Written by Admin | May 18, 2015 5:00:00 AM
What do the 'M' and 'C' in MC cable mean? What does XLPE cable stand for? Why is it called SOOW cable? Answers to these questions and more!
The world of wire and cable has a language of its own, and even those with experience need a translator from time to time. Your old pal Willie knows this to be true, so I’ve compiled a cheat sheet on wire and cable nomenclature for you to reference.
First, we have a list of individual descriptors, each either made up of one or two letters. These can define what the cable is used for, what it’s made of, or what the cable can withstand––like heat resistance or voltage ratings. Often, a cable’s name will be some combination of two or more of the descriptors below.
The Components of Wire & Cable Nomenclature
E: thermoplastic elastomer
FF: flexible fixture
H: heat-resistant 75ºC
HH: high heat-resistant 90ºC
J: junior service, rated to 300 volts
[caption id="attachment_2154" align="alignright" width="250"]
NM-B: non-metallic building wire.[/caption]
ML: motor lead wire
N: nylon coating
NM: non-metallic
O: oil-resistant jacket
OO: oil-resistant jacket and insulation
P: polyethylene coating
PV: photovoltaic
R: rubber-insulated
S: service cord
SE: service entrance
SR: silicone rubber insulation
[caption id="attachment_2155" align="alignright" width="250"]
SEOOW: Service cable w/ thermoplastic Elastomer, Oil-resistant jacket & Oil-resistant insulation, Weather-resistant[/caption]
T: thermoplastic
V: vinyl coating
VW: vertical wire
W: weather-resistant / water-resistant
W/G: with ground
X: cross-linked
If you’re looking for an explanation of a specific cable’s nomenclature, below is a list of popular cable types and what their names signify.
Wire & Cable Names and Explanations
DLO:
Diesel
Locomotive cable
HCF:
Health
Care
Facilities wire
MC:
Metal-
Clad cable
MTW:
Machine
Tool
Wire
NM-B:
Non-
Metallic
Building wire
RHH:
Rubber-insulated
High
Heat-resistant cable
RHW:
Rubber-insulated
Heat-
Water-resistant cable
SEOOW:
Service cable w/ thermoplastic
Elastomer,
Oil-resistant jacket &
Oil-resistant insulation,
Weather-resistant
SER:
Service
Entrance cable with
Reinforcement tape
SIS: Switchboard wire
SJEOOW:
Service cable
Junior (300V) w/ thermoplastic
Elastomer,
Oil-resistant jacket &
Oil-resistant insulation,
Weather-resistant
SJOOW:
Service cable
Junior (300V) w/
Oil-resistant jacket &
Oil-resistant insulation,
Weather-resistant
SOOW:
Service cable w/
Oil-resistant jacket &
Oil-resistant insulation,
Weather-resistant
SRML:
Silicone-
Rubber insulated
Motor
Lead wire
STO:
Service cable w/
Thermoplastic
Oil-resistant jacket
TFFN:
Thermoplastic
Flexible
Fixture
Nylon wire
TGGT:
Teflon-
Glass-
Glass-
Teflon;
Teflon wrapped w/
Teflon-impregnated,
Glass outer braid
THHN:
Thermoplastic
High
Heat-resistant
Nylon wire
THWN:
Thermoplastic
High
Water-resistant
Nylon wire
UF-B:
Underground
Feeder and
Branch circuit
USE-2:
Underground
Service
Entrance cable
VNTC:
Vinyl
Nylon
Tray
Cable
XHHW:
Cross-linked
High
Heat- and
Water-resistant cable
XLP or XLPE:
Cross-
Linked
Poly
ethylene
The nomenclature of wire and cable is not a fully uniform system, and it can be a little confusing. (For instance, not every instance of the letter “W” denotes a weather-resistant cable—MTW stands for machine tool wire.) Hopefully, this list can be of use the next time you’re curious about what your wire or cable’s label means.