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Wire load refers to the amount of signal a cable can handle. It varies based on wire length, gauge, and material. Exceeding the load can cause overheating, breakage, and even fire. Charts and online resources can help determine the appropriate load for a cable.
The term wire load is used in the realm of electronics and electrical circuits. It is a reference used to describe the amount of signal a specific cable can withstand after being sent through it. The load varies based on the length of the wire, the thickness or “gauge” of the wire, and the material that the specific wire is made of.
The thicker the gauge and the denser or more conductive the wire, the higher rating the wire will receive in terms of acceptable wire loading for that wire. This is usually measured in volts. Volts are used because most of the signal capabilities that different cables and devices rely on are directly related to voltage, current, or the conversion of an input signal to voltage.
The reason most electrical wire is rated on a wire load system is because when a signal, such as voltage, is passed through the output of one circuit device and sent to another device through a wire, the transferred energy often produces heat. In highly conductive materials, such as copper wiring, the wire can get so hot that if the wire is too small for the energy being sent through it, the wire itself will overheat. This could cause the thread to become brittle and break.
A broken wire is very dangerous for the circuit. Damage can occur if the broken end of the wire contacts any of the other parts of the circuit. This means that if the load on the cable is exceeded by the amount of voltage sent to the device, this excess energy could cause the cable to fail and damage the device as a whole. Excess voltage could even cause an electrical fire.
In order to prevent fire and damage, it is imperative to ensure that the load sent to the cable for the device is below the load capacity of the specific cable. To do this, any local electrician should have a wire gauge and load limit chart. Such graphics can be purchased for a nominal fee.
If a chart isn’t at hand, users are typically able to look up a cable gauge from many different online cable load calculation sites. Knowing the capacity and voltage limits for the cable being used will help avoid any damage to the circuit or device caused by installing cables in locations where they are not compatible. These charts will also, in a handy way, show wire sizes or dimensions that are generally considered excessive or too large for the project at hand.
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