Stuff Electricians Should Know!: Recent Episodes
Electricians Library
The podcast for Electricians where I give you bite sized bits of useful information, usually in the form of an answer to a question the every electrician should know! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stuff-electricians-should-know/support
Today we’ll share some quick comparisons of the difference between grounding Vs bonding. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stuff-electricians-should-know/support
Today I answer 3 (not 4) questions apprentices have asked in the past. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stuff-electricians-should-know/support
Going back to the archives and going to learn a bit about counterfeiting in the electrical industry. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stuff-electricians-should-know/support
Today we’re going to “Rules For Electricians” to learn about a very bad practice for business.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stuff-electricians-should-know/support
Today I’ll share with you 3 things electricians wished they knew before they got into the trade. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stuff-electricians-should-know/support
Going back in the archives to learn about the AIC rating. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stuff-electricians-should-know/support
Today we’re reaching back into the electricians, library and archives and going to pull an article from the apprentice guide issue number 10. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stuff-electricians-should-know/support
Does the NEC require receptacles to be installed in a certain orientation?
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What the heck is a bell box?
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What’s the difference between 12/2 with ground and 12/3?
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Bringing back the SESK podcast
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Check out the new podcast here: https://anchor.fm/theapprenticeguide /episodes/Ep-1---Decisions-e3v824
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There are a lot of things that need to be done to get licensed. Are you ready?
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Corey asks a great question that i'm sure others have struggled with. Should I pursue an electrical career if i'm forgetful?
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Some guys manage projects so poorly that the only recourse they have is to threaten lawsuits.
That's the topic of todays episode.
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Let's face it. There are a lot of other people that you have to work around that just don't care. The plumbers, they drywallers, the siding guys. You name em, and they just don't care. That's the topic of today's discussion on the SESK podcast.
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This episode is the audio of a facebook live that I did illustrating the importance of labeling correctly. Come like our Electricianslibrary.com page on facebook!
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Today I'll cover some frequently asked questions concerning Locking Out and Tagging Out.
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When should you use wire lube? What kind should you use? Those are the questions plaguing several electricians at this very moment! And here we are to swoop in and answer the question!
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Today I will talk about 6 VFD misconceptions that you can put to rest.
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In today's episode I'll talk about terminating paralleled conductors and 3 things that you need to watch out for when your are doing it.
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Today I'll share some statistics with you from the NFPA about the holiday season, fires, and one thing you could do to increase your business while helping to prevent house fires.
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In todays Episode I'll talk about my new book "Rules for Electricians", what it is and what it isn't.
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In todays episode I'll cover 10 terms that you have probably never heard of.
When you get in to any industry they seem to have their own language.
The electrical industry is no different.
It has it's own language.
Today I'll cover theses 10 terms:
Chinese Money
Bug
BX Cable
Greenfield
Periscope
Hard Head
Kool Aid
Keyless
Eyes
Rabbit Gun
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Visit: www.rulesforelectricians.com
Welcome to "Stuff Electrician's Should Know" my name is Jon Workman, your host, and welcome back to another episode of SESK.
Before we get started I just want to tell you about "Rules For Electricians", a new book that I put together that I'm excited get into your hands. It's 100 rules for electricians that can help a help you in your daily activities, help you in your job, basically just some the written rules, some of the unwritten rules that are that are now written that are there to help you.
Go to www.rulesforelectricians.com and you can get your calloused, work soil hands on your very own copy.
Let's get in today's topic "3 myths about project management"
On the last episode of SESK, you remember we got into project management a little bit, and this week I want talk about 3 myths concerning project management that sometimes the little guys allow to get in their way.
So let's just jump into the first myth.
The first myth about project management is that you have to have a big company for project management to even be necessary, and that is great lie. Even if you are a one man band learning how to manage a project properly is going to absolutely change your business.
Company size doesn't really matter. There's always a customer and end user and you've got to get the job done. You've gotta get done what they need done to make them happy for you to get a pay check.
It really doesn't matter even if it's simply changing out receptacles in an old house, you still want to do the best job you can for your customer, and that way you'll have a better chance of having them be repeat customers and hopefully lifelong customers.
