If you work anything like we do around here, you’ve probably gotten into the habit of using all the wire acronyms in the book, but may not have spent a ton of time reflecting on what they mean in a while.

Well, we opened up our old manuals again to refresh our memories, and thought we’d remind everyone else while we were at it.

Let’s test it out:

RHW: Rubber insulated, moisture resistant, good up to 75°C

USE-2: Underground Service Entrance wire that can stand wet environments up to 90°C

XHHW: Cross-linked polyethylene insulation, moisture resistant and good up to 90°C in dry environments