ELECTRIC Reference Guide

WHAT ISELECTRICITYThink of a pipe or a gardenhose. When you turn onthe water, it movesthrough the pipe and outthe faucet or hose end. Ina similar way, you canthink of electricity as acurrent of very tinyparticles (electrons)flowing inside a wire andthrough a light bulb or anappliance that's beenswitched on. Home wiringis fundamentally a matterof transporting this currentin a safe, efficient manner.Associated with thisflowing current are somebasic terms thatelectricians often workwith.VOLTS: Water inside ahose moves because it'sunder pressure from thewater behind it. Likewise,electricity is also underpressure, and the forcecausing the current to flowis measured in volts. Theutility company sets thehousehold voltage level.AMPERES: The amountof current that flows past agiven point in one secondis measured in amperes(amps). Amps arebasically a function of wiresize; the larger the wire,the higher the potentialcurrent-carrying capacity.WATTS: The energy per

second consumed by alight bulb or an applianceis expressed in watts.Household electricalusage is usually figured inkilowatt-hours (units of1,000 watts multiplied bythe time of usage inhours). The relationshipbetween these three basic

units is represented in thisformula: volts x amps =watts. If you know two ofthese values, you canfigure the third bymultiplying or dividing.Some examples: A 20-amp circuit at 120 voltscan deliver 2,400 watts; amicrowave oven that uses1,000 watts of 120-voltpower consumes 8.3amps; a 240-volt clothesdryer that pulls 5,600 wattsof power requires at leasta 23.3-amp circuit.CONDUCTORS: Thegeneral term "conductor"applies to anything thatpermits, or conducts, theflow of electricity.

Electricity flows in the path ofleast resistance, andcertain materials allowenergy to flow more freelythan others. Copper, forexample, is a goodconductor; most wires aremade of copper, althoughaluminum and copper-cladaluminum wires are alsoused.RESISTANCE: This isthe property of an electriccircuit that restricts theflow of current. Electricalresistance or impedance ismeasured in ohms.ELECTRIC SERVICEIn older development orrural areas, the utilitycompany provides powerto homes throughoverhead conductorscalled the service drop. In

urban areas and newerdevelopments, the powercomes to the houseunderground and is calleda service lateral.

Typically the owner isresponsible, through his orher electrical contractor,for maintaining theelectrical systemthroughout the house up tothe utility companyconnections which aregenerally just before themeter.

SERVICE SIZE

An electrician candetermine the amperageof the service coming intothe home. With heavyelectrical demands inhomes today, any servicewhich is less then 100amps and 120/240 voltsmay be consideredinadequate. The exceptionis apartments and condos.A home with all electricappliances, water heaterand central air conditioningmay require 150 amps. Ifthe home is heated byelectricity, it may require200 amps.

If the house is over 40years old, and the electrichas not been upgraded thechances are that theamount of power beingsupplied is inadequate.Some of the signs of

inadequate service are asfollows:1. The main panel is fusedinstead of breakers.2. Fuses or breakers tripoften.3. Lights flicker or dimwhen appliances areutilized.4. Extension cords arerequired in many areas inof the home.

THE METER

Electric usage ismeasured in units calledwatts. Watts areequivalent to the numberof volts times the numberof amps. The powercompany charges by thenumber of watts registeredon the meter. The metermay be located inside inolder homes and outsidethe newer homes.

THE MAIN PANEL

The main distributionpanel is the heart of theelectrical system. Thepanel is usually located inthe basement or garage.The service disconnectcan be an integral part ofthis panel, or it can be in apanel near the meter. Upto six disconnects areallowed to shut off all thepower in the home. Thehomeowner must know thelocation of all servicedisconnects andunderstand how to usethem.

WHEN THEELECTRICITY GOESOUT?Nearly everyone hasexperienced a powerfailure once or twice.

When this happens, thefirst thing to do isdetermine whether theproblem lies in yourhouse's system or is autility company outage. Ifthe whole house is out andit looks like your neighborshave lost power too, callthe utility company. If anyof your homes electricalpower works-receptaclesor lights in another room,for example, the problemis with your own system.