You know, there might be a little bit of an advantage to being a smaller guy actually, you're more versatile, you can do a lot more things, but you still need to operate by sound principles and know how to to manage the jobs that you do get.
The second myth is that you have to have a big job to need management. Job size is really just an issue of relativity. You know it's all relative. Everything's just relative. If you're a one man show then a $10000 job might be a big job to you.
If you're a multimillion dollar contracting company your $10000 job may not even be worth looking at for you. But it's all it's all relative.
But every job basically has the same framework. The four B's. You're bidding, you're buying, you're building, and you're billing. You're doing these four things no matter what size the job is. So you you just need to make sure that you know how to do these things. You still have to be efficient in all the things that you do.
The the small jobs especially, for smaller contractors, are just as important as a big jobs.
Myth number three. We've talked about not needing to be a big company, or that it doesn't have to be a big job, and the last thing is that the job doesn't have to be worth a lot of money to to warrant knowing how to manage project. The money amount doesn't matter. It goes back to efficiency. The more efficient you are the more money you can make.
The biggest thing about the dollar amount is that on the smaller jobs the little mistakes hurt more than on the bigger jobs. So that is one more piece of motivation for you to to learn how to manage a project. If you are on a smaller job and start making a bunch of small mistakes it's going to end up costing you a bigger portion of the pie.
Thanks again for listening to this episode of "Stuff Electricians Should Know". Once again, just reminder head over to www.rulesforelectricians.com to get your hands on a copy of my new book "Rules For Electricians" Volume one.
Thanks again for tuning in. Hopefully you are having a great week glad to be back with you this week and until next time I'm Jon Workman, Stay Grounded.
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Today I'll cover 6 mistakes you want to avoid when it comes to project management.
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In this episode we cover a quick VFD case study to show how effective VFD's can be.
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So here are 3 things that will help you know when you can use a VFD. 1- The need to reduce energy consumption and energy costs. I'm not going to get deep into this one now because that is going to be the subject of next weeks episode. But know for now that that is a major reason to use a VFD. 2 - Greater production through efficiency and better process control. hey your motors are most efficient, you'll have less mistakes and production levels will increase. This typically generates more revenue, or cuts costs. You might not completely get this, but think about a conveyor belt. If it's jerky on starts and stops it could really mess things up. 3- Lastly, VFD's will extend equipment life and cut down on maintenance. No one likes to have to replace equipment on a regular basis or have to spend time or money having equipment down for repair. Using VFD's helps equipment last longer and reduces downtime because the VFD will keep the motor running at it's optimal speed. One of the biggest benefits of having VFDs optimally control the motor’s frequency and voltage is that the VFD will offer better protection from issues like electro thermal overloads, it gives phase protection, prevents under voltage and overvoltage, etc..
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Okay, so in the last episode I introduced you briefly to VFD's, and kind of discuss what they did. So this week, why don't we dive into how a VFD actually works. So let's start talking about the motor that you're going to be controlling for, for just a second. You know the motors that you're going to control with the VFD are three phase. You're not going to use a VFD to control a single phase motor. Now, a lot of these motors are designed to be operated and run at a fairly consistent speed. You're not going to have a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but the motors are going to be bogged down a lot with different loads. You might have a conveyor that's got a really light load to begin with and it can kind of gets bogged down during the day.
So a VFD analyzes load variations and then it increases or decreases the motor speed automatically to kind of compensate for, for what's happening.
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So to put a simply a VFD is a type of motor controller that drives a three phase electric motor, and it can control the motor by varying, not only the frequency but the voltage that's being supplied to the electric motor. Okay? So one of the coolest things about VFD's is that their automatic. You don't have to sit there and monkey around with them and adjust them when you need certain things to happen, they sense the load requirements and then they increase or decrease the motor speed accordingly. So this helps out in a couple of different ways. It helps reduce operating temperature of the equipment. It also helps reduce stress on the mechanical components.
