UL 3266 is what you spec when standard PVC hook-up wire can't take the heat. It's a cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) appliance wiring material rated 125°C — a 45-degree jump over UL1007 — with a thin wall that still routes like a hook-up wire. Ballast and LED driver manufacturers use it by the truckload, and it's quietly become the default for any internal wiring that lives next to something hot.
UL 3266 Specifications
| Specification | UL 3266 |
|---|---|
| UL standard | UL 758, Appliance Wiring Material (AWM) Style 3266 |
| Voltage rating | 300V |
| Temperature rating | 125°C |
| Insulation | Irradiated cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) |
| Conductor | Tinned copper, solid or stranded |
| Common gauge range | 30 AWG to 16 AWG |
| Flame rating | VW-1 |
Why Cross-Linked Insulation Matters
PVC is a thermoplastic: heat it enough and it softens, deforms, and eventually flows off the conductor. XLPE is a thermoset. The irradiation process cross-links the polyethylene molecules into a lattice that won't melt — push it past its rating and it chars rather than drips. That's the whole reason UL 3266 exists: PVC hook-up wire tops out at 105°C (UL1015), and plenty of applications run hotter.
Cross-linking buys three other things worth knowing:
- Solder-iron tolerance. A brush with an iron that would ruin PVC insulation usually leaves XLPE intact — a real advantage on crowded assembly benches.
- Better abrasion and cut-through resistance than PVC at the same wall thickness.
- Cleaner chemistry. XLPE is halogen-free, which matters to OEMs designing against low-smoke, low-toxicity requirements.
UL 3266 vs. UL1007 vs. UL1015
| Specification | UL 3266 | UL1007 | UL1015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insulation | XLPE | PVC | PVC |
| Temperature | 125°C | 80°C | 105°C |
| Voltage | 300V | 300V | 600V |
| Wall | Thin | Thin | Heavy |
| Halogen-free | Yes | No | No |
The pattern: UL 3266 matches UL1007's 300V rating and compact profile but adds 45 degrees of headroom and thermoset toughness. It does not replace UL1015 where 600V is required — voltage, not temperature, decides that one. For the PVC styles head-to-head, see our UL1007 vs UL1015 guide.
Where UL 3266 Shows Up
- Fluorescent ballasts and LED drivers, its original home
- Appliance internal wiring near heating elements and motors
- Battery pack and power supply interconnects
- Automotive and small-engine electronics
- Any 300V circuit inside an enclosure that runs hot
Specifying and Buying It
Order by gauge, stranding, color, and put-up, same as any hook-up wire. Tinned copper is standard, which also makes it pleasant to solder. We stock UL 3266 irradiated XLPE hook-up wire alongside the full hook-up wire line, cut to length with no minimums on most items — so you can trial it against your current PVC wire without committing to a pallet.
