As an example, 12 AWG must have a cross-sectional area of at least 3.3 sq. mm of conductive material. What is the purpose of the Cable Size Calculator mentioned in the article on automotive wiring FAQs, and where can I find it? Buy cable with an AWG size. This is an American Standard for cable sizes and you’ll likely get the correct cabling for the job. Only if the cable has been sized correctly in the first place. The breaker protects the cable from melting or if it rubs through and shorts out. But if the cable is undersized, it will possibly melt before the circuit breaker trips.

AWG chart and the metric system | Eland Cables FAQ: AWG chart and the metric system | Eland Cables

A 20 amp breaker will happily allow up to 20 amps to pass through it. Yes the breaker will trip eventually, but not until the wire has heated up and started melting. Apologies in advance for any repetition. However, many of these questions are asked in slightly different ways. It is a cable made to ISO Standards, an International Standard. Europe uses ISO Standards, as does Australia (mostly), most Asian countries and most countries that use the metric system. gives a cable cross-sectional area of 1.53 sq. mm. This corresponds to a 14 AWG cable in the Cable Size Chart above. Say you have a terminal box and want to size the supply cable. Off the terminal box you have a compressor with a maximum current draw of 40 Amps and a fridge with maximum current draw of 10 Amps.If you’re looking to unravel the mysteries of sizing automotive wiring and you need a simple Cable Size Calculator, then you’ve come to the right place! The problem is, most of the AWG sizes they’ve listed don’t match the cross-sectional areas. At least they specify the cross-sectional area I suppose… This brand gives a lot more information, but it’s not too clear. “24 x 0.2mm” means 24 strands of 0.2mm diameter wire. Using the Cable Area Calculator above, this equates to 0.75 sq. mm cross-sectional area, which is actually just under 10% smaller than 18 AWG. So even this isn’t accurate. Use the calculator below to figure out the cross-sectional area of the cable, then use the Cable Size Chart to match it to the nearest size. If you can’t measure an individual strand, then measure the diameter of the bundle. It’ll at least give you an indication of the cable’s size. It totally depends on the application. Use our Cable Size Calculator to find out exactly what you need. Do not rely on suppliers’ specification, as they are generally misleading or completely incorrect.

AWG (American Wire Gauge) Size Conversion Calculator Wire AWG (American Wire Gauge) Size Conversion Calculator

Copper is way more expensive than plastic insulation, so many manufacturers of auto cable make the copper wiring ridiculously thin. Another example of auto cable. This cable gives you no useful information whatsoever!B&S stand for Brown & Sharp Wire Gauge… not Battery & Starter as some automotive wiring suppliers seem to imagine!