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This is probably the advice that Apple should have given when it released the iPhone, or Tesla when it started selling cars. "Don't buy our product!" Neither of these Uber successful companies have yet to release a perfect, flawless product. How dare they?? iPhones are riddled with problems. Software crashes, hardware malfunctions, battery issues. Yet they keep building them for us to buy. Same with Tesla. Doors and hoods won't open, production issues, crashes... I'm sure the list could go on. But both companies keep building and selling their products. They dare to keep selling products because they are innovators and they want to provide the consumer with the best that they have, even though the best that they have isn't perfect... and it never will be. There will always be software and car crashes. There will always be hardware problems, there will always be the human element that comes along with innovation. So where am I going with this? Let me tell you. This month has been full of information being thrown your way. mostly about what Codey can do to this point. I've done this because I'm so excited about the resource and that possibilities that it brings to the trade. But now it's time to Codey out into the wild and I need to give you a disclaimer. Don’t buy Codey if: You think codey is going to be perfect. You think codey is going to have ALL of the answers you will ever need...right now. You think codey will take the responsibility from you to know what you are doing. You think you will never have to look at the NEC again. You are looking for a shortcut to becoming great. You want to pay a lot more later on when you finally decide to buy it. Do buy codey if: You want a tool that will help you on your path to greatness You want a tool that will help you become more efficient and knowledgeable You want help finding answers to code and other types of electrical questions (database is growing everyday) You want to invest in the beta version now at a lower price (this will help us hire more developers to speed up the process) and keep this low price unless you cancel the service You want to save countless hours of research to questions that you need the answers to. Codey is no different that the coolest products that you own. This is just the first version, just like they had a first version. It will have bugs. It won't have all the answers. It will get better every day. It will be awesome. It will change with the industry. It will make your life easier. So please remember, if you are planning to get on board with Codey right now, which I hope you will, you'll get the lowest price it will ever be from this point forward. You will help speed up the development process. And you'll be part of making something great. So here you go. Codey's beta version is now available in the app store. Click here to watch a short video and get access to Codey: www.codey.app Stay Grounded -Jon <
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What does Codey know about shore power disconnects? Let's find out.
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What's the difference between MCM and KCMIL. We've covered it before, but does Codey know the difference?
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How do you size OCPD? Let's ask Codey.
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Today we ask Codey a little tougher question. What is an isolated ground?
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When it's a temp install, do you really need to support it? Let's ask Codey.
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We throw up a softball for Codey today and ask him about conduit.
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Here's a great question for Codey: Do I need a receptacle by a pool?
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Make sure to check out Codey at http://www.electricianslibrary.com/codey to learn more about Codey, the "virtual electrical assistant".
Have you needed to convert AC to DC and can find a "transformer" or an "inverter" to do so? Thats because you need a "power supply". Today we ask Codey about it.
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Do communications and power ground need to be bonded?
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Does Codey know about different parts? He knows about a few. he shows us today.
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Today we ask Codey "What is an HID?" Listen in to hear his answer!
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Today we ask Codey "what does IC Rated mean?"
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There's a lot of complaining about tamper proof receptacles. Let's ask Codey why we need them.
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Today we ask Codey "how many romex wires can we put under one staple?"
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We lay off the code for a sec and ask Codey a parts question. Does he know the difference?
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On today's episode we go into the hotel business and ask Codey about AFCI's.
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What does it mean to "single phase" a motor? In todays episode we ask Codey just that question! Listen in!
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Does a furnace need it's own circuit? That's what we ask Codey today and try to stump him.
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So todays question comes from something ridiculous that I heard a contractor tell me an inspector told him about needing to replace GFCI's. Listen in!
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Do you need a special wire to be in direct sunlight? We get our answer from Codey.
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In this quick episode, we ask Codey the question, "what is a sub panel?"
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An ever popular question and Codey has the answer. Can you put different voltages in a raceway?
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Today i'll cover another label that you may be unfamiliar with. It's another quickie so stay tuned for more tomorrow!
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Has the farmer installed the right lights in his building? We'll ask Codey.
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Today i'll quickly cover the definition of OCPD. This is one of those labels that you'll see on circuit breakers.
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Some changes to the NEC make it clear that you need to add a tool or two to your arsenal.
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Sometimes you may not always know exactly if you need a gfci. Codey can remind you where you need them.
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Do you always have to use new equipment in installs? Codey gives us the answer.
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Today's tidbit is a quickie about tray cable. What is it? Tune in to find out more!
