Abbreviations explained or Code broken.

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Here's another:s "air conditioning required for FACP room? Historically, the companies in Florida I've worked for have always done it; however, we have a building owner who wants to use dehumidifiers instead of A/C. I am not finding a Code that covers this" FACP
 
DABBREVIATIONS





Click Here for wire insulation types and letter designation




AC- Armored Clad (cable Type AKA BX)
AFCI – Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter
AHJ – Authority Having Jurisdiction
AHU - Air Handling Unit (as in, Air Conditioning)
AIC – Amps Interrupting Capability
AC - usually Air Conditioning; also Armored Cable, Alternating Current
AFAIK - As far as I know
AFAICT - As far as I can tell
BTW - By The Way
CB – Circuit Breaker
CCC - Current Carrying Conductor
CMP - Code Making Panel
DIY – Do It Yourself
EC – Electrical Contractor
EGC – Equipment Grounding Conductor
EMT- Electrical Metallic Tubing
ENT- Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing
ESI - Electricians Success International - an organization
FAP (FACP) - Fire Alarm (Control) Panel
FLA – Full Load Amps
FMC- Flexible Metal Conduit
FMT- Flexible Metal Tubing
FWIW - For What It's Worth
GC – General Contractor
GEC – Grounding Electrode Conductor
GFCI – Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
GFI – Ground Fault Interrupter (technically GFCI)
GFPE - Ground Fault Protection of Equipment- This is for protection to equipment not personnel
HI - Home Inspector
HO – Home Owner
HVAC – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
IIRC - If I Recall Correctly
IMC- Intermediate Metal Conduit
IMHO – In My Humble Opinion
IMO – In My Opinion (used by those who are not humble)
IOW - In Other Words
KVA - kilo-volt-amps
KW - kilo-watt
LABCPB - Lighting & Appliance Branch Circuit Panelboard (408.34)
LFMC- Liquidtight Flexible Metal Conduit
LMAO – (I'll not translate this one)
LFNC- Liquidtight Flexible Nonmetallic Conduit
LOL – Laughing Out Loud
LOTO - Lock Out Tag Out
LRA – Locked Rotor Amps
MC- Metal Clad (cable type)
MCA- Minimum Circuit Ampacity
MCB – Main Circuit Breaker




MCC – Motor Control Center
MDP - Main Distribution Panelboard
MI- Mineral Insulated (Cable Type)
MLO – Main Lugs Only
MOCP- Maximum Over Current Protection
MV- Medium Voltage (Cable Type)
MWBC - Multiwire Branch Circuit (see definition in Article 100)
NEC – National Electrical Code
NECH - NEC Handbook
NEMA = National Electrical Manufacturers' Association
NETA – National Electrical Testing Association




NFPA – National Fire Protection Association
NM- Non Metallic (cable Type) There are different types-- NM-B, NMC, NMS
OCP – Overcurrent Protection
OCPD – Overcurrent Protection Device
OP – Original Poster (i.e., the person who started the thread)
OTOH – On the Other Hand
POCO – Power Company
PPE – Personal Protection Equipment
PV- Photovoltaic
PVC- Rigid Polyvinyl Chloride Conduit
RCI - Residual Current Interrupter (like GFPE, but European)
RMC_ Rigid Metal Conduit
ROP- Report on Proposals
RTU - Roof Top Unit (as in, air conditioning)
ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing
SA (SABC) – Small Appliance (as in "SA Branch Circuit")
SDS - Separately Derived System
SFD- Single Family Dwelling
SE- Service Entrance
SEU (3 wire SE cable) - service entrance ungrounded
SER (4 wire SE cable)- service entrance round
TC- Tray Cable
UF- Underground Feeder and Branch Circuit (Cable Type)
UL – Underwriter's Laboratory
URD - A cable assembly with no outer sheath, composed of three or more conductors of USE for direct burial.
USE - See Article 338- underground service entrance
VFD- Variable Frequency Drive (could be Volunteer Fire Department too)
WTG - Way to go
List compiled by Charlie Beck, with help from
 
tadavidson said:
I took this one from a post I was reading this morning.
"I found a similarly miswired panel in a 4-panel PDU w/xfmr. The electrician who wired it knew better, but was distracted or tunnel-visioned. He later admitted to it, but never explained why (to me, anyway).

Technically, it was a violation. The SDS originated in the same enclosure and the SBJ termination is inches away, but the EGC's and neutrals were swapped around to make it right. "

What is PDU and SDS?
Click to expand...

I'll admit that I considered the abbreviation PDU (Power Distribution Unit) might not be clear to all readers, but I felt the definition wouldn't really explain what it is to someone who doesn't know already. IT (Information Technology) guys call RPT's (Relocatable Power Tap) PDU's, even though everyone else calls them "plug strips."

There are clues in the context. The abbreviations following PDU should be known by heart by all NEC (National Electric Code) governed electricians.

xfmr: Transformer (The source of the SDS) Art 450
SDS: Separately Derived System (which is referenced to ground with the SBJ) 250.20(D)
SBJ: System Bonding Jumper (which is at the crux of the OP (Original Post))250.30(A)(1)
EGC: Equipment Grounding Conductor Art 250 Part VI

If anyone reading this does commercial electrical work, you will be well served to read Art 250 and know precisely how to install (and explain how you installed) grounded electrical systems. I will also endeavor to explain my experience in clearer fashion.

