wire in their inventory that they tin can pull out various sizes of wire for you to compare your strand with.

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1. 1

   Measure the diameter of a single wire. Stranded wire consists of multiple sparse wire filaments that have been twisted together to form a single blended "wire." To calculate the judge of stranded wire, you'll demand to find the diameter of a single wire strand in either millimeters or inches.^[ix]

   • If the wire is of a very large guess (very minor bore) and can't be measure with a ruler, employ a wire and conduit measuring device. This tool can too be purchased at any hardware shop.

2. 2

   Multiply the wire'due south diameter by itself. To calculate the guess of stranded wire, you'll need to double the bore. Then, if you lot've measured a wire'south diameter to be 0.005 inches (0.127 mm), multiply this value past itself. The event will exist 0.000025 in (0.000635 mm).^[10]

3. 3

   Multiply the event by the number of strands in the wire. Depending on the size of the wire, it could have whatsoever number of individual, entwined strands. Count the private strands, and multiply the consequence of the squared wire diameter past the number of strands. In this case, if the wire has 21 strands, multiply 0.000025 in (0.000635 mm) by 21. The result will exist 0.000525 in (0.013335 mm).^[11]

   • This calculation will requite you the Circular Mils (CMA) value for the stranded wire. CMA is another unremarkably used wire-gauge scale which calculates the circular surface area of wires.
   • As a general rule, larger-approximate wire (smaller bore) contains fewer strands. Large-gauge wires may contain as few as 7 or viii strands, while small-guess (large diameter) wires may contain as many every bit 20, 40, or even 100 strands.

4. iv

   Discover the wire'southward corresponding AWG value. One time you lot've found the Circular Mils value of stranded wire, you'll need to consult an online table in order to discover the respective AWG value. Alternately, your local hardware store may have a physical copy of gauge-comparison table.^[12]

   • For instance, if yous measure the diameter of a wire strand every bit 0.005 inches (0.127 mm) and the stranded wire has 21 strands, this corresponds to a CMA of 525 and to an AWG of 22.

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• Question

  How do I gauge stranded wire?

  

  Ricardo Mitchell
  Electrician & Structure Professional person, CN Coterie

  Ricardo Mitchell is the CEO of CN Coterie, a fully licensed and insured Lead EPA (Environmental Protection Bureau) Certified construction company located in Manhattan, New York. CN Coterie specializes in full dwelling renovation, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, cabinetry, furniture restoration, OATH/ECB (Office of Authoritative Trials and Hearings/Environmental Control Lath) violations removal, and DOB (Section of Buildings) violations removal. Ricardo has over 10 years of electrical and construction experience and his partners have over 30 years of relevant experience.

  

  Electrician & Structure Professional, CN Coterie

  Adept Answer

  

  Back up wikiHow by unlocking this practiced answer.

  How we commonly measure stranded wire is to calculate the equivalent beyond the section. First, measure the diameter on a unmarried strand. And so, cheque the values across the row and match the measurement.

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• Wire gauges are near commonly used in work with either electrical wiring or jewelry.^[thirteen]

• The American Wire Gauge (AWG) measurement system can also exist referred to every bit the "Chocolate-brown and Sharpe Cuff."^[fourteen]

• If you live outside of North America, you may encounter other common gauge-measurement systems, including Round Mils (CMA), the Standard Wire Gauge (SWG) in Britain, and the Birmingham Wire Estimate (BWG), an old British organization that was used worldwide.^[fifteen]

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• Whenever you're working with electrical wires, make sure that the wire is not plugged in and that no electric charge is running through it.

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Things Yous'll Need

• wire
• wire-stripping tool
• wire-gauging tool
• a range of gauged wires (optional)
• wire and conduit measuring device
• reckoner (optional)

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Commodity Summary Ten

To estimate wire, you'll first need to strip the wire, then use a wire gauging tool to measure out its bore. Start by stripping the insulation with a wire stripping tool. Place ii inches of wire through the tool, clamp it down, and pull off the insulation to betrayal the wires within. And then, untangle and straighten the wires and use either a ruler or a wire and conduit measuring tool to measure the diameter of a single wire. Double the wire's diameter and then you tin calculate the approximate of a stranded wire. And then, multiply that number by the number of individual wire strands to find the Round Mils value. Have that value and consult an online table or use a physical comparison table to find the analogous American Wire Gauge calibration value and gauge the wire. For tips almost purchasing a wire gauging tool to judge wire, proceed reading!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Gauge-Wire#:~:text=To%20calculate%20the%20gauge%20of,0.000025%20in%20(0.000635%20mm).&text=Multiply%20the%20result%20by%20the%20number%20of%20strands%20in%20the%20wire.

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