Basic Electrical Wiring

Electrical Safety
"Shocking Statistics“

 There are approximately 290 accidental electrocutions each year.

 An additional 800 people die in fires caused by faulty electrical

systems every year.

 Thousands are shocked and burned as the result of accidental

contact with electricity every year.

 An estimated $1.2 billion in property damage occurs each year due

to faulty use of electricity.
 Electricity
 Electricity is the flow of electrons in a
conductor.

 The electrons must have a path to and

from its source.

 This path is called a circuit.

 Electricity
 Various electrical devices are used as a
part of the circuit.

 These devices are used for a variety of

activities, such as turning the electricity off
and on, providing electricity to various
lights or appliances, etc.
 Types of Electrical Currents
 Electrical current comes in two forms:
– Direct current (DC)
Flows in only one direction.
It is usually generated by battery-base electrical
systems and used in the electrical systems of
internal combustion engines or flashlight batteries.
– Alternating current (AC)
Reverses the direction of flow of current many
times each second.
AC is the type used in homes, factories, etc.
 Electrical Service
 Service is provided to homes, businesses
and other small users of electricity by
three wires from a utility pole.

 The wires are “hot,” each carrying 230

volts.

 The other wire is “neutral,” and provides

the return path for electricity.
 Electrical Service (cont.)
 These wires are connected to a service
entrance, which is where the electricity
enters a building.

 A meter is used in the service entrance to

measure the amount of electricity being
used.
 Electrical Service (cont.)
 The service entrance is grounded with a
wire connected to a ground rod driven
several feet into the ground.

 It is needed to provide a return path to the

ground and to carry away stray electrical
current out of the system.
 Service Panel
 Follows the meter.

 It houses the circuit

breakers for the
system and is used to
distribute the power to
individual circuits
throughout the
system.
 Overcurrent
 When a circuit uses too much electricity, an
overcurrent causes a circuit breaker to trip,
shutting down the power to that circuit.

 The excessive heat caused by an overcurrent

condition may burn or damage a conductor’s
insulation and cause a fire.

 A circuit breaker is a heat-sensitive switch,

which automatically trips when electricity
demand is too great which causes the
temperature in the conductor to get too hot.
 Amps Volts Watts
The following relationship exists
between Amps, Volts and Watts.
 Amperes are a measure of the rate of flow
of electricity in a conductor.

 Volts are a measure of electrical pressure.

 Watts are a measure of the amount of

energy or work that can be done by
amperes and volts.
 Identify and draw various symbols
used in drawing wiring diagrams or
schematics.

What symbols are used in drawing various

electrical devices?

In order to successfully draw a wiring circuit

on paper, one needs to use various symbols
that represent the equipment.
Cable Types
 Cable Types

One is 14/2 with ground, which has one

black conductor, one white conductor, and
a bare ground conductor.
 Cable Types (cont.)
A third type of cable is 14/3 with ground,
which has one black conductor, one white
conductor, one red conductor, and one
bare ground conductor.
 Additional symbols are used
to identify terminals and
indicate if wires are spliced or
just crossing over.
Symbols (cont.)
Symbols (cont.)

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External cap made of tough, durable polypropylene.
Threaded entry helps guide large wire bundles into the
spring chamber. Unique copper-coated spring helps
resist corrosion. Approved for circuits up to 600 V, and
lighting fixtures and sings up to 1,000 V.
 Diagramming

 Generally, black and red conductors

carry “hot” power or current from the
source to the devices within the
circuit.

 The white conductor is always used to

carry the current back to the source.
Two and Three wire
How to wire a receptacle
All receptacles should be wired such that
the hot or live (black) lead is connected to
a specific side of the outlet, and the neutral
(white) lead to the other.