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For the month of May I will be publishing one podcast per day to introduce some of Codey's capabilities. Hope you'll join every day!
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How does a twist lock receptacle work? A normal three-prong outlet can simply be pushed or pulled to connect or disconnect a standard wall outlet. A twist lock adds another step and another layer of protection to this process. Make sure and check out the Codey app if you haven't already! www.electricianslibrary.com/codey
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The question arises quite frequently, "Can I put an DC voltage on an AC switch?"
The short answer is that you can, but you shouldn't. Don't do it. It will cause problems down the road.
The long answer is in the podcast. Take a listen!
Also make sure and head over to check our Codey! http://www.electricianslibrary.com/codey
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There are a lot of issues out there when it comes to GFCI's. And tracking down the problems can be frustrating to say the least. But In this episode I'll try to give you a few tips and tricks to help get the ball rolling when you encounter an issue.
And Don't forget to check out the Codey App that will hopefully, someday, make all of your code dreams come true. Visit http://www.electricianslibrary.com/codey to learn more.
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In todays episode I delve into some facts that you need to know about USB charging, especially when preparing to install USB devices in a customers home.
When in dobut, Ask Codey! Visit http://www.electricianslibrary.com/codey
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Have you learned about Codey yet? Codey is a virtual electrical assistant that I'm building just for you. You can check Codey out here:
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On today’s episode I’m going to talk about three way switches. Now, I know that this is a first year apprentice level topic, but no one ever said that every episode of this podcast was just going to be about deep complicated topics. This is for everyone, from an apprentice on the first day, to the master who has been in the trade forever. So let’s get into it.
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On today’s episode I’m going to talk about why conduit fill is important. I’m not so much going to tell you how to determine conduit fill, I think that will be something for a whole nother episode, I just want to tell you why its so important. In a nutshell, minding the conduit fill is important for safety and performance.
You see all the time on the interwebs pictures of boxes that are so full that you literally couldn’t fit anything else in them, and that usually means that the raceways are pretty full as well. So let's dig in!
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You will want this!
In todays episode I cover the difference between normally open and normally closed contacts. This can get a little confusing for those that don't work around them very much... or at least don't think they do.
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Have you learned about Codey yet? If not you really need to check out this cool new tool we're developing just for you! Visit:
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In this episode I'll cover the difference between a neutral and a ground. This is definitely on the apprentice level, but i've seen some journeymen that probably could have used a refresher on this a time or two.
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In this episode we'll take a look at an easily prevented accident that could have been prevented with proper LOTO procedures. Stay safe out there.
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Have you heard of a "seal" or a "seal off" but not really sure what they are for? Listen in and I'll unravel the mystery for you!
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This week we were asked the question, "What does CRI mean?" So we decided to tackle this question and help give you a little better understanding when dealing with lamps and lighting. Take a listen!
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Last week I don't think that I ended the show on a clear note. So this week I wanted to clarify a few things concerning the true purpose of circuit breakers.
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How many people do you know that think a circuit breaker is there to protect someone from getting shocked? Well, we need to bust that myth right now, and a funny Amazon review!
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Needing a little more info on lighting? NEMA has put together a quick list of the 5 L's of lighting. Take a listen and you'll learn what they are!
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This week we continue on talking about 5 more arc flash safety tips. Also, keep an eye out for the SESK-University coming your way!
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In this episode I'll cover 5 things you need to know about arc flash given to us by our friends over at Eaton. This is the first of a two part series.
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Do you struggle to keep your jobs productive all of the time? In this episode I'll cover 6 things to watch out for that kill productivity!
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Have you ever heard of the NFPA 70B? I hadn't.... but turns out there is some great information in it! It is dedicated to the "Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance". Listen in as we touch on what an "Effective Electrical Preventive Maintenance Program" is! If you haven't learned about Codey, our new virtual, electrical assistant then go here and check him out!:
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Have you ever wondered why manufacturers plate copper with tin?
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Have you wondered if there are specific rules when it comes to paralleling conductors? In this episode we'll cover just a few...
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Do you struggle to keep your jobs organized? In this episode I'll cover 6 things that you can do to get better at it.
