20 Kinds of AWG （0-32 AWG）Diameters Summary

September 18, 2023
7:31 am

What is AWG?

AWG (American Wire Gauge) is a standardized system used in the United States for describing wire diameters.

Here are some common AWG sizes with brief explanations, they are:

0000 (4/0) AWG
000 (3/0) AWG
00 (2/0) AWG
0 (1/0) AWG
2 AWG
4 AWG
6 AWG
8 AWG
10 AWG
12 AWG
14 AWG
16 AWG
18 AWG
20 AWG
22 AWG
24 AWG
26 AWG
28 AWG
30 AWG
32 AWG
34 AWG

0000 (4/0) AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.4600 inches (11.684 mm).
Applications: Typically used in heavy-duty applications such as main electrical service entrances to homes or buildings, and some large-scale power distribution tasks.

000 (3/0) AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.4096 inches (10.404 mm).
Applications: Also used for significant electrical services, including large industrial power feeds and secondary service entrance wires.

00 (2/0) AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.3648 inches (9.2656 mm).
Applications: Often found in substantial power distribution systems, such as feeders to main electrical panels.

0 (1/0) AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.3249 inches (8.2525 mm).
Applications: Used in large power distribution, such as the transition from electrical service drops to smaller service lines.

2 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.2576 inches (6.5430 mm).
Applications: Common for some residential electrical service drops and sub-panel feeds in larger buildings.

4 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.2043 inches (5.1892 mm).
Applications: Used for grounding in some electrical panels, power feeds to hot tubs, and sub-panels in residential settings.

6 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.1620 inches (4.1148 mm).
Applications: Suitable for large appliances, small sub-panel feeds, and, in some cases, grounding for electrical systems.

8 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.1285 inches (3.2639 mm).
Applications: Commonly used for air conditioning units, electric furnaces, and other large appliances.

10 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.1019 inches (2.5882 mm).
Applications: Employed for electric water heaters, some large motors, and residential electric ranges.

12 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0808 inches (2.0525 mm).
Applications: Standard wire size for home electrical outlets and light fixtures. Typically used with 20A circuit breakers in residential settings.

14 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0641 inches (1.6281 mm).
Applications: Widely used for light fixtures, lamps, and general purpose home wiring. Typically protected by a 15A circuit breaker.

16 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0508 inches (1.2903 mm).
Applications: Suitable for some low voltage and light-duty applications, such as certain extension cords or power tool cords.

18 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0403 inches (1.0236 mm).
Applications: Often used in smaller power cords, lamp cords, doorbell wiring, and low-voltage lighting.

20 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0320 inches (0.8128 mm).
Applications: Suitable for internal appliance wiring, control wiring, and some low power and signal applications.

22 AWG (American Wire Gauge)

Diameter: Approximately 0.0253 inches (0.6438 mm).
Applications: Commonly used for bell and alarm system wiring, telephone wiring, and other low-voltage applications. In electronics, it’s a typical size for logic circuits, and occasionally power.

24 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0201 inches (0.5106 mm).
Applications: Frequently found in structured wiring like Cat 5 or Cat 6 Ethernet cables. It’s also a common size for many types of data connections and some small signal applications.

26 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0159 inches (0.4039 mm).
Applications: Often used in consumer electronics due to its size, making it suitable for internal wiring of equipment like headphones and small transformers. It’s also common in some finer Ethernet cables.

28 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0126 inches (0.3200 mm).
Applications: Used in thinner Ethernet cables, ribbon cables, and other applications where space is at a premium. It’s also found in many connectors, such as those for SATA.

30 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0100 inches (0.2540 mm).
Applications: Frequently used for wire wrapping and on breadboards due to its fine size. It’s also popular in electronics prototyping and small signal applications.

32 AWG

Diameter: Approximately 0.0080 inches (0.2032 mm).
Applications: This is a very fine wire, often found in very thin cables or specialty applications like RF connectors. Due to its small size, it’s also used in some delicate electronic applications and miniature components.

When considering wire gauge, especially in these smaller diameters, it’s essential to be aware of the current-carrying capacity and resistance of the wire. As wire diameter decreases (and the AWG number increases), the wire’s resistance per unit length increases, and its current-carrying capacity decreases. These properties can have significant implications, especially in applications where voltage drop or power dissipation may be a concern.