1.5mm Cable Amp Rating (With Wattage, Uses & Volts)

Most people know that cables transmit electricity from one point to another. However, they do not realize that the size of the line limits the amount of electricity it can carry. In other words, you must first identify the load a 1.5mm wire can carry before using it. Otherwise, you ran the risk of melting the cable because you attached a more significant load than it could carry. Melted lines can start fires.

How Many Amps Can A 1.5mm Cable Take?

1.5mm conductors transmit 14 amps when you enclose them in an insulated wall, but that figure jumps to 16.5A if you run the wire through a conductor. On the other hand, 1.5mm wires can withstand as much as 19.5 amps if you clip them directly

A 1.5mm cable can carry 10–20 amps of electricity. But the factors such as the ambient temperature, altitude, insulation, and type of wire will affect the cable’s overall amp rating.

The cable’s size has to match the electrical demands of the device you want to use. The conductor will overheat if you force massive quantities of current to pass through a small wire

Related Post:

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How To Calculate The Correct Load Capacity For 1.5mm Cable?

You don’t have to calculate the load capacity of a 1.5mm cable or any other cable size. Most lines have their sizes printed on the sheath.

The most challenging aspect is determining the wire size, and you already know the wire size (1.5mm).

If you don’t know the wire size,

You can calculate the diameter by dividing the area by Pi. The square root of the answer will give you the radius. Multiplying the radius by two will provide the diameter. If you don’t know the area of the wire’s circle, you can get it if you multiply the radius by itself.

Additionally, you can figure out the cable’s load capacity by checking a table such as the one RECON Electrical Wholesale has published.

The table on RECON Electrical Wholesale’s website is somewhat complicated because it considers several factors, including the insulation, temperature, and cable type.

While professional contractors will understand and appreciate it, the information will most likely confuse the layperson.

You are better off using the one published by cable ratings UK.

It offers additional information.

The page shows the difference in amperage between 2, 3, and 4 core options, not to mention ‘Clipped Direct,’ ‘In Free Air,’ and ‘Direct in Ground or Ducting.’

But the portal presents this data in a format that is much easier to comprehend and digest. The layperson can easily apply the information to their situation.

If the tables you’ve found have provided contradicting information, talk to an expert. Ask them to interpret this information for you and to explain why some answers contradict one another. Better yet, ask them to determine whether 1.5mm wiring is appropriate for your application.

What Is The Maximum Wattage For a 1.5mm Cable?

1.5mm cables can handle up to 20 amps. Considering 240V, it can handle up to 4800 Watts

But this question is not quite as simple as it seems. 20A is correct if your line is in free air. But if you hide it behind a plasterboard ceiling with thermal insulation, it cannot maintain that amperage.

The conductor’s rating will fall to 16 amps because of poor ventilation. If you force it to carry 20 amps, the cable could start a fire because it cannot dissipate the heat it will generate. At the very least, it will overheat at a much faster rate than the same cable in free air.

The experts at light wiring have a table showing the amp rating of a 1.5mm cable under different circumstances. It shows the following:

• 14.5A – In conduit behind an insulated wall
• 16.5A – Enclosed in conduit
• 20A – Clipped direct
• 16A –Covered by thermal insulation behind a plasterboard ceiling
• 13A – Covered by thermal insulation (thickness exceeds 100mm) behind a plasterboard ceiling
• 16A – In a stud wall. Thermal insulation
• 10A – Stud Wall. Thermal insulation. The cable doesn’t touch the inner wall.

As you can see, finding the correct load capacity for 1.5mm is not easy. This is why many laypeople prefer to leave these decisions in the hands of professionals. A layperson won’t consider the placement of the cable and the way it affects the ventilation.

If you’re determined to deploy the 1.5mm conductors yourself, without the assistance of an expert, use tables like the one light wiring have published. Look for your situation in the options their table has provided. This should simplify the process of identifying the maximum amperage of the wires.

Once you know the maximum amperage, calculate the maximum amperage of your devices. Most appliances have a watt rating instead of an amp rating. But you can calculate the number of amps a machine will use if you divide the wattage by your home’s voltage.

Get the total amperage of all equipment you will pair with the wires. Light wiring gave the example of five 100W lamps in a house. Your cable must accommodate the 500 watts the lamps will use.

Fortunately, dividing 500 watts by 240V gives you 2.08 amps, which is far lower than the ten amps a 1.5mm conductor can withstand in a stud wall (with thermal insulation but not touching the inner wall).

You don’t have to worry about this load overwhelming the wiring, not unless you bought the wrong size.

1.5mm Cable VS Volt

The voltage doesn’t affect the size of the wire. It determines the thickness and quality of the insulation. But you don’t have to consider the voltage when selecting the wire size.

That being said, the voltage drop and wire size go hand in hand. Small wires have a higher resistance than large wires. Therefore, their voltage drop is more significant. You can make the voltage drop worse by elevating the length and temperature.

According to 12 volt planet, increasing the temperature raises the resistance and vice versa. The voltage drop can compromise a machine’s ability to do its work because it reduces the amount of current reaching the device. Some appliances will ruin their motors because they have to work harder to draw more current.

This is another factor that laypeople rarely consider but which a professional electrician will account for before selecting a cable.

Use of 1.5mm Wire

People use 1.5mm wires for lighting circuits (Twin and Earth cable). You can use a 1mm cable, but 1.5mm gives you more room to add lights to the circuit down the line. The length of the cable matters.

If you want to cover a significant distance, larger cables are better because they can counteract the resistance and voltage drop. Once you introduce larger items such as sockets, you should jump to 2.5mm.

Of course, the size of the cable is not enough. You can get 1.5mm wires in different materials. Copper is the most popular option because it carries more electricity. But aluminum is cheaper, which is why budget-constrained consumers buy it.

If the 1.5mm cable is for internal use, EC4U expects consumers to select twin core and earth cabling, which boasts two cores and a PVC outer sleeve, not to mention an earth core separating them.

Twin core and earth cabling range from 1mm to 2.5mm. People use these conductors for lights. But if you want to operate light fixtures with two switches, you need three core and earth cabling to connect the switches.

They have three cores and an outer PVC sleeve. If you want your cables to traverse external settings, you need Steel wired armored cable that can withstand extreme conditions such as icy cold temperatures.

Again, making the correct cable selection is complicated work. It requires extensive knowledge and experience. If this wasn’t clear before, it should be clear now.

1.5mm Armored Cable Amp Rating

1.5mm armored cable has a rating of 27 amps. But the amperage will change depending on factors like the type of cable and ambient temperature.

You can use SWA armored cable to supply mains voltage electricity.