Electrical Wiring Basics: Conduit, Cable and Wires

When it comes to adding a receptacle or installing new electrical wiring to your home, you will need to know at least a few electrical wiring basics:

Conduit

When installing electrical wiring through an open wall that is newly constructed and has yet to have the drywall attached, local codes may require you to run your wiring through a conduit. Although installing a conduit for your wiring is more expensive than installing the wiring in open spaces, it not only offers greater assurance against shorting and potential fires, but it is also less labor intensive.

Electrical Cable

In cable, such as Romex, you will typically find a set of 3 electric wires, two of which are colored for identification. You will also find two of these wires protected with an outer insulation layer. To connect these wires to a switch, receptacle, or a common connector, you will need to strip this insulation from the cable.

Electrical Wires

In an electric cable, the wires you will typically find almost always are copper. Two of these wires are usually coated with a colored insulation. The third wire, the ground, is usually bare. Each of these wires serves a specific purpose. One of these wires, typically the black wire, is considered "hot" and conducts the electrical current. The white wire will be neutral.