Red BV 2.5mm² PVC Insulated Single Core Copper Live Wire 450/750V Electrical Building Cable

Cable Designation & Meaning

Construction: Plain copper conductor (solid or stranded), PVC insulation, single-core non-sheathed building wire.

Applicable Standards

• GB/T 5023-2008 / IEC 60227 — Polyvinyl chloride insulated cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V
• GB/T 3956 / IEC 60228 — Conductors (Class 1 solid or Class 2 stranded, copper)
• GB/T 18380 / IEC 60332 — Flame retardant tests
• GB/T 2951 / IEC 60811 — Insulating and sheathing materials — Common test methods

BV-2.5 mm² (red, switch control / emergency circuit) — Copper PVC-Insulated Building Wire Specification & Engineering Data

1. Product Overview & Rating Summary. BV-2.5 (red) is the standard Chinese copper PVC-insulated building wire rated 450/750 V AC for interior fixed wiring, built and tested per GB/T 5023 / JB/T 8734. Unlike the black variant (industrial switchboard phase L1), this red version is the standard switch control / emergency circuit conductor, designed for switch control circuits, emergency lighting circuits, fire alarm circuits, and residential phase L1 wiring. The red colour provides instant visual identification of control and emergency circuits during installation and maintenance. Finished diameter is about 3.6 mm, mass about 22 kg/km, supplied in 100 m coils.

2. Layer-by-Layer Construction (Conductor to Outer).

3. Electrical Characteristics. The 2.5 mm² conductor is a solid 1.78 mm annealed copper wire (Class 1, not stranded), giving a maximum DC resistance of 7.41 Ω/km at 20 °C. Routine proof is 2.0 kV AC / 5 minutes. Insulation resistance ≥ 0.011 MΩ·km. With the single core in free air at 30 °C, reference loading is about 24 A; in conduit with three grouped cores, the rating derates to about 19 A. The voltage drop on a 100 m single-phase loop at 24 A is about 3.6 V. Conductor loss at 24 A is about 4.3 W per metre at 70 °C.

Insulation Data

Electrical Parameters

Reference values: 2.5 mm² Cu at 24 A, single-phase 230 V → max load ≈ 5.5 kW. Voltage drop at 24 A ≈ 17.8 V/km per core (≈0.78% per 10 m at 230 V).

Temperature Characteristics

4. Thermal Response & Flame Behaviour. PVC insulation sustains a 70 °C continuous conductor temperature, with short-circuit capability up to 160 °C for ≤ 5 s. The cable is rated for service ambients between 0 °C and +70 °C and must not be installed below 0 °C (PVC becomes brittle). It is flame-retardant to GB/T 18380 / IEC 60332-1 (self-extinguishing). PVC contains halogen — not halogen-free; for low-smoke halogen-free emergency circuit applications, use WDZ-BYJ instead.

Fire Performance (BV — Standard)

5. Installation Practice & Handling. Minimum bend radius is 4 × OD (≈ 14 mm) for fixed installation. The solid conductor is rigid and designed for fixed installation only. Install inside conduit, trunking, or wall conduit — do not leave exposed outdoors. Use standard screw terminals, crimp lugs, or wire nuts — no MC4 connectors needed. Red colour = switch control / emergency circuit; match neutral (blue/white) and protective earth (green/yellow) per local wiring codes. Laying temperature must not fall below 0 °C.

Mechanical & Installation Parameters

6. Typical Service Applications. This red BV-2.5 is the standard control/emergency wire for: switch control circuits, emergency lighting circuits, fire alarm circuits, residential phase L1, lighting switch wiring, smoke detector circuits. Unlike the black variant (industrial switchboard and motor control), red is chosen where switch control or emergency circuit colour coding matters — in residential switch boxes, emergency lighting systems, and fire alarm circuits. It is installed inside conduit or trunking — never outdoors.

7. Testing & Quality Assurance Regime. Routine tests on every coil include conductor DC resistance ≤ 7.41 Ω/km at 20 °C, the 2.0 kV AC / 5 min withstand, dimensional check (insulation ≥ 0.8 mm; OD ≈ 3.6 mm), and visual marking. Type tests include heat ageing (100 °C / 168 h), cold bend at 0 °C, heat shock at 150 °C, flame retardancy per GB/T 18380 / IEC 60332-1, insulation resistance, conductor continuity, and colour check (red).