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Are you up on your hazrdous locations? if not, now is a great time to brush up and make sure you don't walk into an explosive situation.
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Let’s start with defining what a single phase transformer is. A single phase transformer transforms a higher voltage to a lower voltage and can also transform a lower voltage to a higher voltage. When they are labeled “single phase” it is the same principle as single phase power, you know, the power most people use every day for their lights, TV, etc. So, yes, you are thinking correctly as you hear the phrase single phase transformer.
Make sure to check out Codey, the new Virtual Electrical Assistant! www.electricianslibrary.com/codey
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As you all know, an electric motor is simply a piece of equipment that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. You hook your electrical power up to the leads of the motor and then it is typically converted through the generation of a magnetic field by means of a current flowing into one or more coils. Now after scouring the web, I found that there are way more different types of electric motors than I thought, and this may be an eye opener for you as well. So I’m going to list them off for you right now and then we’ll see how many of them we get to in this episode. Check out Codey, the new Virtual Electrical Assistant! www.electricianslibrary.com/codey
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Today I give my thoughts on why you lose to a low bidder.
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Head over to Electricianslibrary.com/shirt to get your free shirt now! I'll pay for the shirt if you'll pay to have it shipped to you.
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What do you know about all of the different types of controls?
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What is distribution Equipment and where are you going to use it? We'll cover that in this episode!
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Make sure to check out the Conduit Bending 101 course here!
In todays episode I get a little deep and introduce you to The Electrician Manifesto.
I'm looking for you feedback but also express deep appreciation for you and want you to know how I view you.
Not just as an electrician, but as The Electrician.
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What the heck is a Ghost Voltage? In this episode we consult the experts over at Fluke to understand exactly where these things come from!
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So in this episode I talk a little bit about the differences between copper and aluminum conductors. Lets face it, people love copper more than aluminum wire, but aluminum does have a few advantages. And copper has a few disadvantages just like aluminum does. When you’re deciding on which material is best for your project, you have to weigh the pros and cons of both. Listen in to todays episode to learn more about the difference between using copper and aluminum conductors.
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Today I wanted to talk about the difference between the terms line and load.
This is a pretty simple concept to understand once you’ve been in the industry for a little bit, but I know that it can be confusing to some of the apprentices out there.
If this does confuse you a little bit, then get the free download that I’ve created to help you understand the concept a little more. It’s a simple PDF that i’ve linked to in the show notes that shows exactly which conductors would be considered line and load and where they are located on the equipment shown on the diagram.
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Do you know the difference between a service conductor, a feeder, and a branch circuit? We'll cover that in todays episode!
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Ok, so this week I wanted to kind of continue on with last week’s theme of conduit. How fitting….. (pun intended)
So this week I have 5 tips for all of you apprentices out there as you are learning to run conduit.
Now, of course, you are going to be trained by a journeyman that has his or her way of doing things. And that’s great. You need to pay attention to what they are doing and teaching you because they have experience.
But, I know that in the trades the doers aren’t always the best teachers. So that’s why I thought I’d pass along these few tips.
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So let’s get on with the show. Today I thought it would be great to go over some Conduit Q&A and this information can be found over at the steel tube institute. I thought this might be important because, as an electrician of course you are dealing with conduit every single day! So why not know just a little bit more about the products you are using and become more of an expert than you already are. You may want to check out Episode 9 as well as I briefly cover what GRC or RMC is. You can listen to that >>>>> HERE. So I think that I’m going to go over 5 of these questions and answers and see where that gets us. 1 - Can EMT, IMC, RMC be direct buried? 2 - Can steel raceways be installed as a watertight system? 3- Can RMC, IMC and EMT be installed in concrete? 4- What is the fire rating of steel conduit/EMT? 5- Can EMT be used over 600 volts?
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So let get right into learning about Service Equipment.
First of all, let’s go ahead and see how the NEC defines Service Equipment. We want to know how its defined by the NEC because Too many electrical workers (and inspectors) think service conductors include the secondary conductors of transformers and supply conductors to a remote building.
This misunderstanding has led to several improper and unsafe neutral-to-case connections at disconnects and panelboards. To ensure a safe electrical installation, know where the service begins and ends.
