BEWARE!!! Wire Gauges May Not Be What You Think!!!

I recently purchased some #8 copper wire on eBay. It turned out to be CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum). There was no mention of it in the ad.

There will always be someone scamming. Thanks for the heads up.

In measuring AWG solid wire (major brands) I've found it to consistently have less cross-sectional area than the published specs. I've wondered if the the AWG specs allow for a tolerance and with modern manufacturing they can consistently hit the lower end of the allowed range? Of course if it's from China, all bets are off. On the other hand, the couple pieces of welding cable I've looked at have conformed dead-on with the tables.

The 4-wire (low resistance) milli-ohmeter method of measurement computed by wire length is usually the fool-resistant. Wire manufacturers have this kind of equipment and they damned sure know if they are cheating on copper.

The problem is Washington (and probably Ottawa as well) have kicked consumer protection and fair trade practices protection way down on the list.

Since I started helping out in the store, I have found to my sorrow that absolutely ZERO Chinese goods are checked at the factory. None. 00.000000% The goods are made, packaged, sealed and loaded onto pallets.

You do not make a 1,650 watt heater with 17 gauge power wire but that is exactly what is happening. The heater WILL work for awhile. But the wire termination at the plug WILL degrade and there will be smoke. Yet the devices have the guts to proclaim UL certification. So last month I grabbed a four devices. A heater, a hand mixer, a fan, and a toaster. I telephoned Underwriters Laboratories.

Corporate Headquarters
333 Pfingsten Road
Northbrook, IL 60062-2096
Telephone: +1.847.272.8800
Customer Service: +1.877.UL.HELPS (1.877.854.3577)
E-mail: cec@us.ul.com
Map and driving directions
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Wanna know what they told me? Those "UL" tag and decals had UL certification numbers do not exist in the UL database. The power brick for my laptop has a certification number and indeed UL had it listed.

U.S. Customs is allowing this dangerous garbage passage into the USA. Someone is really really screwed-up with their priorities. Heaters that do not pass hi-pot case to neutral specs. Hand mixers (beaters) that had sixty volts plus emitted into what was being beaten. Toasters with metal cases and ground wires left disconnected right off the assembly line. I'm talking about a green wire with crimped ring terminal with no hole and no screw to connect it to. Lamps with metal bases that have the lamp sockets twisted so neutral makes beautiful contact with the base.

Beware. We have become a nation of satisfied second rate consumers.

That's really scary!

This is nothing new to me. Be it the wire or connectors, I have used the blue connectors on 12ga wire for years. Seldom will it not go in. I also figured it was w/ in the tolerance allowed.
Same when it comes to strippers, show me a wire that fills the hole marked for that gauge. Sometimes it will strip it, but most times it needs the next smaller size.

Just like women's clothing sizes, then. Well, in reverse. :)

Boy, I bought some Anderson power pole connectors for 6 and 8 gauge. They are so much larger than the 6 and 8 gauge wire I had, they couldn't begin to work, other than by soldering.

So the quick and dirty solution is to buy the next gauge larger wire, I guess.

You Ain't Gonna Use "Blue" Connectors With 12 AWG Wire.

Unless there are a dozen little tiny strands of copper "trim" around the work site.

With 12 "SAE" wire it is possible (depending on stranding) to jam it into some "blue" terminals depending on manufacture.

American Wire Gauge is the "Holy Grail" of USA graded wire. It does not vary. The law SHOULD BE enforced that says the Chinese and their crooked US clients should face prison terms for knowingly using sub-size millimeter "substitution" for AWG. With SAE, the rules are looser than a goose.

"Same when it comes to strippers, show me a wire that fills the hole marked for that gauge. Sometimes it will strip it, but most times it needs the next smaller size"


Aha!

Glorious Red Dragon People's Factory #232, Wire

Serendipitous Butterfly Warrior Factory, Strippers

I suspect the wire referenced in the original post was mis-marked. SAE is a legitimate wire gauge and can be 14-18% smaller than AWG sized wire of the same gauge.