What is the difference between FR, FRLSH and HFFR wires?

All three are flame-retardant single-core house wires. FR slows the spread of flame. FRLSH adds low smoke and reduced halogen. HFFR (also called ZHFR) is flame-retardant, low smoke and zero halogen, so it gives off minimal smoke and no halogen acid gas if it burns. The copper conductor and voltage grade are the same for the same cross-section; the difference is the insulation behaviour in a fire.

Does a fire-rated jacket let me use a thinner wire?

No. Insulation grade governs how the wire behaves in its environment and in a fire; the conductor cross-section governs the current it can carry and the voltage drop over a run. A higher temperature rating or a better jacket is never a reason to drop to a thinner conductor for the same load. Size the conductor from the actual load and run length.

What does IS 694 cover?

IS 694:2010 is the Indian product standard for PVC-insulated cables and flexible cords up to 1100 V. It sets the construction, insulation thickness, voltage grade, marking and routine tests for single-core house wires.

Tools · Wire Comparison

Put two wires side by side. See what the specs mean.

Compare KEI single-core house wires on conductor, insulation and fire & smoke behaviour: FR, FRLSH and HFFR (ZHFR), 1.0 to 10.0 sqmm. Or add a wire someone’s offering you and see how it stacks up against the standard. Insight is grounded in IS 694 and IS 8130. House wires only, not cables.

Grade Size

Add up to four wires. Tip: compare the same size across grades (FR vs FRLSH vs HFFR), or the same grade across sizes.

Put two wires side by side. See what the specs mean.

Enter a supplier’s wire

What the differences mean