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16 and 18 AWG not approved by UL

16 and 18 AWG not approved by UL

16 and 18 AWG not approved by UL

(OP)
I'm trying to buy some 16 and 18 switchboard wire that is UL, CSA approved. The wire I want is FR-XLPE and I've found it but not UL approved. Manufacture says UL doesn't recognize 16 and 18 AWG. Is that true?

RE: 16 and 18 AWG not approved by UL

What on earth would you be trying to do with that dinky wire anyway?  14 on low voltage control circuits is plenty small enough.

RE: 16 and 18 AWG not approved by UL

(OP)
14 AWG for a 60 milliamp relay is over kill. 250 times the ampacity required.

RE: 16 and 18 AWG not approved by UL

http://www.automationdirect.com/static/specs/wiremtw.pdf

This shows MTW down to #18 AWG and certainly implies it is all UL approved, but that is not totally clear.  

The concern with size is not so much the current-carrying capability, but the physical strength of the wiring and terminations.

 

David Castor
www.cvoes.com

RE: 16 and 18 AWG not approved by UL

It's probably that specific insulation / wire style that doesn't come UL listed in that size. XLPE is usually used as tray cable, and you could not legally use anything smaller than 14ga in a tray, so why make it?

You might want to try SIS if you are looking for something better than MTW because you want flame resistant wire. It's UL listed down to 18ga.


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