1
\$\begingroup\$

On a wire designated as '3x14AWG' what does the '3x' part mean?

It is on a wire that is part of a surge protector power strip.

\$\endgroup\$

1 Answer 1

6
\$\begingroup\$

'3x' = 3 of.

It is specifying a 3-core cable with 14 AWG conductors. These will be L, N and E or live, neutral and earth.

\$\endgroup\$
3
  • \$\begingroup\$ Regarding "3 of" - I'll just add that a (perhaps old-fashioned?) approach would be to say "off" instead of "of". e.g. "3 off" (or 1 off, 2 off etc.). See this example parts list and this discussion. \$\endgroup\$
    – SamGibson
    Commented Feb 28, 2019 at 23:33
  • 3
    \$\begingroup\$ @Sam: Thanks for the comment. I'm familiar with that usage as it is standard practice in Britain (the largest island off the coast of Ireland, where I live). I've never been comfortable with it though as it sounded odd. I've just done a web search which brought me to English StackExchange which confirms my bias! \$\endgroup\$
    – Transistor
    Commented Feb 28, 2019 at 23:58
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ @Transistor That's the best geographical description I've heard in a long time :) \$\endgroup\$
    – bitsmack
    Commented Mar 1, 2019 at 0:26

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.