The Wire Parameters

The Wire Test Parameters

The Wire Cross Section Structure

Construction Description

8. Company Display

9. Packaging, Storage & Logistics. Standard delivery is 100 m per coil. Each coil carries continuous marking: BV, 2.5 mm², 450/750 V, GB/T 5023, supplier identity, production year, and sequential metre marks. Storage should be in dry, indoor premises at 0 to +40 °C, protected from UV and moisture.

10. Procurement Specification. State "BV-2.5 mm² red, 450/750 V" together with the required length. Always install inside conduit or trunking — never outdoors. For low-smoke halogen-free emergency circuits (e.g. fire alarm systems in public buildings), specify WDZ-BYJ-2.5 red instead. Match red switch/emergency with neutral (blue/white) and green/yellow protective earth per local wiring codes.

11. Cable Industry FAQ.

• Q1: Why use red instead of black for this application? Red is the standard switch control / emergency circuit conductor colour. Black is used for industrial switchboard phase L1. In residential and commercial wiring, red provides instant visual identification of control and emergency circuits during installation and maintenance.
• Q2: What is the difference between red and black BV-2.5? Electrically and mechanically identical — same conductor, same insulation, same voltage rating, same ampacity. The only difference is colour and typical application: red = switch control / emergency / fire alarm; black = industrial switchboard phase L1.
• Q3: Can red BV-2.5 be used for fire alarm circuits? Yes — red is the standard fire alarm circuit colour in many wiring codes. However, for public buildings where low-smoke halogen-free is required, use WDZ-BYJ-2.5 red instead of PVC.
• Q4: What is the difference between red and white BV-2.5? Electrically identical. White = neutral / general-purpose; red = switch control / emergency / phase L1. Choose the colour based on the circuit's role in the wiring system.
• Q5: Can red BV-2.5 be used for emergency lighting? Yes — red is commonly used for emergency lighting circuits. However, emergency lighting circuits often require low-smoke halogen-free cables (WDZ-BYJ) in public buildings.
• Q6: Why use solid copper instead of stranded? Solid copper (Class 1) is cheaper, stiffer, and ideal for fixed installation in conduit and switch boxes. It should not be flexed repeatedly — for flexing applications, use BVR (stranded flexible).
• Q7: Can BV be used outdoors? No — BV is designed for indoor dry locations only. The PVC insulation is not UV-resistant and will degrade when exposed to sunlight.
• Q8: Why is the temperature rating only 70 °C? PVC insulation softens at higher temperatures. For higher temperature rating, use BV-90 or BYJ (XLPE-insulated building wire).
• Q9: What is the maximum circuit current? About 24 A in free air; in conduit with grouped cables, derate to about 19 A. For switch control and emergency circuits, the actual current is typically much lower (below 10 A).
• Q10: Can red BV-2.5 be used for residential phase L1? Yes — in many residential wiring conventions, red is used for phase L1. Check local wiring codes for the required colour convention.
• Q11: What is BVR? BVR is the stranded (flexible) version of BV — same PVC insulation and voltage rating, but uses stranded copper conductor instead of solid. BVR is used where flexibility is needed (e.g. behind switch boxes where wires must bend around terminals).

Company Profile — Anhui Tongdu Cable Co., Ltd.

Company Overview

Anhui Tongdu Cable Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Tongdu Cable") is a professional wire and cable manufacturer headquartered in Zongyang Economic Development Zone, Anhui Province, China. Founded in 2009, the company has grown into one of Anhui's leading cable enterprises by total investment, production capacity, and market reputation. Guided by its core values of "Striving for Excellence, Integrity, and Win-Win Cooperation," Tongdu Cable is committed to delivering high-quality, reliable cable solutions to customers across the globe.

Manufacturing Strength & Capacity

The company has invested a total of RMB 110 million to build a modern manufacturing base at Xinlou Industrial Park. It employs nearly 100 staff members and operates more than 100 sets of advanced domestic and imported production and testing equipment. Tongdu Cable's facilities include dedicated workshops for wire production, cable production, and high-voltage cable production (Workshops No. 3 and No. 4), enabling the company to handle everything from standard wire products to complex, high-specification cable systems under one roof.