I’m going to have a cheat sheet that you can download in the show notes so make sure and grab that. And if you want a quick overview of how the NEC is laid out check out Episode 39. I’ve linked to it in the show notes as well.
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OK so we have two different names for some lugs, so let's start by finding out what exactly they are.
Where are you going to find these lugs? Well, inside of a panel board of course! Now, if you’re not familiar with the term panelboard, check out episode 35 here where I talk about the difference between a panelboard and a load center.
First of all, one of the biggest differences between a sub feed lug and a feed through lug is the location inside the panel. One is on the top with the main and the other one is on the bottom.
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Today let’s hit on another basic part of being an electrician….. Dealing with ballasts. Now, it may not be too far in the distant future when you won’t be dealing with ballasts much because of the wave of LED’s that are taking over, but at least for a while you’ll be changing them as they go out because some of your customer either won’t want to or can’t bear the cost of retrofitting everything right now.
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The world of wire is a vast, wide ranging and confusing area for most any of us to be able to get much of a handle on anything other that what we really use every day. But there are a few questions that you can ask when you are trying to decide what jacket needs to be used. For example, do you use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or plenum rated cable?
Here are a few simple questions that you can ask yourself to help you decide which cable will be right for your job.
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This Episode is sponsored by Acmetools.com
You get reminders every day. Reminders on your phone, reminders in your email, reminders in your texts.
Some reminders get kind of annoying, but some reminders are there to keep you safe.
If you haven't read article 250.4 in the National Electrical Code lately, then consider this a reminder.
According to the US Department of Labor, “Accident statistics compiled by MSHA's Health Safety Analysis Center indicate that approximately 14% of all electrical fatalities occur from improper or inadequate grounding.”
Grounding and bonding might sound like simple concepts, especially to a journeyman or a master electrician, and it really is SIMPLE, but that doesn't always mean it's easy. There may even be times when you wonder if something needs to be grounded at all.
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This episode is brought to you by Acmetools.com
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This episode is brought to you by Acmetools.com
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In this episode I cover an AFCI Troubleshooting flow chart.
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Today I’d like to cover 7 simple enclosure no no’s. Some of these are simple, some aren’t so well known, and some are an issue that you’ll run across because someone else was just too lazy to do it right the first time, and now you have to come behind them and fix it.
If you want to get your copy of the NEC out and follow along that would be wonderful. If not, you can pull it out later and take a look at some of the code references.
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You need to know where to properly lock out and tag out and also I cover some changes to the show!
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So I read a heartbreaking story about an accident that could have been easily prevented by some simple maintenance. I wanted to share it with you to demonstrate the importance of having proper pathways for current to flow, and how dangerous it can be if you don’t.
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So my buddy Will sent me a picture the other day that I reposted on Instagram. I’ve also put it in the show notes for this episode. But if you look closely, you can see an extremely dangerous situation inside of the fused disconnect.
You can see in the bottom of the box, 3 split bolts that are exposed. Not a single bit of tape or insulating material on them.
If you follow the conductors over, you can see that they go right into a breaker. He was smart enough to check them with his meter before he got into the box and what did he find? They were hot of course!
So what does the NEC say about splices such as this one? Let’s go to article 110.14(B)
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So today’s question is this: Can you use a circuit breaker as a switch? I bring this up because I heard a story today of a local woman using a breaker in her panel to turn her TV on and off to prevent the kids from watching it when they shouldn’t be.
Needless to say, the breaker won’t turn on anymore and she can’t turn her tv on because it was an old, hard to find breaker.
So, let’s go to the code.
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If you’ve been in the business of electricity for more than about a week then I’m sure you’ve heard the terms “Single phase” and “Three Phase”.
So, what do they mean?
A single-phase AC circuit has either one or two wires connected to the source of electricity. For 120 volts you have a “Hot” and a "neutral". The “hot” conductor is connected to the power source and the “neutral” or “grounded conductor” returns to the source.
For 240v you have two “hots” connected to the source. Even though you have two “hots”, it is still considered “single phase”.
So adding up the wires, you’ll have 2 hots and a neutral giving you a 120/240 single phase, 3 wire system.
So what about 3 phase?
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What is backfeeding?
