A GUIDE TO ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION

All About Why Insulation Matters

Wiring in your home or business is essential to keep everything functioning correctly. If your wiring is outdated or worn down, it might not have proper insulation.

Since wiring problems can cause an electrical fire or expensive damages, insulation is crucial.

Whether it’s to protect your appliances or you, making sure that the insulation on your wiring is intact is a matter of safety.

Our team knows all of the best insulating materials and why you need them, so keep reading to find out more or give us a call today!

Insulating is Key

You might be familiar with insulation for your home, but we’re also talking about your clothes. When it comes to your house, though, you can’t be too careful. Proper insulation can keep the cold out during Winter and prevent your heater from working overtime. In many cases, the insulation in your attic, flooring, or walls has worn down over time. This allows heat or cold to get in and ruin your comfort. 

We’ve seen a lot of older homes, especially, have this problem. When homes were built 20 years ago, they didn’t have the same safety and insulation standards that we have now. Make sure to look around at your insulation, or have a professional like Turner On Services give you an inspection to make sure you’ve got effective insulation. 

Reasons for Proper Insulation

Most people know that wiring is insulated, but you might not know why. Turner On Services cares about the safety of our customers first, so it makes sense that that’s our first point. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, electrical hazards can be:

1. Exposed wiring
2. Removed or worn insulation
3. Wiring issues in wet conditions, like a bathroom

You can save money with proper insulation on your wiring. The material prevents electricity from leaking onto other wires or components, which could also prove dangerous. This can also protect circuits and however your electrical system is grounded.

By keeping your wires insulated, you can also prevent them from corroding faster from moisture in the air. Copper and steel wires are especially susceptible to these issues if left exposed, so you can extend the lifespan of your wiring.

If you didn’t know, your insulation is color-coded to make it easier for us to know what goes where. Different colors on your wiring let us know details, like the voltage of those wires or what they connect to. Proper insulation by a professional like Turner On Services might look like:

1. Yellow can handle 20 amps with 12-gauge wires
2. White corresponds to a 14-gauge wire for 15 amps
3. Orange insulation goes with 10-gauge wires that rate for 30 amps
4. Gray goes on cables with a 15-amp capacity
5. Black insulation can be 6- or 8-gauge wires that are rated for 40-60 amps

While the insulation coloring might not be as essential for your safety as other reasons, they’re all important. Proper insulation can keep you safer or save you money in the long run. To schedule an inspection and get started, give us a call today!

Choosing the Right Insulation Materials

Not all materials are equal when it comes to insulating your wiring. Some are better-suited for different situations, so it’s important to hire someone you trust. It all starts by knowing the different types of insulation branches: Plastics, rubbers, and fluoropolymers.

The most common plastic insulation is PVC, or polyvinyl chloride. PVC and other plastics can protect your wiring from solvents, acids, ozone, and even gas. It can be surprising what your wiring could be susceptible to, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Rubber insulation is a wide category, and it works great to hold in a current while protecting your wires. Since there are so many rubber insulators to choose from, here are the frequent choices among our customers:

1. Resistant to heat and flame-retardant, silicone is an old-school choice. It’s flexible, which lets us bend it for smaller or cramped spaces. 
2. TPR, or Thermoplastic rubber, is perfect for a lot of different temperatures and climates. It works well for our color coordination and provides better processing power than some materials. It also offers good protection for your wiring from wear and the elements.
3. Pure rubber is solid insulation with flexibility in lower temperatures. It’s highly resistant to alcohol, water, and wear and tear. You might be surprised that a lot of “rubber” items like shoes and gloves aren’t pure rubber due to synthetic additions to the mixture.
4. Fiberglass is great if you’ve got wiring in extreme temperatures. While it holds up well against serious cold, most of the time it’s used for the opposite end of the spectrum, like in a foundry or an aluminum processing treatment. 
5. One of the lesser-known materials is CSPE, or Chlorosulfonated polyethylene. It’s also referred to as Hypalon, but it’s good against sunlight and various chemicals. You can also use it for low-voltage wiring, so it’s great for outdoor wiring.
6. Another insulator that we see more often is EPDM. Any commercial business is probably familiar with this one, but Ethylene propylene diene monomer is a rubber-like material perfect for numerous temperatures and flexibility. 

