When renovating their homes, many people struggle with whether to buy hard wiring or flexible wiring. Before hiring an installer, it's important to understand some basic home renovation knowledge. Before deciding whether hard wiring or flexible wiring is better, let's take a look at the pros and cons of each.
Which is better for home wiring: hard wiring or flexible wiring?
1. Price
Flexible wiring is more expensive than hard wiring. A higher price doesn't necessarily mean better performance. The main reason is that the manufacturing process and process for flexible wiring are much more complex than for hard wiring. However, one thing is certain: for the same square foot of wire, flexible wiring can carry a greater load than hard wiring. Simply put, flexible wiring can connect to more appliances than hard wiring.
2. From a Construction Perspective
Hard wire still has certain advantages when it comes to connecting sockets and switches, and when crimping them. Once connected, it's easier to use than flexible wire. Flexible wire, being more flexible and resistant to tensile stress, offers advantages when running through conduit and also facilitates heat dissipation. However, it's crucial that it's not mixed with hard wire, as this can easily cause it to break. Flexible wire is only suitable for small household appliances and shouldn't be used on longer runs.
3. From a Usage Perspective
Since homes now have more appliances and wiring is more complex, hard wire is a better choice. Its rated current is sufficient for most households, it's less prone to oxidation, and it's easier to connect to things like switching power supplies. When purchasing, consider your home's specific circumstances.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hard wire and flexible wire?
1. Cross-sectional area: For the same current carrying capacity, hard wire has a smaller cross-sectional area, while flexible wire has a larger cross-sectional area.
2. Tensile strength: Hard wire is stronger, while flexible wire is weaker.
3. Corrosion resistance: Hard wire is stronger, while flexible wire is weaker.
4. Fatigue resistance (resistance to transverse fracture): Hard wire is weak, while soft wire is strong.
5. Insulation strength: Hard wire and soft wire both depend on the material and thickness of the insulation layer.
6. Scrap recovery rate (metal recycling): Hard wire has a higher rate, while soft wire has a lower rate.
The above is a brief discussion on whether hard wire or soft wire is better for home wiring. Generally speaking, for general home use, single-strand (hard wire) is recommended, as it has better oxidation resistance and longer service life. However, during construction, if the circuit has many turns, multi-strand (soft wire) is easier to thread. There is no inherent difference between hard wire and soft wire; they only differ in their application scenarios. I hope this helps.
