A guide to selection of electrical cable

Last modified: Fri Jul 9 14:18:02 2004

©2001 Kevin Boone, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in material form (including
photocopying or printing), or transmitted in electronic form, without the express permission of the copyright holder, except
for the purposes of private study, review, and criticism, or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act (1988). So there.

Overview
This article describes the selection of cables for `difficult' domestic electrical installations. By `difficult'
I mean installations where cables are unusually long, currents abnormally high, or shock protection
requirements especially rigorous. I have written this article for competent, sensible DIY enthusiasts who
may already be doing electrical work, but lack the theoretical and regulatory knowledge to tackle these
more difficult jobs. I have assumed that the reader has a basic understanding of electrical theory and is
prepared to do some simple arithmetic.

Cable selection is guided by two main principles. First, the cable should be able to carry the current
load imposed on it without overheating. It should be able to do this in the most extreme conditions of
temperature it will encounter during its working life. Second, it should offer sufficiently sound earthing
to (i) limit the voltage to which people are exposed to a safe level and (ii) allow the fault current to trip
the fuse or MCB in a short time.

To meet these requirements requires consideration of the circuit load current, the ambient temperature,
installation technique, cable thickness and length, and the over-current protection device. In some cases
you may need to consider factors that are outside your control, like the external earth loop impedance.
Typical `worst-case' values for these factors are given in the article.

Scope of this article

In most domestic wiring scenarios, the principles and techniques described in this article are simply not
relevant. The materials and equipment currently available are designed to simplify installation, and
common sense and the ability to read the manufacturer's instructions are all that is required. Ordinary
domestic power and lighting circuits do not require any special skills or knowledge to install, beyond
what you would find in a DIY handbook. This article covers the issues that DIY books steer clear of,
like running long cables to outbuildings, installing supplies for electrical showers, and electrical wiring
in bathrooms. It assumes that the reader has sufficient time and enthusiasm to get to grips with the
theory, which can be rather technical in places.

This article is intended for readers in the UK, and in places where UK practices and regulations are
followed.

How this article is organized

This article has three chapters and an appendix. Chapter 1 describes the theory of over-current