Gauging the Difference
In Home Wiring, Lower Gauge Means Greater Power
Someday you may need new electrical wiring in your home and the electrician may ask if you want 12 AWG or 14 AWG (American Wire Gauge). You may not know what this means, but opt for the lower number. When it comes to electrical wiring, a lower gauge number means larger wires with lower electrical resistance, and that translates into greater load-carrying capacity.
It also means better power quality. Fatter wires produce less waste heat and less “voltage drop,” which simply means they can transmit full, unimpeded power for critical applications such as home entertainment and the home office. With 12-gauge wiring, lights will flicker less. Moreover, fatter wires provide room for growth—that is, they allow homeowners to increase electricity use without the need to rewire.
Consider this: One thousand feet of 14 AWG solid wiring has a resistance of 2.53 ohms. The same length of 12 AWG has a resistance of 1.59 ohms. That 0.94-ohm difference equals a 37.5 percent drop in resistance, and less resistance means less chance that your home’s circuits will overload because too many appliances are drawing too much power. And make sure your circuit breaker matches the wire size: 20 Amps for 12 AWG of 15 Amps for 14 AWG. Otherwise, you negate the protection the circuit breaker provides.