Sorry, all my code references are from 2008.
 
Working in I&C at a WW plant I run into RTFM all the time with my operators.

I&C - Instrumentation and Controls

WW - waste water (yes it's nasty all the time, I have "product" on all my tools all the time)

RTFM- please read the manual/instructions before calling me in at 3 in the morning.
 
jeremysterling said:
I'll admit that I considered the abbreviation PDU (Power Distribution Unit) might not be clear to all readers, but I felt the definition wouldn't really explain what it is to someone who doesn't know already. IT (Information Technology) guys call RPT's (Relocatable Power Tap) PDU's, even though everyone else calls them "plug strips."

There are clues in the context. The abbreviations following PDU should be known by heart by all NEC (National Electric Code) governed electricians.

xfmr: Transformer (The source of the SDS) Art 450
SDS: Separately Derived System (which is referenced to ground with the SBJ) 250.20(D)
SBJ: System Bonding Jumper (which is at the crux of the OP (Original Post))250.30(A)(1)
EGC: Equipment Grounding Conductor Art 250 Part VI

If anyone reading this does commercial electrical work, you will be well served to read Art 250 and know precisely how to install (and explain how you installed) grounded electrical systems. I will also endeavor to explain my experience in clearer fashion.

Sorry, all my code references are from 2008.
Click to expand...

I got all but the two I mentioned at the end.
 
Saturn_Europa said:
Working in I&C at a WW plant I run into RTFM all the time with my operators.

I&C - Instrumentation and Controls

WW - waste water (yes it's nasty all the time, I have "product" on all my tools all the time)

RTFM- please read the manual/instructions before calling me in at 3 in the morning.
Click to expand...

RTFM, NTF. (Addressed above in previous comments)
 
tadavidson said:
I got all but the two I mentioned at the end.
Click to expand...

While at work, I'll use the following abbr. frequently in service related writing

FBO Furnished by owner/other
CKT Circuit
RT Round Trip
KO Knock-out
P8 Single gang plastic duplex trim plate => P88, P1, P11, etc.
=> Therefore
~ Approximately
MH Metal Halide
HW Heavy Wall
SOS Stand Off Strap
OHS One Hole Strap => 1" HW OHS
SMS Sheet Metal Screw => #8X1" waferhead SMS
PB Plastic Bushing


I have a lot of shorthand for material that is a hodgepodge of abbreviations, trade name, and catalog reference. It must make sense to my boss because he rarely asks me to clarify.
 
I once visited an old time AT&T engineer in his office and noticed a bound 40 page book of abbreviations.
On the cover it was labelled
"Bell Environment Acronym Report -- Human User Guide
(BEAR HUG)"

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tadavidson said:
Hi All, I have been reading through threads from many varied topics. One thing I notice is the vast abbreviations used. I've searched the archives and haven't found a listing for them. Some I've deciphered some have left me smh.\ ;) If you who read this would be so kind to comment with a list of the abbreviations mcu (most commonly used) I think it would be helpful to many who visit this site. Thanks and MC (Merry Christmas)
Click to expand...


Rule of thumb, if you cannot find an explanation of abbreviation in a Google search that is clear enough from context, then don't use it without explaining it.
 
I got out of military before the internet exploded, but back then the military had to be the king of acronyms. Almost impossible to have even a brief conversation without using at least one acronym as an every day word.
 
kwired said:
I got out of military before the internet exploded, but back then the military had to be the king of acronyms. Almost impossible to have even a brief conversation without using at least one acronym as an every day word.
Click to expand...

Which were more common in the military? Acronyms like NATO, or non-acronym initialisms like VCR?
 
Carultch said:
Which were more common in the military? Acronyms like NATO, or non-acronym initialisms like VCR?
Click to expand...

Take your pick. About 90% of equipment seemed to have a long name as the official name or description for that equipment, but usually had a shortened every day name that was typically an initialism of some sort.

Same could be said for tasks, operating procedures, etc. That is just names that are more or less officially recognized by the DOD (department of defense). In the field there are many others that are more or less slang, but pretty common.

Been away long enough I kind of forget them, but if you used some of those terms in conversation they would come back to me.

Here is a link to some that are both official and non official terms

EDIT: That link was probably mostly slang type terms, this one is a much bigger list and most are probably recognized by the DOD and not just in the field
 
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tadavidson said:
Hi All, I have been reading through threads from many varied topics. One thing I notice is the vast abbreviations used. I've searched the archives and haven't found a listing for them. Some I've deciphered some have left me smh.\ ;) If you who read this would be so kind to comment with a list of the abbreviations mcu (most commonly used) I think it would be helpful to many who visit this site. Thanks and MC (Merry Christmas)
Click to expand...

I've found it quite frustrating myself!

MCTYT!
AAHNY.
 
What I want to know is what's the mnemonic for helping you remember how to spell "mnemonic"? :D
 
ggunn said:
What I want to know is what's the mnemonic for helping you remember how to spell "mnemonic"? :D
Click to expand...

Whomever thought that initial silent consonants were a good idea, never anticipated the concept of the dictionary. How do I look up what numonia is, when I can't find it in the N-section?
 
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Carultch said:
Whomever thought that initial silent consonants were a good idea, never anticipated the concept of the dictionary. How do I look up what numonia is, when I can't find it in the N-section?
Click to expand...
These days you just Google and it will cross reference common misspellings and typos.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
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