Electrical Wire Terms & Definitions SOW, SEOW Cable

From the nations leading manufactures Carol Wire and Cable Coleman Cable American Insulated Wire General Cable & Wire

Wire Industry Terms & Definitions

AWG - Abbreviation for American Wire Gauge. The first number in the product description (e.g.,12/3)

Type S - Heavy duty, rubber-insulated portable cord. Standard copper conductors with separator and individual rubber insulation.

Two or more color-coded conductors cabled with filler, wrapped with separator and rubber jacketed overall 600V.

Type SEO - Same construction as STO, except insulation and jacket are made of Thermoplastic Elastomer Rubber (TPE) 600V.

Type SEOW - Same construction as SEO, except suitable for outdoor use. Usually UL listed for continuous submersion in water 600V.

Type SJ - Junior hard service rubber-insulated pendant or portable cord.

Same construction as SJT except insulation and jacket is thermoset 300V.

Type SJEOW - Same construction as SEOW except 300 volt rated.

Type SEOOW -Same construction as SEOW, but inner conductor insulation as well as the outer jacket is oil resistant.

Type SJO - Same as SJ, but oil-resistant outer jacket. Can also be made "water resistant." 300V, 60°C, 75°C or 90°C or 105°C.

Type SJOOW - Same as SOOW except 300 volt rated.

Type SO - Hard service cord. Same construction as type S, except oil-resistant jacket. 600V, 60°C to 105°C.

Type SOW - Same as SO except suitable for outdoor use.

Type SOOW - Same as SOW but inner conductor insulation as well as the outer jacket is oil resistant.

Water Resistant - UL designation for cords that have an insulation on the individual conductors that passes UL requirements

(e.g., ST Water Resistant or ST Dry 105°C, Water Resistant 60°C).

W - CSA Weather and Water resistant Designation for outdoor listed flexible cord that is tested against sunlight requirements

(e.g., SOW, SEOW)**.

**Do not confuse this with the mining cable Type "W" which refers to "without ground," such as 4/0-3 W.

(Type W) - An industry designation for a 2kV portable power cable, double jacket, consisting of 1 - 6 insulated conductors.

For use in mines and similar severe duty applications.
Type W cable is UL listed and MSHA approved

Type W cable is Recognized in NEC article 400

Type W cable is OSHA approved


(Type SC) - Stage Cable also referred to as stage and lighting cable or Entertainment Cable. Single Jacket 600v rated.

For portable power and lighting applications for the entertainment industry, carnivals, amusement parks, stage and lighting.

Type SC cable is recognized NEC Article 520, & 530

MSHA - Is an agency of the US department of labor Mine Safety Health Administration

(Type PPE) - PPE cable has a jacket made from Polypropylene Ethylene / Thermoplastic Elastomer.

Type PPE cable is lighter in weight than a Type W power cable.

Type PPE cable perform extremely well in warm climates but has a tendency to become more rigid at temperatures below 32°F

Type PPE cable is UL listed and MSHA approved

Type PPE cable is Recognized in NEC article 400

Wire Gauge & Conductor

The first number refers to the wire gauge, the following number refers to the number of conductors.
Example 12/3 the first number 12 is the gauge and the second number 3 is the number of conductors.

Flexible Portable Power Cable Terms & Definitions

S = 600 Volt Service Cord (First recognized by UL)

J = Junior Service - 300 Volt

T = Thermoplastic

E = Elastomer (Looks and feels like rubber, but is actually a thermoplastic)

O = Oil Resistant Outer Jacket

OO = Oil Resistant Outer Jacket and Oil Resistant Insulation

W-A = Weather Approved(e.g., SEOW-A)

Portable power cable or portable cord is a flexible cable with two or more conductors used for temporary power connections.
Applications, such as operating carnivals, and amusement rides, stage and lighting, mining cable, industrial machinery wiring, contractor and construction sites, large appliances, motors, heavy duty tools, in small and large tools, equipment, power extensions, home appliances, and extension cords.

Portable power cable is ideal for heavy-duty indoor and outdoor applications.

SOW SEOW or Type W

SOW, SOOW, SEOW, SEOOW are considerably lighter, easier to work with and less expensive to purchase than Type W. On the other hand Type W is more crush resistant, will tolerate much more abuse and is capable of carrying more current.

Am I required to use a Type W ? Many people are surprised to find out the answer may be no. Check with your local inspection department to be certain.

Comparing Coleman Cable Seoprene 105 SEOOW to Thermoset SOOW.

What Exactly is Elastomer ?

"A class of long-chain polymers capable of being crosslinked to produce elastic compounds, e.g. polychloroprene and ethylene propylene rubber."

"A material which at room temperature stretches under low stress to at least twice its length and snaps back to original length upon release of stress."

"A material that exhibits very low or zero crystallinity and a high degree of flexibility."

SEOW has been evolving ever since it's conception. SEOW is noticeably lighter and easier to work with than SOW and stays cleaner longer.

Most people who have used SEOW seems to prefer it over SOW or at least equally as well. There is still some skepticism among those who have not used SEOW before because the jacket is smooth and shiny, resembling a plastic type material giving the illusion of inferior quality.

At National Supply, we stock SEOW and SOW wire, if you have a preference please let us know.