Can wiring rated for 220V be used with 110?

Probably. There is more to it than that though. If the wiring is going to be in a hot place like the socket of a MH fixture you need to make sure t has an adequate temperature rating. 105C, or if not too hot, 90C, or if really hot, 200C.
 
cheech said:
So I'm wiring my MHs and I found a roll of wiring here at work . Except, the wiring is rated for 220V.

Can it still be used if I'm using it on a 110 outlet/ ?


Thank you,

c
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In a word - YES! Do you know the guage of the wire?
 
You can always use a gauge of wire rated for 220v for 110v just don't reverse it and use 220v on 110v a small fire may result.
 
It's not really the wire size that matters as much as how many amps it can carry.
 
What Greg said, the only time voltage matters is insulation thickness, for example spark plug wires. They use a ton of insulation and a very small wire. Thats because they use 15,000+ volts and yet very low current. Insulation keeps the electricity from "leaking" and arcing or shocking unsuspecting victims.

When dealing with household AC power, voltage rating on the wire matters very very little. Now gauge size does depending on how much current the line is pulling. For example, you don't want to run 20 gauge wire on a circuit that is pulling like 50A of current, that would start a fire.
 
There is a SLIGHT variation between solid and stranded wire, but for your purpose with short runs you can ignore it and use the capacities below for both. Rated at 220 just means you have enough insulation for it not to jump through it and you still need to use the gauge to figure your capacity and the heat rating so you don't melt it from the light heat output.

General wire carrying capacity 110vac -
22 gauge = 5 amps
20 gauge = 7.5 amps
18 gauge = 10 amps
16 gauge = 13 amps
14 gauge = 15 amps
12 gauge = 20 amps
10 gauge = 30 amps
6 gauge = 60 amps
 
Cheech, I am going to say with a definite NO at least until the wire is ID'd better.

Most of the wiring I use for home electrical (NM-B) is rated around 600 volts, and I have no Idea what you have access to.
 
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GregAW said:
In a word - YES! Do you know the guage of the wire?
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So not true. If the wiring he has at work is not rated for home construction, or is for a dc application, or any other things, loss of life can occur.

Cheech are you talking about wiring outlets for halides or wiring ballasts and the light components themselves?
 
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