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Cable size

NGUACE
Hi all,


I am extending the lighting in my garden with no way of identifying the swa cable size? I have purchased some vernier callipers, measured the individual core to be 0.48, as there are 7 cores I work out the csa of the cable to be 1.26mm2.


Unfortunately depending on what table I look at, SWG, AWG, of which each seems to have a number of contradictory ones, I cannot confirm if it is 1mm2 or 1.5mm2.


the issue is I have spent days trying to find someone who stocks 1mm2 SWA, I assume due to cost no one uses it any longer as just  as cheap to get 1.5mm2.


re wiring with 1.5mm2 back from the rcd is not really an option, the cable is buried under concrete and having to re wire would mean drilling through the house and re laying a new cable?


so guess the short question is, anyone know of anyone selling 1mm2 SWA?


thank you all for your time and assistance.


Andy
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Parents
  • 0
    Yes -  the 0.48 mm diameter of each of the seven cores definitely sounds like "1.5 mm2" wire that I've seen. Have a go at measuring some other 1.5 mm2 or other sizes of cables you've bought recently, to compare. The actual size that each manufacturer uses could vary a bit,  depending on the quality of copper. 


    All of the few cases I've actually measured have had that sort of difference, like 1.25 versus 1.5, between the actual and nominal cross-section. (I got started on measuring these when I noticed the insides of the flex supplied with an ebay-mediated imported floodlight. The outside of the flex was marked as 1.0 mm2, but the copper was almost invisible compared to the plastic - not far off headphone cable. Its actual area was below 0.5 mm2. I doubt very much that they were using specially [impossibly] good copper! The dangers of direct-imported electrical things are given some attention, but not enough.) 

Reply
  • 0
    Yes -  the 0.48 mm diameter of each of the seven cores definitely sounds like "1.5 mm2" wire that I've seen. Have a go at measuring some other 1.5 mm2 or other sizes of cables you've bought recently, to compare. The actual size that each manufacturer uses could vary a bit,  depending on the quality of copper. 


    All of the few cases I've actually measured have had that sort of difference, like 1.25 versus 1.5, between the actual and nominal cross-section. (I got started on measuring these when I noticed the insides of the flex supplied with an ebay-mediated imported floodlight. The outside of the flex was marked as 1.0 mm2, but the copper was almost invisible compared to the plastic - not far off headphone cable. Its actual area was below 0.5 mm2. I doubt very much that they were using specially [impossibly] good copper! The dangers of direct-imported electrical things are given some attention, but not enough.) 

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