Busting 5 Myths About Power Cables

By Author: Jennifer Truong
Total Articles: 95
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Power cable is the fundamental component of any electrical system. There are numerous types of cables available in the market. And with a wide range of options, there comes a wide range of myths. A popular myth is that most people believe that copper is always a far better conductor for electricity than aluminum. Well, this is not accurate. When it comes to deciding what type of conductor is better between copper and aluminum metals, there are many factors that you need to consider.

As much as you may be knowledgeable about electric cables, there is a possibility that there are several things about power cables that can be new for you to know. Thus, before using any apparatus like a universal power cord on your devices, you should ensure that your power cable is safe. Here are few things about power cables you need to know:

The most important factor out of them is that conductivity in relation to cable wires is not only a function of the measure of resistivity, but rather it is a unique combination of the cable sizes and the used insulation material. So, in cases where super-high voltages need to be useful over ...
... long distances, it becomes economical to choose aluminum cables rather than copper ones.

1. Different Factors Affects the Cable's Current Capacity and It Does Not Remain Stable

Well, it is common to hear people talking about the possibility of their current cable capacity remaining stable forever. But, this is a common misconception about electrical cables that people have.

However, the truth is that the cable current capacity depends on how and where you use it. The most important of them is that you should check the technical specifications of the functions before choosing one for any use.

2. Copper is Not Always a Better Conductor Than Aluminum

The point that needs to be noted in the copper conductor is that it does not remain stable over the lifetime of the cables. The changes in stability are usually caused by factors like the prevailing ground or air temperature. Even the actual way how the laying carries out and the depth at which the cables have been laid also affects the stability of power cables.

3. New Power Cables Do Not Last For As Long As You Expect Them To

There are many reasons why newly installed power cables do not last if people expect them to. Let us start with the first one, since there are many manufacturers of electric cables, it is obviously unlikely that every power cable that you install will last for a specific period.

The second reason is that there are different types of power cables. Following terms defines a specific power cable:

Capacity
Durability
Usage
Other industry-specific characteristics

The third reason as we discussed earlier is that the extent to which a cable lasts primarily relies on the manner in which one carries out the process installation. A poorly done installation might significantly shorten the life of a cable.

4. Cable Armor Is Not Useful to Protect the Cable Against All Possible Physical Impacts

The cable armor is not useful to help in protecting the cable against any chances of physical impact. On the other hand, if any type of physical stress is exposed to any power cable, then it is possible that the armor would likely aggravate the damage to the cable arising from the impact.

This is because the cable armor manufacturers use on all types of cables is usually of steel wire or steel tape. These materials are to increase the tensile measure of the cables, not to protect the cables from physical impact.

5. The Cable Armor Cannot Protect Electric Cables From Moisture

It is common to hear that for any power cable type the inclusion of the armor makes the usage of cables possible in moist areas. But again, armor is not to protect the cable from water or moisture. Therefore, exposing armored cables to water can easily lead to the destruction of the armor. Eventually, this can lead to the exposure of the actual cables over time.

Wrapping Up

Thus, it is advisable to look for facts and not myths. Because relying on myths may prove to be harmful for the overall cable performance. And this lands us to the last but the most essential thing that you need to consider is related to safety. You should not forget that a faulty installation of cables can easily lead to an accident. So, before you carry out any electrical installation project, you should contact your local building inspector or the site electrical inspector.

It is best to get the project inspected for compliance with local codes and regulations once it is complete. So, after installing power cables properly, you can use devices like universal power cords safely on any device.

Jennifer Truong is the owner of SF Cable, a California based online retailer of all kind of cables, wires, cords, and other related accessories for computers and other consumer electronics. SF Cable is well known in the market for providing high-quality products at low prices by sourcing them directly from manufacturers. Jennifer has extensive experience in the cable industry and has been instrumental in the growth of SF Cable and in establishing it as one of the leading providers of cables online.