The simplest explanation for backfeed is when power flows in the opposite direction from its usual flow or when voltage is present on a conductor or associated equipment after it has been disconnected from its normal source.
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In this episode I'll quickly cover several different types of grounding electrodes.
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Todays question was sent in by Mike D.
As I have been scouring the googles, trying to find topics of interest that would help out, I keep running into a fairly common question. It's easy to forget that what may seem common to one person, isn't so common to the next.
Especially to the apprentices that are just coming into the industry.
So I thought this appropriate as a refresher to some, and as fairly new information to others.
The question:
"What is the difference between MCM and KCMIL? Is it a regional thing or is there some difference that I'm missing?"
The short answer:
They are one and the same thing.
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Today’s episode is just a heads up, or a safety warning to all of you who might work alongside the utility company at some point in time.
On occasion, the utility company might require you to install what is called a bypass meter socket. In our area they require them to be installed on commercial or industrial buildings, and oddly enough, detached garages or shops if you aren’t running power to them from your house.
What is a bypass meter socket you might ask? Well, let me tell you. There are a few different kinds, but they all accomplish the same thing, which is, when the utility company pulls the meter out of the socket, they can bypass the meter socket and still allow electricity to flow from the line side to the load side and supply power to the shop, complex, or in today’s story, the furniture store.
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Here's today's question. What is the difference between lumens and watts?
In the world of lightbulbs, especially with incandescents, you were probably at one time, and maybe you still are, used to choosing your lightbulb by the wattage listed on the package.
The wattage gave you a decent indication of how bright the bulb was going to be. In a nut shell, the more watts, the brighter the bulb.
Now that LED’s are coming on strong, things have changed. An LED that uses 60 watts is no where close to a 60 watt incandescent. In fact, a 60-watt LED might just burn the retinas out of your face.
Because LEDs are designed to use less energy they will of course have a lower wattage rating. So now you don’t really want to use the watt rating for your brightness like you probably did before.
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I had the opportunity of speaking with an electrician who discovered what the NEC requirements were to change out a residence full of two wire non grounding type receptacles, to three wire, grounding type.
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This episode is an excerpt from a course I'm creating on understanding the NEC. This is just a quick overview of how the NEC is laid out for those that are unfamiliar with it. At first glance the NEC is a very intimidating piece of literature. And when you start reading it, it get’s even more scary because it reads like something only a legal expert would understand. That’s how it seems anyways. But once you get digging into it, you’ll find that it is organized in a very useful manner that flows well, if you have put a little time into actually understand how it is meant to be used.
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When trying to help someone decide what fixtures to use, we came across the designation "damp location" on the fixture spec sheet.
I thought this would be a great subject to touch on today.
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So I was talking with a project manager the other day and he was having trouble getting some submittals approved for a hotel.
One of the issues that came up was that the gear company wanted to know if the gear could be series rated to save some money or if it had to be fully rated.
The project manager had no idea what they were talking about and I was a little confused as to why he at least didn’t know at a basic level what the difference was.
So I thought I’d share with you today what the difference is, at least on a basic level.
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So why would this need to be put in the NEC?
Let’s just get into a little electrical theory for a minute.
When alternating current (ac) flows through a conductor, a magnetic field is created around that conductor which is constantly expanding and contracting with the amplitude of the current.
You know that the amplitude in the US is at a frequency of 60 cycles per second or 60 Hz.
Now, since Alternating Current reverses polarity 120 times per second, it stands to reason that the magnetic field also reverses its direction….. 120 times per second.
So why does that matter? Simple, the expanding and collapsing of the magnetic field induces something called eddy currents in the ferrous metal parts that surround the conductors.
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In todays episode we answer a question from Mike. He asks:
"I had a commercial job where the plans state 200 amp 3 phase 120/208-4wire exterior surface mount panel with 200 amp main breaker. I was told by 2 electrical companies that i needed a panel board (which was $750) and by 1 electrical comapny i can use a basic loadcenter ($280) which is correct?"
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Today I just wanted to bring you a couple of items to remember when doing a wire pull. There are four major things to remember:
1-Pull Evaluation
2- Conduit Proofing
3- Conduit entry and Exit
4- Lube
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