Do the TW, THW and THHN or THWN wire insulation types matter in terms of powering RAMPS 1.4?
Channel: Roel Van de Paar
Date: 2019-06-27

3D Printing: Do the TW, THW and THHN or THWN wire insulation types matter in terms of powering RAMPS 1.4 or the MK2a Heat Bed?


The Question: 3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/871/is-22-guage-stranded-hookup-
wire-the-correct-wire-to-connect-the-switching-power for my Prusa i3, to go
between the power supply and RAMPS_1.4, and the_power_supply and the MK2a
Heatbed.
I also recently found a www.harborfreight.com/400-ft-wire-storehouse-
61527.html that I bought from Harbor Freight which has wire sizes in it from
AWG 10 through AWG 22 (and additionally speaker wire, Zip Cord and Bell).
I also bought some reading material, I picked up rads.stackoverflow.com/
amzn/click/097929455X, and in it on page 28, Table 4-1, there is a table with
information about the Ampacity of copper wires including their maximum temp
(C), and maximum carrying current (Amps) based on their insulation types.
Unfortunately, the www.harborfreight.com/400-ft-wire-storehouse-
61527.html does not provide any information in regards to the insulation type
or quality and this makes it difficult for one to choose the correct wire based
on the specification in the table.
Given that the thing only cost $30 for 400 Ft. of wire, it would lead me to
believe that the cheapest grade of insulation was used; as I understand it, the
TW type wire.
I also read a forum somewhere in which people were complaining about the
cheapness of the wire in this kit, stating that one ought to wear gloves when
working with it as there is probably lead in the insulation as well as the
wire.
The largest copper wire I have found in the table that I have (AWG 10) says
that it is rated at 30 AMP regardless of which type of insulation it has,
should I be using the speakerwire instead? That isn't listed in the table. Also
it should be noted that though the ratings for the en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Ampacity are 30 AMPs, the max temperatures are different; with the TW
being at 60 C.
As far as I can tell if I use the AWG 10 (TW?) to connect everything it won't
matter, but I just thought I'd check here to be sure first since my power
supply is rated at 30 AMPs and that's probably the same as the wire....

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With thanks & praise to God, and with thanks to the many people who have made this project possible! | Content (except music & images) licensed under cc by-sa 3.0 | Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music | Images: stocksnap.io/license & others | With thanks to user spicetraders (askubuntu.com/users/3986), user leeand00 (askubuntu.com/users/37), and the Stack Exchange Network (3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/975). Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Disclaimer: All information is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind. You are responsible for your own actions. Please contact me if anything is amiss at Roel D.OT VandePaar A.T gmail.com.