Can speaker wire be used for power?
Content
This article will provide factual information about using speaker wires to supply electricity.
Electricity is usually supplied through wires with a conductor inside, the same is the speaker wire. So, if you think that speaker wire can also be used to supply electricity, you would be right, but there are some things you should consider.
In general, you can use a speaker wire for power if you need to provide up to 12V, but it depends on the size of the wire. A thicker or thinner wire, respectively, passes more or less current. If, for example, it is a 14 gauge, it cannot be used with more than 12 amps, in which case the instrument should not require more power than about 144 watts. Use outside of this container may create a fire hazard.
Keep reading to find out more.
speaker wires
As the name suggests, speaker wires are for connecting audio equipment such as amplifiers to speakers.
The speaker wire has two strands, just like two-strand electrical wires. Also, like regular electrical wires, they are thick enough to withstand heat from power loss, but they conduct at much lower current and voltage values. For this reason, they usually do not have sufficient insulation. (1)
How different are the speaker wires?
Now that you know that speaker wires aren't much different from regular electrical wires used to supply electricity, you might be wondering how different they are.
These two types of wire are more or less the same. Both types have electrical wiring running through them and are covered with insulation. But there are some differences.
Speaker wire is usually thinner than electrical wire and has a thinner or more transparent insulation.
In short, speakers and regular electrical wires are essentially the same, so both can carry electrical power.
Current, voltage and power
While you can use speaker wire to supply power, there are certain considerations:
Current
The thickness of the wire will determine how much current it can handle.
As a general rule, the thicker the wire, the more current can flow through it, and vice versa. If the wire size allows current to flow through it without causing it to overheat and ignite, you can use any wire that conducts electricity.
voltage
The speaker wire may only be suitable for operation with voltages up to 12 V, but this also depends on its thickness.
| Attention! | It would be better if you didn't use the speaker wire for the main connection (120/240V). Speaker wire is usually too thin for this purpose. If you take a chance, the speaker wire will easily overheat and burn, which can lead to a fire. |
The best wires used for more than just speakers are wires with copper inside. This is due to their low resistance and good electrical conductivity.
Power (power)
The formula determines the power or power that the speaker wire can handle:
Thus, the power that a speaker wire can carry depends on the current and voltage. I mentioned above that higher current (and therefore power at the same voltage) requires thicker/smaller wire gauge. Thus, a smaller gauge wire (which will be thicker) is less prone to overheating and therefore can be used for more electrical power.
How much power can speaker wire be used for?
We will need to do some calculations to know exactly how much speaker wire power we can use.
This is important if you want to use speaker wires to run electrical appliances to avoid the risk of high current and overheating. First, let's see how much current wires of different sizes can withstand.
| wire gauge | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
| current strength | 13 | 15 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
As you can see, a typical 15 amp circuit used for lighting requires at least 14 gauge wire. Using the formula above (wattage = current x voltage), we can determine how much power a speaker wire can handle to carry up to 12 amps of current. . I specified 12 amps (not 15) because normally we should use no more than 80% of the wire amperage.
The calculation shows that for 12 volts and 12 amps, the wire can be used for power up to 144 watts if the wire has a gauge of at least 14.
Therefore, to see if a speaker wire can be used for a particular 12 volt device or device, check its power rating. As long as 14-gauge wire and the instrument consume no more than 144 watts, it is safe to use.
For what types of devices can speaker wire be used?
By reading up to this point, you already know that the type of device you can use speaker wire for is usually low voltage.
When I covered the other important things (current and wattage), I showed, as an example, that for a maximum of 12 amps, use 14 gauge wire and make sure the device is rated no more than 144 watts. With this in mind, you can usually use speaker wire for the following types of devices and appliances:
- door bell
- Garage door opener
- Home security sensor
- Landscape lighting
- Low voltage/LED lighting
- Thermostat
Why use an acoustic wire to start the device?
I will now look at why you should use a speaker wire even to connect an appliance or device other than a speaker.
In other words, let's look at its advantages and disadvantages. This section assumes that you are familiar with the voltage, current, and power limits already described.
Benefits of using speaker wire
Loudspeaker wires are generally thinner than conventional electrical wires, relatively cheaper and more flexible.
So if cost is an issue, or you need more flexibility when routing wires around objects and other obstructions, you can use speaker wire.
Also, compared to conventional electrical wires, speaker wires are usually less fragile and therefore less prone to damage.
Another benefit, since speaker wire is commonly used for low voltage/current devices, is that it can be expected to be more secure. In other words, the risk of getting an electric shock is relatively less. However, you still need to be careful with the live speaker wire.
Disadvantages of using speaker wire
The disadvantage of using acoustic wire is that it is more limited than conventional electrical wire.
Electrical wires are designed to support higher voltages and currents to provide more power, while speaker wires are designed specifically to carry audio signals. Speaker wires cannot be used for such high voltages and currents. As mentioned earlier, you risk burning the wire and starting a fire if you do this.
You will not be able to use speaker wires for any heavy duty appliances. If you plan to use speaker wires for devices and appliances that require conventional electrical wiring, forget about it.
With speaker wires, you are limited to low-voltage and low-current devices and applications that require no more than 144 watts.
Take a look at some of our articles below.
- How to connect the speaker wire to the wall plate
- What size speaker wire for the subwoofer
- How to connect speaker wire
Help
(1) Raven Biderman and Penny Pattison. Basic Live Amplification: A Practical Guide to Starting Live Sound, p. 204. Taylor and Francis. 2013.
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