Electrical

Electrical#

Table of Contents#

Equipment

  • 1-inch drill bit

  • cable runner

  • glasses

  • gloves, [ insulating/non-conducting, cut-resistant ]

  • screw driver [ insulating/non-conducting torque ]

  • zip ties

testers

  • clamp meter

  • digital multimeter (DMM)

  • receptacle or outlet tester (RT)

    • AFCI

    • GFCI

    • trip

brands

  • [ h ] Ideal

  • [ h ] Klein

  • Amperage (ammeter)

  • Continuity

  • Resistance (Impedance)

  • Voltage (voltmeter)

    • Hot-to-neutral: 120 V(should match hot-to-ground reading)

    • Hot-to-ground: 120 V (should match hot-to-neutral reading)

    • Neutral-to-ground: 0 V (they should be bonded together at the electrical service panel)

  • Wattage

Battery#

  • [ w ] Button Cell

Over Voltage (Surge) Protection#

Power Strip / Surge Protector

  • Clamping Voltage

  • Joule rating

Surge-Protective Device (SPD)

  • Surge Arrestor

    • Article 280 (>=1000 volts)

  • Surge Protector

    • Article 285 (<1000 volts)

  • Type

    • Type 1 - line-or-load (utility-side, panel)

    • Type 2 - load (panel)

    • Type 3 - point-of-use

    • Type 4 - manufacturer-integrated

Brands

  • [ h ] APC

  • [ h ] CyberPower

  • [ h ] Schneider

  • [ h ] Tripp Lite

  • [ h ] Ugreen

YouTube

  • [ y ] 01-21-2024. James Gatlin. “How to use a multimeter like a pro, the ultimate guide”.

  • [ y ] 10-08-2022. “How To Install a Surge Protector in Main Panel - Best SPD Location & NEC Type 1, 2, 3, & 4 Explained”.

  • [ y ] 12-22-2021. Electric Pro Academy. “Protecting My Whole Home From Electrical Surge”.

  • [ y ] 12-21-2020. Electrician U. “SURGE PROTECTORS (SPDs) - What They Are, How They Work, What You Need To Know”.

  • [ y ] 10-14-2015. Techquickie. “Surge Protectors As Fast As Possible”.

Smart Panel#

Panel

  • [ h ] EcoFlow

  • [ h ] Leviton Load Center

  • [ h ] Lumin

  • [ h ] Span

YouTube

  • [ y ] 01-09-2024. Electric Pro Academy. “The Best Smart Sub-Panel We’ve Ever Installed”.

  • [ y ] 09-28-2022. Electric Pro Academy. “An Electrical Panel Installation, But Sexier”.

  • EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra

    • [ y ] 11-11-2023. Everyday Solar. “Hands-On with EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra | Raising the Bar for Power Stations”.

    • [ y ] 01-09-2024. JOHNNY’S WEEKENDS. “EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra Should you Buy? Pricing and more”.

Smart Power Strip#

Brands

  • [ h ] Eve

  • [ h ] Kasa

Smart Relay#

  • [ y ] 10-10-2023. Automate Your Life. “How To Use Smart Relays - 101 (Featuring The NEW Aqara Relay Module T2)”.

Uninterruptible Power Supply#

  • [ article ] 01-02-2024. PC Gamer. “The best UPS battery backup for PC gaming in 2024”.

Brands

  • [ h ] APC

  • [ h ] CyberPower

  • [ h ] Eaton

  • [ h ] Tripp Lite

  • [ h ] Vertiv

Resources#

YouTube

  • [ y ] American Electrician

  • [ y ] Everyday Home Repairs

    • [ y ] 06-09-2023. “Why The Clamp Meter Is The Only Tester You Need | Pros and DIYers”.

  • [ y ] Electric Pro Academy

  • [ y ] Electrician U

    • [ y ] 07-04-2022. “All the Tools Apprentice Electricians ABSOLUTELY Need!”.

    • [ y ] 06-15-2022. “Every Insulated Tool Electricians Need!!!”.

    • [ y ] 03-15-2021. “4 Basic Electrical Testers & HOW TO USE THEM”.

    • [ y ] 09-11-2019. “Episode 42 - APPRENTICE TOOLS - 13 Tools Apprentice Electricians Need To Have”.

  • Other

    • [ y ] 12-18-2020. Benjamin Sahlstrom. “Why Neutrals & Grounds are Connected in a Main Panel”.

    • [ y ] 04-01-2023. How To Home. “7 FATAL Wiring Mistakes Most DIYers Don’t Know They Are Making | Most Are Guilty of 3”.

Terms#

Code

  • Article 240 - Over Current Protection

  • Article 242 - Over Voltage Protection

Terms

  • [ w ] Arc Fault

  • [ w ] Circuit Breaker

  • [ w ] Circuit Total Limitation (CTL)

  • [ w ] Control System

  • [ w ] Distribution Board (Electrical Panel, Service Panel)

  • [ w ] Electric Power Distribution

  • [ w ] Electric Utility

  • [ w ] Fuse

  • [ w ] Ground Fault

  • [ w ] National Electric Code (NEC)

  • [ w ] Over-Current Protection

  • [ w ] Over-Voltage (Surge) Protection

  • [ w ] Short Circuit

  • [ w ] Surge Protection Device (SPD)

  • [ w ] Transient Voltage Surge Suppression (TVSS) (Surge Protection Device)

  • [ w ] Underwriters Laboratories

Notes#

Electrical Wire

  • Aluminum

  • Copper

How to cutout rectangular hole in wall for electrical box?

Electrical Companies#

  • ABB (ITE MV Medium Voltage?)

  • Schneider Electric (Square D)

  • Siemens (ITE LV Low Voltage?)

Old Electrical Companies#

  • ABB < Brown-Boveri + ASEA

  • Ferraz/Shawmut < Gould/Shawmut + Carbone Ferraz ?

  • FPE Federal Pacific Electrical/Stab-Loc (1950s-1980s)

    • circuit breakers don’t trip

  • ITE (Siemens)

    • 1890s founded by Cutter Electrical & Manufacturing Co. of Philadelphia

    • 1928 name changed to ITE Circuit Breaker Co.

    • 1950s merged with Bull Dog Electric Company in Detroit

    • 1968 merged with Imperial-Eastman; name changed to ITE Imperial

    • 1973/6? purchased by Gould Co.

    • 1982/3? purchased by Siemens AG

    • ITE stands for Inverse Time Element

  • Zinsco/GTE-Sylvania (1970s)

    • circuit breakers melt and bond to the main panel

Circuit Breaker#

Thermal Magnetic vs Hydraulic Magnetic

  • Thermal Magnetic Breaker

  • Hydraulic Magnetic Breaker

  • Thermal or Hydraulic Element protects against gradual increase in resistive load

  • Magnetic Element protects against short circuit

Inverse Time vs Instantaneous Time

  • Inverse Time Breaker

  • Instantaneous Time Breaker

Kinds of Breaker

  • MCB Miniature Circuit Breaker

  • MCCB Molded-Case Circuit Breaker

  • Shunt Trip Breaker

  • AFCI Arc Fault Circuit Interruptor

    • series arcs only

  • Combination AFCI Arc Fault Circuit Interruptor

    • series + parallel arcs

  • GFCI Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor

    • current transformer

Smart Breaker vs Dumb Breaker

Circuit Breaker Technology#

  • pre ITE, spring-loaded switch + fuse element

  • ITE Inverse Time Element

    • Hydraulic Shock Absorber

    • Bimetal Steps ?

    • Inverse Time-Current Trip Curve

Contents