THHN vs. THWN 6 AWG Power Cord

THHN and THWN differ in terms of their acronyms, but both approvals are placed on the same electrical wire today. Years ago there were THW, THHN, THHW, THWN, and even more types of electrical cables. As time went by, it became tedious for manufacturers to make and inventory each different type, so they began putting multiple approvals on a single type of electrical cable.

With that said, you can now buy THHN wire which is also rated THWN and THW. To better understand, take a look at what each letter of the acronym means below:

T – Thermoplastic

H – Heat resistant

H – Heat resistant

W – Water resistant

N – Nylon liner

As you can see above, a single rated THW wire would be missing the “N” or nylon sheath. So it would come with a heat and water resistant thermoplastic insulation. It is also much easier for suppliers to order from manufacturers because they can sell an item that covers many approvals.

The initial comparison was THHN 6 AWG vs. THWN 6 AWG electrical wire. Do you understand the difference now based on the descriptions above? THHN is not “waterproof” and was not approved for outdoor use in the past. Many contractors, electricians, and installers would have to specify THHN VS THWN because they may have been doing an indoor or outdoor installation that required a different type of wire.

Today it is an all-in-one universal electrical cord for indoor, outdoor, and duct use. The only approval you don’t have yet is for underground use. If you need an underground cable, you will need to refer to the UF-B cable which stands for “underground feeder”. If you need a 6 AWG single conductor wire that can be buried directly in the ground, you can also use USE-2 solar panel wire.

You can probably imagine how many different types of insulation can be used for a simple 6 AWG copper wire. The options and applications are almost endless due to the minor details such as a “W” for waterproof that can change the entire application of that cable. There is also PVC insulation, EPDM rubber, high temperature PTFE, silicone, braided silicone, and much more. Each type of insulation attacks requirements such as voltage, amperage, temperature, environmental conditions, and more.

Have you ever been walking through a fair and seen black cables running across the ground? Those cables also need to be protected against people walking on them, being dragged across the pavement, and run over by other trucks and cars before the show starts. A puncture of a cable and one of the trucks will be closed to the public that day.