electrical terminology

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newgirl1

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I am new to electricity but I'm old.. I did nothing but low voltage for years and now I've moved into high voltage and I have so many questions .. where do you think I can start.. I'm not green but I'm barely a novice... What is a tap.. What does it mean to be tapped? What is a mast and what is a branch circuit?: I think the branch circuit is from the panel to the device to the switch ... am I right? Is there some place that I can see pictures of these things? I do know Ohms Law and Im reading one of Mikes books now.. Help

newgirl1
 
Re: electrical terminology

Wondering how you "move into high voltage" without much background in it. Are you doing this kind of work for an electrical contractor or as an in-house electrician (industrial, institutional, etc.)? If so, I would hope they have some kind of training program. Higher voltage work has a lot more opportunities for you to get hurt, especially if you are "barely a novice" like you say. Safety has to be your top priority, and the best way to achieve that is through training/knowledge.

Anyway, some of the terms you are interested in are defined formally in the NEC. "Tap" is not one of them. As far as I can tell, a tap is when you use a smaller wire to tap into the current of a larger wire. Article 240 of the NEC has a fair number of sections where taps are discussed. I don't use them, but I imagine a lot of electricians do.

A mast is the conduit above the meter, up to the service head. Sometimes these go through the roof, sometimes not.

A branch circuit is pretty much what you think it is. A circuit contains one or more outlets (points on the circuit that use current, e.g., lights, receptacles). They are called branch circuits because they "branch out" from the panel. Branch circuits are protected by circuit breakers or fuses.

Mike Holt's books are a good source of information on these things. You might also want to consult the NEC Handbook (not the code book), since the Handbook contains a lot of illustrations along side the code.
 
Re: electrical terminology

Based on your questions, I would say that you have a long way to go, at least in terms of basic terms and phrases for electrical installations.

For starters, there are many interpretations of "low voltage," as compared to "high voltage." The phrase ?low voltage? has no meaning, unless it is used in some context that describes the equipment under consideration. In my type of work (power systems engineering), I use the terms ?High Voltage? to mean ?over 25,000 volts,? and ?Medium Voltage? to mean ?more than 600 volts and less than 25,000 volts,? and finally ?Low Voltage? to mean ?600 volts or below.? On the other hand, to people who work on security, fire alarm, and communications systems, the phrase ?Low Voltage? would certainly mean less than 120 volts, but can mean different numbers to different people.

So I just suggest that you always take care to verify that the person you are talking to will interpret the phrase ?Low Voltage? in the same context as you.

Following are some general (i.e., not precise) definitions:
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  • <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A "service" is from the utility to the main panel inside the building.</font>
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  • <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A "feeder" is from one panel to another panel.</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>
  • <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A "branch circuit" is from a panel to an item of "utilization equipment." That could mean a motor, or it could mean a receptacle outlet. But it includes wiring beyond the switch.</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>
  • <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A "Tap" is a connection of a wire to another wire.</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>
  • <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">A "mast" is a conduit attached to a building, leading up to the point at which the utility wires are brought into the building.</font>
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Re: electrical terminology

Welcome to the trade! You should start out working for an electrical contractor as an apprentice. I am sure some of the knowledge you have already will apply. Just be patient and learn from others. You can also apply to an apprenticeship program if there is one in your area.
 
Re: electrical terminology

some of the terms you are interested in are defined formally in the NEC. "Tap" is not one of them.
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Jeff, please take a look at 240.2. Panel 10 defined it for their own use and it was considered for the entire Code but ran into problems.

"Tap Conductors. As used in this article [Article 240, C.E.], a tap conductor is defined as a conductor, other than a service conductor, that has overcurrent protection ahead of its point of supply that exceeds the value permitted for similar conductors that are protected as described elsewhere in 240.4."
 
Re: electrical terminology

Newgirl1, I'm not really sure what a project coordinator does. I would assume that you are more on the paper work side of the business and will not be spending time in the field. It would be helpful if you would describe the nature of the company that you are working for( residential, commercial, industrial, construction, maintenance, power quality, controls, utilities). It's going to be hard for anyone to recommend books that will help until the field is a little more narrow. I would suggest that you first try to learn the terms that you will use on a daily basis and then pick up the rest as you go along.
 
Re: electrical terminology

Newgirl1 welcome as a project cordinator it sounds like you have gone from the fastest changing trade of low voltage communication to the slower pace of general wiring again we need to know what type residential, commercial and or industrial. A suggestion since the community colleges are about to begin check and see what they have in the electrical field. Also keep on looking at the post on this forum for surly you probably help us out on low voltage questions. And good luck.
 
Re: electrical terminology

Newgirl1,

Consider the American Electricians Handbook. The most current is the 14th Edition.

After my first NEC, this was the next really helpful book that I picked up. Look for the book at Amazon and/or eBay.

Welcome to the Forum. :)
 
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