The budget wire PUNGP is used to organize electrical communications of industrial, public and residential buildings. The product has two-layer insulation, several cross-sectional options and is convenient to use. The rules of the PUE note the shortcomings of the fire indicators of the wire and impose a ban on the use.
PUNGP wire purpose
An electric cable is a type of PUNP with flexible conductors. It is cheaper in comparison with NYM or VVG and until 2007 it was manufactured according to TU 16.K13-020-93. The low quality of products for the organization of the electric grid caused a ban on production. Currently, some manufacturers produce PUNGP, so after buying it you need to check:
- put in a freezer with a temperature regime of -15 degrees and inspect the shell for cracking;
- After twisting in a freezer for about 2 hours, twist the twist for 60 minutes at room temperature and wind it 10 times longer on the cylinder.
If the cable case remains intact, it can be used for its intended purpose - for the arrangement of internal lighting, current supply to small household appliances and industrial units.
The permissible rated AC power for the cable is 250 V.
Description and Design
Initially, the material was developed as a conductor for connecting household appliances. Now it is produced without reference to GOST, which affects the efficiency and safety of operation. Flexible modification of PUNP cannot be classified as a wire, because It includes several cores and a general insulating coating. The product also does not fit the technical and operational criteria of the cable.
Explanation of abbreviation:
- P - the name "wire";
- UN - universal purpose;
- G - flexible;
- P is flat.
At the beginning of the abbreviation, there is no letter “A”, which means that his veins are copper. Structurally, PUNGP consists of:
- 2 or 3 conductive conductors of multiwire twisting;
- insulating PVC shell with a thickness of 0.3 mm for each element;
- 0.5 mm thick general PVC insulation layer.
Copper with high conductive indicators is used for stranding. Multi-wire technology was supposed to provide the necessary flexibility - when a single element breaks, the conductor will be able to transmit current, but the load on the wiring will increase.
The parallel arrangement of strands without twisting makes the wire flat. An accurate description of the material is problematic, as manufacturers use plastic compounds with different resistance to fire.
PUNGP has no aluminum analogues due to the small cross section of the cores.
Varieties of wire
Manufacturers produce several modifications:
- PUNGP-ng - with insulating non-combustible coating;
- PUNGP ng - LS - with insulation not subject to fire and decay;
- PBPPG - transcript indicates industrial and domestic purpose.
All types differ in parallel laying of veins.
Installation and operating conditions
The multicore flexible wire of the PUNGP modification is used for AC mains. When using the product, the following conditions are met:
- use only for AC mains up to 250 V with a frequency of up to 50 Hz;
- work temperature - from -50 to +70 degrees;
- air temperature at the time of installation is not lower than -15 degrees;
- maximum temperature of heating of working elements - +70 degrees;
- air humidity - 100%;
- warming up the environment - +35 degrees;
- permissible bending - laying radius of at least 10 cable diameters.
The insulating properties of a conductor 1 km in length at a temperature of +20 degrees are determined by its total cross section:
- 1 mm2 - up to 27.1 Ohm / km;
- 1.5 mm2 - up to 12.1 Ohm / km;
- 2.5 mm2 - up to 7.41 Ohm / km;
- 4 mm2 - 4.61 Ohm / km.
The total diameter of the product and the diameter of the cores are checked with a caliper.
Mounting Features
Since PUGNP is a fire hazardous material, it is necessary:
- Make a slice and determine the color of the veins.
- Using a magnifier, establish the uniformity of the wire.
- Equip the circuit with a circuit breaker for protection.
- Break the wiring into several groups.
It is better to purchase a wire with a margin - this increases the security of the electric main.
Application area
The PUNGP wire should be selected in accordance with the level of protection of the line, the installation diagram, the network load. Material is most often purchased for such purposes:
- Lighting. The conductor is connected to the equipment, current sources. It is pulled from the switchboard to the lamp through the switch. The cores may overheat if the mains voltage is greater than 250 V;
- Conductor fixtures for fixtures and chandeliers. Modifications with 1-2 conductors with a cross section of 1.5 mm2 are used inside the lighting fixtures. They distribute current to medium-power and low-power consumers of an apartment or house;
- Temporary power line. Laying is done with the purpose of a temporary line for the period of repair. Then it is replaced with a safe cable.
