Pick the right diameter.
Heat shrink tubing wire size chart.
Heat shrinkable tubing is primarily available in 2 1 or 3 1 shrink ratios meaning the tubing has been expanded to twice or three times its fully recovered size.
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What are the main considerations when installing heat shrink.
Wrap around heat shrink tubing protect wire and cable without disconnecting them from an assembly.
The greater the size variations of the underlying materials being covered the larger the shrink ratio required.
Size selection fluorotherm recommends size selection of an as supplied or expanded id sufficient to slip over the object to be covered so as to have the after shrinkage id smaller than the smallest dimension of the part.
3mm with a 2 1 shrink.
For 16 gauge wire 3mm heat shrink tubing with a 2 1 shrink ratio and a 118 inch diameter is recommended.
A different shrink ratio on each end allows this tubing to fit over cable assemblies and wire harnesses with large connections or around connectors with a 90 elbow.
The shrink ratio will define what size wire the tube will fit on.
Shrink tubing comes in an endless array of diameters but the diameter size is meaningless without knowing the shrink ratio.
The recommended heat shrink tubing size for 14 gauge wire is the same as that for 12 5mm with a 198 inch diameter.
The recommended heat shrink tubing size for 18 gauge wire is the same as that for 16 gauge wire.
There are many different sizes of shrink tubing.
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See wire size chart on page 5 consider the overlap between the tube and the cable insulation heat evenly around the tube if using a flame use a diffuser and keep it moving.
Start further away from the tube and move closer gradually.
While a heat gun is the proper way to shrink the tubing if you don t mind scuffing up your soldering iron the barrel can be held close by to slowly shrink the tubing too about wire sizes.
The wall thickness is also a consideration when choosing shrink tubing.
Below are tables listing awg gauge wire sizes in addition to the thickness of common insulated.