Should home run arrows point towards the panel?

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Should home run arrows point towards the panel?

  • I expect the arrow to point towards the panel, and the drawing would cause confusion if it does not.

    Votes: 2 6.5%

  • It is helpful if the arrow points towards the panel, but it would not slow me down if it does not.

    Votes: 8 25.8%

  • I never heard of this concept, and I don?t pay attention to the arrow?s direction.

    Votes: 21 67.7%

  • Other (please explain in a separate post).

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    31
  • Poll closed .
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charlie b

charlie b

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Semi-Retired Electrical Engineer
A coworker (and fellow old-timer) asked me this morning whether I believed that the arrow that is part of a ?home run? symbol on a floor plan should be pointing in the direction of the panel from which the load is to be served. I gave him my answer, which proved to be different than his. So I said I would post this poll.
 
I don't think it needs to be. That would just be more inconsistencies on the drawings when the arrow was "cantered" or "pointed incorrectly". I can hear it now... " I ran the home run in that direction because thats where the panel is supposed to be. Why is it the other direction? ArG!"
 
IMO the arrow direction is irrelevant. It just indicates that it's a home-run. Besides many times there will be more than one panel in a central location like an electrical closet so the arrows wouldn't indicate which panel you meant. :)
 
I was taught to always point the arrow at the panel. That's why it looks careless to me when I see the arrows going every which way. I know its an unofficial meaning - it doesn't say anywhere on the documents that the arrow points to anything, but it's a nice touch - like organizing your branch circuit numbers so that odd numbered circuits are on the left side of the hall and even numbers on the right. If you can't follow the rule, its no big deal, but you have to try.
 
JoeStillman said:
I was taught to always point the arrow at the panel. That's why it looks careless to me when I see the arrows going every which way. I know its an unofficial meaning - it doesn't say anywhere on the documents that the arrow points to anything, but it's a nice touch - like organizing your branch circuit numbers so that odd numbered circuits are on the left side of the hall and even numbers on the right. If you can't follow the rule, its no big deal, but you have to try.
Click to expand...

And if the panel is on a different floor? Then what?
 
What next lable conduits as to which way the electrons flow similar to that you see in a modern boiler room. :eek:hmy:
 
Transportation Guy said:
I can hear it now... " I ran the home run in that direction because thats where the panel is supposed to be. Why is it the other direction? ArG!"
Click to expand...

well, there is a curvy line with an arrow on one end of it on most prints.
that indicates it goes back to the panel.

if it isn't pointing towards the panel, then it's pointing towards the load.
there are only two ends to the curvy line... this end, and the other end.
 
There should be a J-box exactly where the arrow is?????

There should be a J-box exactly where the arrow is?????

On a large job.... typical school/ church commercial bldg

I was assigned to pull wire after another crew ran the pipe.
I could not follow the his pipe work, nor the logic of his reasoning.
Why was there a home run j-box in the middle of a large open area when all of the circuits ran down the hall? The pipework ran in no particular lines, Usually a 3/4 pipe would run down the hall attached in a straight line along structure puloins to the first circuit and so-on. Not so much on this job??

I finnally figured it out--- Wherever the arrow was drawn on the print, then thats where his first homerun jbox would be.. dispite being on the other side of the room. A pipe run would go past the first circuit (or three) then backwards following the curvy lines/arrows as they were drawn on the prints......


Dennis
 
rt66electric said:
I finnally figured it out--- Wherever the arrow was drawn on the print, then thats where his first homerun jbox would be.. dispite being on the other side of the room. A pipe run would go past the first circuit (or three) then backwards following the curvy lines/arrows as they were drawn on the prints......
Click to expand...


:jawdrop: . :slaphead: . :rant:
 
I thought home run arrows had gone out of style altogether. We should start another poll; who still connects loads with a line and who just puts the circuit number?
 
No. the arrow to me means home run to that particular circuit. I may or may not put the actual HR where the arrow is depending on what makes sense in real life.
 
JoeStillman said:
I was taught to always point the arrow at the panel. That's why it looks careless to me when I see the arrows going every which way. I know its an unofficial meaning - it doesn't say anywhere on the documents that the arrow points to anything, but it's a nice touch - like organizing your branch circuit numbers so that odd numbered circuits are on the left side of the hall and even numbers on the right. If you can't follow the rule, its no big deal, but you have to try.
Click to expand...

I was taught the same thing. Maybe something common 25 years ago.
 
The truth is, I very seldom pay attention to the arrows or slashes, I am only concerned with the circuit number(s), the way I pipe it may or may not be close to what is shown on drawings.

Even when involved with BIM projects it is basically the same, even with the modeling, in the end it still comes down to the as-builts.

Roger
 
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