When calculating the current load, consider the maximum cross-section of the PUNGP core - less than 6 mm2.
PUNGP wire specifications
The main characteristics that a technical and household conductor has are presented in the table.
| Primary purpose | Lighting and powering low-power equipment |
| Type of laying | Still |
| Mains voltage limit | 250 V |
| Core material | copper |
| Number of cores | 2-3 |
| Insulation material | PVC plastic |
| Permissible temperature | + 50 ... -50 - working while maintaining properties |
| +70 - long-term safety margin | |
| +80 - maximum short-term heating | |
| +15 - installation allowed | |
| -15 - permissible minimum indicator for styling | |
| Elasticity | Bending radius - from 10 diameters of the conductor outside |
| Humidity in the warm season | 100 % |
| Type of insulation | Two-level PVC |
| Winding color | Black / white with blue / red marker |
| Base Type | Solid wires without twisting |
| Tough | |
| Popular cross sections | 1.5 and 2.5 mm2 |
| Packing weight (cross-section) | 2x1.5 - 50 kg / km |
| 2x2.5 - 70 kg / km | |
| 2x4 - 110 kg / km | |
| 3x1.5 - 70 kg / km | |
| 3x2.5 - 100 kg / km | |
| 3x4 - 150 kg / km | |
| Section range | Two-core - from 0.35 to 6 mm2 |
| Three-core - from 0.35 to 4 mm2 | |
| Lifetime | 15 years |
Some manufacturers indicate a warranty period of 2 years.
Alphanumeric Labeling
The PUNGP 3x2.5 marking can be decoded as a universal flexible flat wire with three conductors with a cross-sectional area of 2.5 mm2 each. The actual cross-sectional characteristic is 30% less than the nominal. This is due to the lack of a single production standard.
Another point of decoding the PUNGP wire is the presence of the letter “G”. Copper, unlike aluminum, is not a flexible material. There is a possibility that in the registration of the brand was inaccurate.
Weight and size parameters
A unified table is used to determine the weight and parameters of the cable.
| Section Parameters | Transport outside diameter, mm | Packing and transportation mass, kg / km |
| 3x4 | 4.8x11.8 | 150 |
| 3x2.5 | 4.2x10 | 100 |
| 3x1.5 | 3.8x8.8 | 70 |
| 2x4 | 4.8x8.5 | 110 |
| 2x2.5 | 4,2x7,5 | 70 |
| 2x1.5 | 3.8x6.5 | 50 |
PUNGP wire load currents
After laying, the network must withstand an alternating voltage of 1500 V with a frequency of 50 Hz for 60 seconds. In this case, there are no permissible load currents in the technical specifications. PUE regulate for any method of installation of PUNGP to use the data in the table.
| Section Parameters | Wire load current by number of cores | |
| 2 cores | 3 cores | |
| 1,5 | 19 | 19 |
| 2,5 | 27 | 25 |
| 4 | 38 | 35 |
Reasons for Prohibition of Use
The use of PUNGP is prohibited, since Russian GOST does not regulate the production of these products. In TU 16.K13-020-93 with cable characteristics there is a moment allowing a run-up over the cross-sectional area of up to 30%. Manufacturers do just that with the aim of reducing the selling price. As a result, after purchasing a material with a nominal section of 2.5 mm2, it turns out that the section does not reach even 2 mm2. Experienced electricians check the cable with a caliper, but home craftsmen install it in a network whose load will be critical for a thin cord.
The thickness of the insulating layer PUNGP is not suitable for modern standard electrical conductors. They are available with a shell with a thickness of 0.4 to 0.5 mm, a different figure is indicated in the TU - 0.3 mm.
According to unofficial statistics, in 50% of cases, the wiring made from the PUNGP cable lights up.
Users purchase PUNGP cable products because of their low cost, not focusing on fire safety and non-compliance of a number of characteristics with regulatory ones. To prevent fire of the wiring, it is worth laying the cable only indoors in a pipe or corrugation. The parameters of the wires should be measured in the store, paying attention to the color marking of the wires, the thickness of the outer shell.
