| Property |
Value |
| Gauge 18 Diameter (in) |
0.0403 in |
| Gauge 18 Diameter (mm) |
1.024 mm |
| Gauge 18 Turns of Wire (per inch) |
24.8 turns/in |
| Gauge 18 Turns of Wire (per cm) |
9.77 turns/cm |
| Gauge 18 Cross-Sectional Area (kcmil) |
1.62 kcmil |
| Gauge 18 Cross-Sectional Area (mm²) |
0.823 mm² |
| Copper Resistance (Ω/km or mΩ/m) |
20.95 mΩ/m |
| Copper Resistance (Ω/kft or mΩ/ft) |
6.385 mΩ/ft |
| NEC Copper Wire Ampacity (60°C) |
0 A |
| NEC Copper Wire Ampacity (75°C) |
0 A |
| NEC Copper Wire Ampacity (90°C) |
14 A |
| Fusing Current (10 s) |
83.0 A |
| Fusing Current (1 s) |
250.0 A |
| Fusing Current (32 ms) |
1400.0 A |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About 18 AWG Wire
What does AWG stand for?
AWG stands for American Wire Gauge, a standardized system for measuring wire sizes. The smaller the AWG number, the larger the wire diameter.
How does 18 AWG compare to 17 AWG?
18 AWG wire is smaller than 17 AWG, with a diameter of 1.024 mm compared to 1.15 mm for 17 AWG. It has the same ampacity (14 A at 90°C) but a smaller cross-sectional area and higher resistance.
What applications are suitable for 18 AWG wire?
18 AWG wire is typically used for very low-current applications, such as speaker wiring, small electronic circuits, or hobby projects, with an ampacity of up to 14 A at 90°C.
What happens if the fusing current is exceeded?
If the fusing current is exceeded (e.g., 83 A for 10 seconds in 18 AWG), the wire will overheat and melt, potentially causing a fire hazard or circuit failure.
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