What type of wire do I need to have for household projects ? I have a lot of scrap wire laying around that is primary wire with an insulation rating of 300v. I know that wiring for buildings should be rated at 600v, but is that just the wire in the conduit ?
Can I fix my lamps and small appliances with primary wire ?
Thanks
Lamps can use "junior" cord (300v) and since the other conditions are minimal you can use zip cord. It should still be listed as appliance cord. Article 3 wiring methods (House wiring) require 600v insulation and it also has other requirements. The safe bet for harry homeowner is to use THHN/THWN in pipe or NM-b (Romex) cable. You can substitute type SE/SER, AC, or MC cable for Romex but it is more expensive and harder to work with. AC and MC also require the right connectors.
What gauge wire and what sort of small appliances are you fixing?
I would be interested in how the wire was labeled too. There are about two dozen types of fixture wire listed in article 402. Each has it's own characteristics but all could be used in a luminaire. When you get to ovens and other heat producing equipment the temperature rating becomes important.
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