Terminology question; does #10 cable mean 10 AWG cable?

Dumbdumbhead
Dumbdumbhead Solar Expert Posts: 28 ✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Sorry for these painfully asinine questions but...I have always referred to cable in AWG terms, never #10 or #x. Is #10 cable the same thing as 10 AWG cable?

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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,642 admin
    #2
    Re: Terminology question; does #10 cable mean 10 AWG cable?

    It should be (in the US--AWG is American Wire Gauge). As far as I know, the number gauges are standard to the NEC and UL/NRTL standards.

    There is the whole issue of 1/0, 2/0 vs 0 and 00 (ought) gauges.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Terminology question; does #10 cable mean 10 AWG cable?

    There are different types of 10 gauge wire for different uses, the 10 gauge for panel is has insulation for sun exposure, there's different wire for direct bury, and abrasion resistant, and bare... Then theres different number of strands of copper within, single strand is typically used for household wiring, multi strand for flexability (solar panels will typically have multi strand)...
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Terminology question; does #10 cable mean 10 AWG cable?

    Yea, the same. "10 gauge" is correct, "#10" is just old electrician slang.
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