The third category for insulation is fluoropolymers. These materials hold up against all kinds of acidic or basic chemicals and solvents. They’re mostly used for planes and vehicles because of their resistances. They also have a high tolerance for different temperatures. Now that you know the types of insulation that work best, we can start talking about the different cables to know about. We want to help you make an informed decision at every turn, which is what we’re here for when you call us today and schedule an inspection!

A Cable for Every Occasion

With so many cables available these days, you want someone with experience to help you find the right one. You could just not get power to your appliance with the wrong cable, or you could cause damages. Here are some of the usual suspects when it comes to cables: don’t need heat to clean your clothes.

1. UF, or Underground Feeder, cables do just what the name suggests. They’re installed in the ground or near a moist environment. We’ll embed them together using thermoplastic insulation. They resemble the NM-B cable, but they’re better to go in the ground. We’ll also go with nylon or PVC insulation for the color-coding.
2. Speaking of the NM-B cable, they’re the ones you’ll see most often in homes. These cables are flexible and non-metal, which means they’re only good for indoor wiring. They should never be around direct heat or moisture and we’ll install them behind the walls. NM-B’s can also go in the ceiling or underneath the floor to power lighting and appliances. For these, we’ll use rubber or PVC insulation.
3. SE-R cable goes through a panel feeder or branch circuit. These cables are water- and UV-resistant. They’re also made to be flame retardant, so they can be used inside or out. However, if they’re outdoor cables, they can’t be buried without a conduit. SE-R cables typically have nylon insulation.
4. MC, or Metal-Clad cable, has a purpose for industrial, residential, or business building. Because of their design, they can go inside or out with multiple applications. They’re especially useful with copper wrapped around them.
5. One of the newer cables is USE-2 Solar Wire. These cables are renewable and solar-powered. It’s rated to handle many situations, though it’s best used underground or in a location with photovoltaic power. USE-2 cable can also have a flexible rubber insulation that can withstand sunlight.

By now, you can see that there are a lot of options to insulate your cables and wiring. That’s why it helps to work with a professional. Turner On Services is here to help when you’re ready, so don’t hesitate to give us a call!

Which Insulation Works Better?

There are a lot of factors that determine which insulation will function better to protect your wiring. Since every material offers different benefits, we’ll recommend a solution based on your unique situation. Here are some of the most common scenarios we’ve dealt with:

1. An outdoor cable will need to be better against UV rays and the elements. CPE holds up well against bad weather, as does TPR, EPDM, and EPR. You can even choose PVDF from the fluoropolymers.
2. If you need insulation that will hold up in a location with very high temperatures that might cause a fire, you’ve got options from all 3 categories. PVC is a great choice, as are neoprene polychloroprene, silicone, FEP, and PVDF. Many of those are flame-resistant or -retardant.
3. Some insulations are designed specifically for a wet climate. Rubber insulation of any kind is a great option, with EPR being the top suggestion. However, you could also go with PTFE, PVC, or polyethylene to protect your wiring.
4. Colder environments would do well with polyurethane protecting their cables. We’d also recommend PFA or any number of rubber insulating materials.
5. Chemical corrosion is a threat to wiring and insulation, so you need the proper solution. Nylon has a strong resistance to chemicals, as does polyurethane. PVDF, PTFE, CSPE, and fiberglass are also great options to have.

There are all sorts of situations that you might need a customized plan for. We approach each customer with an open mind to make sure that your electrical needs are met, so give us a call today!

Making the Best Decision

Since your wiring can not only power your home or business, but make or break appliances, it’s important to know you’re getting the right insulation. It’s also good to know your wiring is done right with the correct cables and color-coding.

That’s why you should let our team of electrical experts help. We’ll recommend the best of all factors for your situation, taking into consideration things like:

1. The mechanical traits of your insulation can be a huge difference in durability and longevity. It can influence the flexibility, toughness, and overall tensile strength of your insulation. Mechanical also refers to the natural resistances of your insulation to things like water or abrasion.
2. How your insulation can contract and expand over time, in different temperatures, is part of its thermal properties. 
3. Anything from corrosive and UV resistance to moisture absorption and flame stability can impact the decision of chemical properties.
4. Because insulation and wiring deal with electricity, it makes sense that electrical properties are a big deal. The current of your wires is important, but so are the arc and insulation resistance of the material. 

These are all areas of thought that go into our recommendations. We’ve got a lot of experience with wiring and insulation, so you can trust our knowledge to keep you and your building safe. Call us today and schedule an inspection, or feel free to ask any questions you may have!