Glossary
Cable size (sección del cable, cross-sectional area)
The cross-sectional area of the copper conductor in a cable, measured in square millimetres (mm²). It sets how much current the cable can carry without overheating and how much voltage is lost along the way.
What cable size means
When a Spanish electrician talks about a cable “de 6”, they mean a 6 mm² conductor. The bigger the cross-section, the more current it carries without heating up and the less voltage drop it causes. A cable carrying more current than it can take heats up, its insulation degrades and it can end in a fire. That is why each size is protected by a breaker of matching rating.
Usual sizes in a home
ITC-BT-25 sets the minimum size and protection for each circuit:
| Circuit | Minimum size | Breaker |
|---|---|---|
| C1, lighting | 1.5 mm² | 10 A |
| C2, general sockets | 2.5 mm² | 16 A |
| C3, cooker and oven | 6 mm² | 25 A |
| C4, washing machine, dishwasher and water heater | 4 mm² | 20 A |
| C5, bathroom and kitchen worktop sockets | 2.5 mm² | 16 A |
These are minimums: long runs or big loads such as air conditioning may need a larger size to keep voltage drop within limits.
Cable size for an EV charger
ITC-BT-52 sets a minimum of 2.5 mm², but in practice voltage drop decides, limited to 5 % up to the charging point. As a guide for a 7.4 kW single-phase charger: 6 mm² up to 15 m, 10 mm² from 15 to 30 m, 16 mm² from 30 to 50 m and 25 mm² from 50 to 80 m. Every job is calculated individually, and communal garages use halogen-free cable.
When it affects you
A socket or power strip that gets warm, or a powerful appliance on a line meant for light loads, points to undersized cable. We fix it with new lines in extra sockets and lights or with the calculation for an EV charger in a communal garage in Seville, Spain.
Related services
Extra sockets and lights
We install extra sockets in your apartment in Seville, Spain where you now use power strips, new light points, two-way switches, USB, data and TV sockets, and new lines for appliances that need them. It is one of the jobs most requested when moving into a new-build home or rearranging the furniture.
EV charger in a communal garage
An EV charger in a communal garage in Spain only requires you to notify the comunidad (the homeowners' association): no vote, no permission. We run the line from your meter to your parking space in Seville, install the charger with its protection devices and register the boletín.
Kitchen electrics
Kitchen electrics in Seville, Spain need dedicated lines for the induction hob (cooktop) and the oven, another for the washing machine, dishwasher and water heater, and enough sockets along the worktop. We wire the circuits with the cross-section and protection the Spanish regulations require, in a new kitchen or when you swap gas for induction.
Need an electrician in Seville, Spain?
Call us or send a WhatsApp message with a photo of the job. You get a fixed quote before any work starts.