Is Welding Cable the Same as Battery Cable Wire

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Is Welding Cable the Same as Battery Cable Wire
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For those of you that are just looking for a
quick bit of information, it might not be readily
apparent that there is a difference between
battery cable or wire and welding cables. It
might also not be evident that there is actually
a difference between wire and cable. Lets clear
some of this up.
Wire vs. Cable Electricity travels along
conductors, typically made of metals such as
aluminum or copper, although sometimes metals
like silver and gold are used instead.
A wire is a single conductor. A cable is a group
of wires braided together therefore there are
more conductors within a cable than within a wire.
The advantage conferred by wire is that it
remains more flexible as the gauge of the cable
increases, with minimal if any change to current
carrying capacity as compared to a wire of the
same gauge.
What Is Battery Cable Wire Used for? Despite
being frequently referred to as battery cable
wires most battery wires are actually battery
cables, since they contain multiple conductors.
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Battery wires are predominantly used as leads to
and from the negative and positive terminals of
batteries, such as the battery in a car, a golf
cart, or even a boat.
For the most part, battery cables are no
different from other conductors, except that they
are created with colored insulation that is
typically red or black. This is extremely helpful
for electricians to be able to identify the leads
at a glance and ensure the battery is properly
hooked up.
There are some niche applications in which
battery wire or cable might exhibit certain
special traits. For example, high-quality marine
battery cable and wire have a high strand count
for extra flexibility. The conductors (copper
strands) of marine battery cables are also
individually tinned to protect against corrosion.
What Is Welding Cable? Welding cables are used to
provide electrical power to welding equipment.
Since much industrial welding occurs in situ, in
the elements, welding cable must be very tough
and very flexible.
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For these reasons, it is vital for welding cable
to be made with as many fine individual
conductors as possible, so that the welding cable
remains flexible enough to be worked into
location.
Welding cable is also likely to be subject to
harsh environmental stressors, making it
necessary for it to be protected with very tough
insulation, for example, its common for welding
cables to be weather and moisture resistant, UV
resistant, abrasion-resistant, and chemical
resistant. Some welding cables are also resistant
to oil and gasoline.
For these reasons, some welding cables are also
marketed as suitable for use as photovoltaic (PV)
cables, for hookups to solar inverters, and as
leads to motors and generators. Incidentally,
some welding cables are also marketed as battery
cables and wires, where they can be used as leads
to battery terminals.
The Crossover You probably have gotten the
impression by this point that there are some
similarities between welding cables and battery
cable and wire because there are.
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Both of them benefit from extra flexibility, and
in the case of welding cable, the insulation is
even more durable than is the case with some
battery cables.
Therefore, while they are not expressly the
same, you may be able to use some welding cable
as battery cable.
For example, the welding cables available online
at EWCS Wire (EWCSWire.com) are listed as
suitable as battery cables. Theyre made with
100 pure copper conductors and are extra
flexible as well.
To learn more about these battery cables and
welding cables, visit their website or contact
them directly at 800-262-1598 or at
Sales_at_EWCSWire.com.
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Contact Us
Electrical Wire Cable Specialists
Email sales_at_ewcswire.com
Website www.ewcswire.com
Phone [phone]
Add 1511 SOUTH 47TH AVENUE SUITE 400 PHOENIX, AZ
85043