Data lookups

Electrical wire sizes

AWG diameter, cross-section and approximate current capacity.

All lookups

23 entries.

AWGDiameter (mm)Area (mm²)Nearest metric cableApprox. capacityTypical use
0000 (4/0) 11.68 107.2 120 mm² ~195 A Service entrance, large feeders
000 (3/0) 10.40 85.0 95 mm² ~165 A Service entrance
00 (2/0) 9.27 67.4 70 mm² ~145 A Large sub-mains
0 (1/0) 8.25 53.5 50 mm² ~125 A Sub-mains, battery cable
1 7.35 42.4 50 mm² ~110 A Battery and welding cable
2 6.54 33.6 35 mm² ~95 A Battery cable, large feeders
4 5.19 21.2 25 mm² ~70 A Cookers, EV chargers
6 4.11 13.3 16 mm² ~55 A Showers, cookers
8 3.26 8.37 10 mm² ~40 A Cookers, sub-circuits
10 2.59 5.26 6 mm² ~30 A Showers, ring mains in some cases
12 2.05 3.31 4 mm² ~20 A Radial socket circuits
14 1.63 2.08 2.5 mm² ~15 A UK ring main / socket circuits
16 1.29 1.31 1.5 mm² ~10 A Lighting circuits
18 1.02 0.823 1.0 mm² ~7 A Appliance flex, light fittings
20 0.812 0.518 0.5 mm² ~5 A Low-power flex, control wiring
22 0.644 0.326 0.35 mm² ~3 A Electronics, signal wiring
24 0.511 0.205 0.25 mm² ~2 A Data cable, Cat 5/6 conductors
26 0.405 0.129 0.14 mm² ~1.3 A Ribbon cable, small electronics
28 0.321 0.081 0.08 mm² ~0.8 A USB internal wiring, jumpers
30 0.255 0.051 0.05 mm² ~0.5 A Wire-wrap, breadboard jumpers
32 0.202 0.032 — ~0.3 A Fine electronics
34 0.160 0.020 — ~0.2 A Coil winding
36 0.127 0.013 — ~0.14 A Very fine coil winding
Capacity figures are indicative for chassis or short-run wiring and vary hugely with insulation, bundling, ambient temperature and length. UK domestic wiring is specified in mm², not AWG. Always follow BS 7671 (or your local wiring regulations) and consult a qualified electrician.