How we supply it: Wires and cables are arranged through a partner electrical dealer who quotes, supplies and bills them and pays us a referral commission. Send your electrician's load list; the dealer supplies coils by size, timed for conduit and wiring after the slab and before plastering.
In one line: House wire is single-core, multi-strand copper conductor insulated with PVC or a low-smoke, halogen-free compound, drawn through conduits to carry power from the distribution board to each point.
Wire size by circuit
| Circuit | Typical copper size | Typical MCB |
|---|---|---|
| Lights and fans | 1–1.5 sq mm | 6–10 A |
| Normal socket circuits | 2.5 sq mm | 16 A |
| 16 A points: washing machine, fridge, oven | 2.5–4 sq mm | 16–20 A |
| Split AC, 1.5 ton | 2.5 sq mm short runs, 4 sq mm long runs | 16–20 A, C curve |
| Geyser | 4 sq mm | 20 A |
| Main or sub-main to the board | 6–10 sq mm or more | As per load |
What house wire is
House wire is single-core, multi-strand copper conductor insulated with PVC or a low-smoke, halogen-free compound, drawn through conduits to carry power from the distribution board to each point. PVC-insulated wiring cables are covered by IS 694, and wiring practice by IS 732.
Each circuit runs three wires: phase, neutral and earth. Keep one colour scheme through the house, such as red or brown for phase, black or blue for neutral and green or green-yellow for earth.
FR, FRLS or HFFR?
| Grade | What it adds | Where it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| FR (flame retardant) | Resists spreading flame | Basic minimum |
| FRLS (flame retardant, low smoke) | Less smoke when burning | Homes, the usual choice |
| HFFR (halogen-free flame retardant) | No corrosive halogen gases | Escape routes, data rooms, premium homes |
Estimating coils
Typical estimate: each run carries phase, neutral and earth, so wire length is about three times the conduit length, plus 10%.
- House wire is sold in 90 m coils
- A 30 m conduit run needs about 99 m of wire, a little over one coil
- Order by size from your electrician's list; leftover coils of the wrong size are wasted money
Checks on wire coils
- The coil label should show IS 694, the ISI mark with licence number, size, FR or FRLS grade and length.
- Scrape a strand: it should be copper right through, not silver-grey aluminium under a copper skin.
- Count the strands on a few coils of the same size; they should match.
- The insulation should be even, with size and grade printed along it.
- Before handover, ask the electrician for an insulation-resistance (megger) test record.
Storing coils on site
- Keep coils boxed in a dry, locked room.
- Turn the coil to pay wire out rather than pulling it straight, to avoid kinks.
- Label sizes so 1.5 and 2.5 sq mm coils are not swapped.
Wiring mistakes
- 1.5 sq mm wire on AC or geyser circuits.
- Overfilled conduits that run hot and cannot be rewired later.
- Joints hidden inside conduits instead of in junction boxes.
- No separate earth wire.
- Mixed colour codes that make later work dangerous.