electric wire section announced vs and reality !

[iPa41000]

Hi all,
This morning I bought 30m 1x4 SQ at Globalhouse, BCC blue wire was out of stock, so I bought brand TrippleN price was really low ! At home, by curiosity I measured the diameter of the wire: 1.78mm, so a SQ of 2.5mm2. What is wrong ?

[iPa41000]

This morning I bought again electrical wire 1x4mm sq but brand BCC (Bangkok Cable).
Result, measured diameter = 2.22mm so really near 4mm sq !
So be careful with Tripple N brand they sell 2.5mm sq labelled 4mm sq !

[jackspratt]

Did you return the dodgy wire for a refund at Global House?

[Charlieb]

Be careful! Another fahlang just arrested for bad mouthing a business.

[Potamoi]

I always buy BCC after a proper sparky recomended it some years ago. It's more expensive but that goes with the territory.

[tamada]

Be careful! Another fahlang just arrested for bad mouthing a business.

No business or brand name has been "bad mouthed" here. The words "rip-off" and "scam" have been avoided. It's only the low-price of the non-compliant material that has been pointed out.

More like a caveat emptor warning for those buying wiring.

[dunroaming]

The difference between 4 mm and 4 sq. mm electric wire lies in their respective measurements.

When we refer to "4 mm" electric wire, we are specifying the diameter of the wire in millimeters. This measurement indicates the thickness of the wire.

On the other hand, "4 sq. mm" electric wire refers to the cross-sectional area of the wire in square millimeters. This measurement indicates the actual amount of conductor material present in the wire.

So, while "4 mm" refers to the diameter of the wire, "4 sq. mm" refers to the cross-sectional area of the wire, which is a measure of its carrying capacity.

[iPa41000]

Did you return the dodgy wire for a refund at Global House?

No, I saw the issue only after having unrolled them to prepare for pulling wires.
And don't want to waste time with a complaint for a refund.

[David Chop]

Not going to try to suss out what's going on with that label, but at a guess I'd say it's just mis-labeled.

Anyway, here's what I'd do with the wire itself:
1.78mm wire is a shade over AWG 14 @ 1.63mm.
2.22mm wire is a shade over AWG 12 @ 2.05mm.
I'd sleep easy at night with 15A of circuit protection on the 1.78mm wire and 20A on the 2.22mm, per NEC (US code) specs.

[sometimewoodworker]

The difference between 4 mm and 4 sq. mm electric wire lies in their respective measurements.

When we refer to "4 mm" electric wire, we are specifying the diameter of the wire in millimeters. This measurement indicates the thickness of the wire.

On the other hand, "4 sq. mm" electric wire refers to the cross-sectional area of the wire in square millimeters. This measurement indicates the actual amount of conductor material present in the wire.

So, while "4 mm" refers to the diameter of the wire, "4 sq. mm" refers to the cross-sectional area of the wire, which is a measure of its carrying capacity.

That is a very interesting and fallacious argument.

Electric cable is always specified by the area of the conductor/s if it is called 4mm or 4sq mm it is the same. It maybe a single conductor or multiple conductors so the actual thickness of the individual conductors is rather less relevant.

Different cables or ropes are usually measured by the diameter not the cross-sectional area as that is the more important information.

[tamada]

Only noobs and DIY'ers consider the outside diameter or thickness of a wire as a valid metric for wire selection. Real electricians primarily pay attention to conductor type, guage and the insulation.

[dunroaming]

The difference between 4 mm and 4 sq. mm electric wire lies in their respective measurements.

When we refer to "4 mm" electric wire, we are specifying the diameter of the wire in millimeters. This measurement indicates the thickness of the wire.

On the other hand, "4 sq. mm" electric wire refers to the cross-sectional area of the wire in square millimeters. This measurement indicates the actual amount of conductor material present in the wire.

So, while "4 mm" refers to the diameter of the wire, "4 sq. mm" refers to the cross-sectional area of the wire, which is a measure of its carrying capacity.

That is a very interesting and fallacious argument.

Electric cable is always specified by the area of the conductor/s if it is called 4mm or 4sq mm it is the same. It maybe a single conductor or multiple conductors so the actual thickness of the individual conductors is rather less relevant.

Different cables or ropes are usually measured by the diameter not the cross-sectional area as that is the more important information.

Obviously your not qualified in electrical engineering