Electrical Books

[DBoone]

Stopped by the library today and while I was there I thought I would check out their electrical books. I looked through "Popular Mechanics Home Wiring", "Black & Decker Basic Wiring", "Ortho All About Wiring Basics" to name a few.

I was particularly interested to read the sections pertaining to Grounding. It left me shaking my head. Phrases like:

"When a ground fault occurs, electricity is drained off through the water service and dissipates in the surrounding soil."

"The earth has a unique ability to absorb the electrons of electrical current. In the event of a short circuit or overload, any excess electricity will find its way along the grounding wire to the earth, where it becomes harmless."

"There should be a thick ground wire, usually bare copper but perhaps green or white insulated wire, attached to the neutral bus bar that leads out of the service panel. This is the main ground wire. It must lead deep into the ground in order to safely carry away any excess electricity."

And here is one more that isn't "grounding" related but just as ridiculous as the others I mentioned.

"Most lights use thin wires. If a light is protected by a breaker or fuse that is 20-amps or greater, it's wires can hear up dangerously before the breaker trips or the fuse blows. For this reason, lights are often put on seperate 15-amp circuits."

How does stuff like this get published...:blink:

 

[just the cowboy]

Sound like a WAY BACK WHEN book:lol: Fairy tale

 

[DBoone]

Sound like a WAY BACK WHEN book:lol: Fairy tale

I looked at the copyright dates and they were 1990, 2000 and 2006.

 

[zbang]

How? Because the editors and publishers usually consider the author to be, well, an authority on the subject. Unless the publisher has an engineering background, like Wiley or Audel, they're going to assume the writer is correct.

 

[DBoone]

How? Because the editors and publishers usually consider the author to be, well, an authority on the subject. Unless the publisher has an engineering background, like Wiley or Audel, they're going to assume the writer is correct.

You would think eventually the truth would prevail over myth....the publisher would be contacted "hey your book has bad info in it...here's how electricity really works, here's the information to back up what I'm telling you." From that point forward that line of books prints correct info then go to the next publisher and do the same thing.

Eventually most books (hopefully all books) would give correct info, readers would receive correct info, said correct info would be spread by word of mouth until eventually the myths would be long gone.

I don't know... I'm just mind boggled at what is out there.

 

[J.P.]

I learned from that book. it is a veritable fount of electrical knowledge and practical application.











It serves me well wrangling carts at walmart.