4-Conductor Alarm Wire

Keeping alarm wiring on hand is always recommended if you have a hardwired system. You may need to add a new sensor or make changes to your system. Having a roll of cabling around is a must for these situations. And if you really want to be prepared, then you should have all types of cabling around. This includes both 4-conductor cabling and 2-conductor cabling. You will know that a cable is considered 4-conductor, as it will have four (4) inner wires. This is not to be confused with 2-conductor wiring, which has two (2) inner wires.

You can almost always double-up 2-conductor cabling and use it like 4-conductor wire, as long as you keep proper track of the cables and do not mix them up. But if you want to be extra neat and organized, then your best option is to keep both 2-conductor wiring and 4-conductor wiring on-hand in case you ever need it. When you are working with a 4-conductor wire with four (4) inner cables, they will be colored red, black, yellow, and green/white. You can use this cabling for all sorts of electrical tasks, and it isn't just limited to alarm system setups.

One thing you will need to check when shopping for any wire is the gauge, or thickness, of the wire. Alarm cabling listed as 18 to 22 gauge is recommended for setting up a security system. The thinner 22 AWG wire is a little more flexible and forgiving. However, 18 AWG cabling will allow for longer wire runs, since it is thicker. You may also be required to choose between stranded cabling and solid core cabling. We typically steer users towards stranded cabling, as it is less likely to break off and cause you issues during the installation. We offer stranded, 4-conductor alarm wire from Genesis, a manufacturer you can count on for outstanding security system cabling.