The problem is generallycaused by an overloadedcircuit, a short circuit orloose wiring. If the problemoccurred when someonewas using a hair dryer,electric heater or someother device that draws alot of current, it wasprobably caused by asimple overload. If thecircuit is overloaded, acircuit breaker should havetripped or a fuse shouldhave blown.Check the sub-panel ormain panel that serves thecircuit. If the problem isn'tthat simple, turn off orunplug everything from thetroubled circuit. Then resetthe breaker or replace thefuse. If the circuit blowsimmediately, there isprobably a charred wire ordefective device in thecircuit that will requirereplacement. If it doesn'tblow, turn lights back onand plug in appliances oneat a time to check for the

overload or short circuit. Ifthe lights or receptaclesstill don't work call anelectrician.

FUSES ANDBREAKERFuses are commonlyfound in homes over 50years old. They have to bereplaced when they blowoff. Breakers are used innewer homes and can bereset when they trip off.There is a maximumcurrent of amperage thatcan be carried safety byeach size and type of wireused in a home. Fusesand breakers must be thecorrect amperage in orderto properly protect eachcircuit.

SERVICE GROUNDEvery electric service mustbe grounded so thatelectricity from a lighteningstrike or a power surge willbe harmlessly dischargedinto the earth rather thaninto the home. Systemgrounding is achieved byconnecting the neutralwires from all the electricalcircuits to a grounding rodor a buried metal watersupply pipe.

OUTLETSOutlet should be availablefor convenience, one forevery 12 feet of runningwall space, or one on eachwall of the average 10 to12 foot room. The reasonis to avoid the use ofextension cords, whichcan become worn, broken,or cause a fire. In thekitchen, there should be20 amp appliance circuitswith outlets servingcounters one for every fourfeet of running wall space.

New homes are equippedwith grounded three slotoutlets. Grounding isinstalled to provide a safepath for electricity to returnto the electrical panel if itgets out of its intendedpath.Many older homes havetwo slot outlets. If you onlyuse appliances with twoprong plugs, it isn'tnecessary to upgrade. Anyappliance with three prongplug needs a properlygrounded three slot outlet.Sometimes an electriciancan easily upgrade outlets;other times rewiring maybe required.

GROUND FAULTINTERRUPTERS

Even if a system isproperly grounded, minorfaults in a circuit cancause dangerous shock toperson using an electricalappliance in a damplocation or near water.

Ground Fault Interruptersare now required in damplocations such as,kitchens/bar countertops,swimming pools,unfinished basements,garages, accessorybuildings, crawlspaces andexterior receptacles.

5. Smoke or snappingnoise coming from outletsand switches.

Check the sub-panel ormain panel that serves thecircuit. If the problem isn'tthat simple, turn off or

unplug everything from thetroubled circuit. Then resetthe breaker or replace thefuse. If the circuit blowsimmediately, there isprobably a charred wire ordefective device in thecircuit that will requirereplacement. If it doesn'tblow, turn lights back onand plug in appliances oneby one to check for theoverload or short circuit. Ifthe lights or receptaclesstill don't work call anelectrician.

CONDUCTORS

Most homes are wired withcopper wire. Aluminumwiring was widely used inresidential constructionfrom 1960 to the mid1970s. The wire can beidentified by its dull silvercolor. This should not beconfused with older tincoated copper wiring.

Homes with solidaluminum wire have agreater potential of havinghazardous conditions.Some of the problems areas follows:

1. Expand and contracts atdifferent rates than coppercreating looseconnections.2. Tendency to oxidize.3. Incompatibility with theswitches and outlets thatwere designed to be usedwith copper.4. Unusually warm orwarped outlets orswitches.

6. Plastic burning odors inthe area of outlets andswitches.

7. Intermittent operation ofa switch or outlet.In older homes, theconductors sometimes arenot enclosed in jackets,but run as pairs of wiressupported by porcelaininsulators. This wiring iscalled Knob and Tube.Modern wire such asRomex or BX wire hasdouble insulation. Thesingle insulation on theKnob & Tube wiring canfray or fall off over timecreating a hazardouscondition.

Many insurancecompanies have startedlimiting or restrictinginsurance on homes foundto have Aluminum or Knob& Tube wiring. Thealuminum wire can becorrected with a processcalled pig tailing. TheKnob & Tube wire mayrequire rewiring of thehome.