Windy City Wire can help your next gas station installation go smoothly with our SmartWire fuel resistant cables.

In addition to the normal challenges of any retailer, companies in the petroleum industry, including big fuel companies and mom-and-pop gas stations, face unique challenges. From staffing and loss prevention to keeping your facility up to date with the latest technology, falling behind in any area can create a cascade effect that can put a gas station behind its competitors – and even out of business.

Whether a gas station is getting an upgrade and retrofit or is opening a new location, integrators can help the building process go smoothly by working with the right vendors. That’s where choosing Windy City Wire for your oil and gas cables comes into play.

But what are the right cables for the job? And how does our fuel-resistant SmartWire compare to others on the market today?

What Are the Main Applications of Oil and Gas Cables?

Oil- and gas-resistant cables span many businesses, including:

• Offshore drilling
• Marine applications
• Pipeline management
• Land-based drilling
• Refineries and processing plants
• Gas stations

While integrators commonly deploy our SmartWire fire-resistant cable in gas stations, we also serve oil and gas processing facilities and manufacturing companies.

Right now, we’re seeing a lot of demand for gas- and oil-resistant wire in electrical installations, powering payment terminals and video screens at gas pumps across the U.S. Of course, these systems also need to speak to the network, and that’s where Cat5 and Cat6 solutions come in.

Choosing the right wire and cable for your next job involves understanding the place each cable has in an installation and what sets various cable solutions apart.

Types of Cables for the Oil and Gas Industry

Windy City Wire provides power cable, stranded pair cables, single stranded cables, category cables, and more, all designed to withstand the toughest conditions. Let’s explore some of our offerings and how they stand out.

SmartWire Shielded Gas and Oil Cables

Our SmartWire Shielded cables can withstand electromagnetic interference often prevalent in industrial applications, as well as gas stations and processing facilities. Electromagnetic interference, or EMI, can disrupt the normal operation of fuel pumps and point-of-sale technology at your gas station.

EMI occurs within our natural environment, including storms and even solar radiation. It also emerges from electronics and even vehicle ignitions and motors. Over time, EMI can degrade the circuit integrity, power delivery systems, and data processing equipment required for smooth operation in virtually any business.

In a mission-critical operation such as a gas station, properly shielded cable designed to last and withstand corrosion, moisture, extreme temperatures, and EMI radiation can help ensure proper service for years.

Because of the round-the-clock outdoor environment, it’s also important for the lowvoltage cabling in a gas station or drilling site to withstand the natural elements, including wind, rain, and harsh sun. Gas and oil cables must also hold up for years against exposure to oil, fuel, and potentially even fire

SmartWire Category Cables

Category cables, available in Cat5, 24 AWG 4 pair non-shielded and Cat6 23 AWG 4-pair non-shielded varieties are deployed when high-speed data transmission and reliability are key considerations.

Our SmartWire Cat6 cables offer higher transmission speeds when you want to provide the best, most efficient customer service for payment processing or when the network router is a long distance away from the interface. These cables also tend to withstand EMI radiation better, with thicker cable sheaths. With so much interference coming from highways adjacent to many gas stations, many of our customers opt for Cat6 network cables, although Cat5 still has its place today.

Category cables designed for the oil and gas industry are resistant to water, sunlight, gas, and oil, for years of reliable use. Gas stations deal with highly flammable materials, and every aspect of the installation should include fire-resistant cable or flame-retardant cable for safety.

Both Cat5 and Cat6 SmartWire cables from Windy City Wire can streamline your next EMV upgrade and video screen installation with unique color coding and our patented SmartWire RackPack Field Systems Solution, which allows integrators to reduce labor costs while increasing productivity during installations.

SmartWire Single Conductor Stranded Cables

Single conductor stranded cables in 12 AWG, 14 AWG, 16 AWG, and 18 AWG are designed for enhanced power transmission and easy installation. Whatever gauge you choose, you’ll find a product well-suited to withstand high temperatures, gas, and oil in every application.

SmartWire Pair Stranded Cables

Pair stranded cables are often the choice of gas station systems installers for powering point-of-sale systems, EMV-compliant payment processing terminals, and video screens, due to their flexibility.

Regardless of the complexity of the cable layouts within a gas station, twisted pair cabling in 14, 16, and 18 AWG can conform to meet the needs of your installation.

How to Choose the Right Oil and Gas Solutions for Your Next Project

When it comes to choosing the equipment for a gas station building project or retrofit, you probably don’t give much thought to the cables that power the equipment. Cabling is not like a high-resolution LED screen designed to catch the customer’s eye.

As long as your cables meet minimum requirements for safety and durability and can withstand oil, gas, heat, and natural elements in an outdoor environment, you may not think much about your choices. Bulk wire and cable solutions are probably not the most expensive line item on your bill of materials. But choosing premium cable when you're providing electrical and operating systems for an essential service like gas stations pays off in time savings on the job site and customer satisfaction.

It’s not worth it to skimp on sub-par solutions. And it’s important to take the time to consider the benefits of SmartWire solutions from Windy City Wire.

Durability

Our comprehensive cable solutions are precision-engineered and adhere to the highest manufacturing standards for durability and quality. In a mission-critical field like the gas and oil industry, uptime is key, especially when you’re connecting to point-of-sale systems, emergency systems, instrumentation systems, and supply systems.

Gas station customers count on being able to access fuel 24/7 – a failure in communications systems, payment systems, or delivery systems is not acceptable. It’s worth choosing cable you can count on for years of effective use.

Ease-of-Installation

Our SmartWire wire and cable solutions ship in RackPacks, not spools, and are ready to stack cleanly on your job site. Our SmartWire is coated with Glide Technology, a dry lubricant that reduces pulling friction by up to 70%. Each RackPack is outfitted with three Perfect Pull tear-aways for easy horizontal or vertical cable pulls. These factors all streamline installation, increasing your efficiency on the job site. Faster installations lead to happier customers - and return business.

Our RackPack Field Systems Solution also streamlines your integration with key data printed on the box, and customized at the installer’s request, to make it easy to find the right cable at the right time.

Service Before, During, and After the Sale

Windy City Wire maintains a commitment to our customers. From the basics of fast, prompt delivery to our responsive customer service team and our handy mobile app that makes managing your purchase orders a breeze, Windy City Wire seeks to exceed your expectations for service.

Who knew something as simple as your choice of cable could improve your workflow at your next gas station installation? Reach out to Windy City Wire before your next project to experience the difference choosing the right cables can have in the gas and oil industry.