To serve customers efficiently, Tongdu Cable has established sales outlets and service points in Hefei, Anqing, Fuyang, and Lu'an, ensuring responsive regional coverage throughout China. Cumulatively, the company has produced 200 million meters of wire and 10 million meters of cable, demonstrating stable, large-scale manufacturing capability.

Product Portfolio

Tongdu Cable specializes in the R&D, manufacturing, marketing, and service of a comprehensive range of cable and wire products, including:

Low voltage power cable:06/1kV,ZC-YJV,YJV22,WDZ-YJY,WDZN-YJY

Medium and High voltage power cable:26/35kV

Fire resistan cable:BTTRZ and NG-A-(BTLY)

Flexible control cable and Building wire:RVV,RVVP,RVSP,NH-RVSP,BV,BVR,RVVB,BVVB and so on.

All products are manufactured in compliance with internationally recognized standards, including IEC 60228, IEC 60502, IEC 60332, IEC 60754, IEC 61034, IEC 60840/IEC 62067, BS 6622/BS 7835, ASTM, EN, and Chinese national standards GB/T 12706, GB/T 5023, and GB/T 9330, ensuring global compatibility and acceptance.

Quality Assurance & Third-Party Verification

Quality is at the core of Tongdu Cable's operations. The company maintains an in-house laboratory equipped with professional testing instruments for conductor resistance, insulation and sheath thickness, tensile and elongation testing, aging tests, flame propagation, smoke density, and halogen acid gas emission analysis.

Tongdu Cable's commitment to quality is independently validated by multiple third-party institutions:

• Anhui Product Quality Supervision & Inspection Research Institute​ — Issued inspection reports (e.g., No. (2023) Wan Jian DZ Zi Di 05531 for WDZB-YJY 0.6/1 kV 1×240, and No. (2025) Wan Jian DZ Zi Di 02516 for YJV-0.6/1 5×10) confirming full compliance with GB/T 12706.1-2020, with all tested items qualified.

• Suzhou Product Quality Inspection Institute Co., Ltd.​ — Conducted the national supervision random inspection (No. GJHE250165) for the State Administration for Market Regulation on BV 450/750V 1×10 products, with the result "No non-conformity found."

These verification results provide international buyers with objective, authoritative evidence of product reliability.

Certifications & Compliance

Tongdu Cable holds a complete set of certifications to meet the requirements of global customers and EPC contractors:

• China Compulsory Certification (CCC)​ — Three certificates issued by the China Quality Certification Centre (CQC) in February 2024, covering PVC insulated sheathed cables (BVVB/BLVVB), unsheathed wires (BV/BLV/BVR), and flexible cords (RVV/RVS).

• National Industrial Production License​ — Certificate No. (Wan) XK06-001-00476, valid until December 20, 2028, covering extruded insulation low-voltage power cables (≤1 kV, ≤400 mm²) and plastic insulated control cables (≤48 cores).

• Management System Certifications​ — ISO 9001:2015 (Quality), ISO 14001:2015 (Environment), and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health & Safety), all audited by Beijing Zhong-An Quality & Environment Certification Centre, valid from June 2024 to June 2027.

• Energy Management System Certification​ — Supporting the company's commitment to green and sustainable manufacturing.

• CE Certification​ — Enabling direct access to European and other international markets.

Partnerships & Project Experience

Tongdu Cable has built long-term partnerships with a range of reputable domestic and international customers, including Zhejiang CHINT, Huaibei Mining Group Engineering Construction Co., Ltd., Anhui Shizhi Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., and China Railway Bureau. The company has also supplied cable products for the 2×60 MW combined-cycle power plant project of China Hongqiao International Investment Co., Ltd. in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, demonstrating its capability to support overseas EPC and infrastructure projects.

In addition, Tongdu Cable is a Council Member (5th term, 2023–2028) of the Anhui Provincial Electric Wire & Cable Industry Association, reflecting its recognized standing within the industry.

Global Market Commitment

Today, Anhui Tongdu Cable Co., Ltd. is actively expanding its international presence. The company offers OEM/ODM customization, English-language technical documentation, international-standard compliance verification, and responsive after-sales support. With proven product quality, comprehensive certifications, and a customer-centric approach, Tongdu Cable aims to be a trusted long-term cable partner for distributors, EPC contractors, utilities, industrial plants, and infrastructure developers worldwide.