If you plan on doing some electrical wiring, the size of the wire to use is going to become an issue. Here is a quick guide on how the wire is classified.

The American Wire Gauge (AWG), also known as the “Brown and Sharpe” wire gauge system is a standard used in the United States and other countries to denote the diameter of nonferrous electrically conducting wire. There are 40 different wire sizes in the AWG system.

As the number of the gauge size increases, the diameter of the wire decreases. This tends to cause confusion when the system is not understood. The reason for the backwards method of denoting the size is that it is based on the number of times the wire must be drawn through drawing dies to produce the smaller size. Thus a 22 gauge wire needs to be drawn through the die more times than a 0 gauge wire. Steel wire uses a completely different measuring system and should not be confused with electrically conducting wire gauges using AWG.

The larger size gauges are denoting by the use of zeros. 0000 wire is normally denoted as 4/0 wire. 4/0 wire has a diameter of 0.58 inches. The smallest size is 40 gauge which has a diameter of 0.0032 inches. It takes six size increases to double the diameter of the wire. Although the ratio is not exact, it is close. The 40 gauge diameter of 0.0032 inches increases to 0.0063 inches in 36 gauge wire.

Each AWG gauge size can be rated for a maximum number of amps of load that it can safely carry. This is called the ampicity of the wire. It is depended on several variable factors such as the type of insulation, ambient conditions where the wire is being used, and the length of the wire run. Proper wire sizing is of utmost importance. An overload of the wire’s ampicity would cause the generation of heat. Although copper or aluminum wire would take a large amount of heat before melting, the wire insulation would melt much quicker. This would increase the possibility of arching and a subsequent wire hazard.

In other parts of the world, the metric system is used and the AWG gauge system is not used. The metric wire measuring system uses the cross sectional area expressed in square millimeters. The cross sectional area is used rather than diameter because it is a better reflection of the load carrying capacity of the wire. The metric system and the AWG system do not match up exactly. This difference is more pronounced in certain size ranges and leads to problems when the wiring is a mix of AWG and metric sized wires.

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An electrical arc is one of the more power packed events you will find. Controlled, it can be very useful. Uncontrolled, the risks of the arc are practically unlimited.

An electrical arc is defined as the jumping of an electrical current through a non-conducting element such as air or gas. When an arc occurs, the resulting voltage is quite high creating a great deal of heat. Controlled arcing is used to cut or melt metals. An arc welder is an example of controlled arcing. A lightening bolt is an example of uncontrolled arcing. The tremendous amount of energy and voltage contained in a lightening bolt illustrates the danger of an arc. An uncontrolled arc can also occur in a home wiring system or within the wiring of an appliance. This situation has a great potential for damage.

The actual physics behind the arc is quite complicated and has to do with the conductive and insulating properties of gas and air. Although air is normally a good insulator, when air is stressed by sudden high voltage, it can break down and become conductive causing a sudden electrical current flow. This process is called electrical breakdown. Again, controlled electrical breakdown is used quite often. The spark plug of an automobile is another example. When the controlled arc is of very low pressure, it can be used in several beneficial ways such as exciting the gas in a fluorescent lamp.

In an uncontrolled event, such as a short in an exposed wire or a failure of insulation, the sudden increase in voltage is controlled by a circuit breaker. The purpose of the circuit breaker is to open when a certain voltage limit is exceeded. This effectively stops the flow of electricity completely and will keep an arc from forming or continuing. If the circuit breaker fails, however, an arc forms. The extreme heat generated by the arc will melt insulation, damage components and worst of all; will create a serious fire hazard. Even the smallest arc has the potential to generate sufficient heat to ignite any nearby flammable substance.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that in 1997 there were 40,300 home fires caused by arcing from bad extension cords, faulty outlets, frayed wires, or loose electrical connections. These fires resulted in 230 deaths, 1,300 injuries, and 687.3 million dollars of property damage. These figures point out the need for inspections and testing of electrical wiring and connections within the home. It is of utmost importance to maintain a home electrical system. This includes properly working and properly rated circuit breakers. It is also important to follow common sense electrical advice such as not overloading outlets and extensions cords.

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Working with the power components of your house requires the right tools. This is not an area of home improvement or repair where you want to wing it.

Electrical contractors and electricians have their special tools of the trade. The tools needed for an electrical contractor fall into three major categories. They are basic wiring tools, system installation tools, and testing equipment. The basic tool kit of the electrician will contain many tools common to mechanical, plumbing, and household tool kits.

Screwdrivers and wrenches are needed, although the sizes tend to be smaller for an electricians tool kit than for the other trades. One special piece of equipment in the electrician’s tool box is the combination wire stripper/cutter. This special tool is used in the preparation for wiring. The typical stripper has grooves for most common wire sizes. The end of the wire is inserted in the groove and the stripper is closed. When the wire is pulled out of the groove, the insulation will be removed leaving the underlying wire exposed. The combination tool also is a wire cutter.

Installation tools are more expensive and not normally found in the average tool collection. These include special tools for bending and cutting conduit and tools designed for breaking through wall surfaces for the insertion of conduit. Another group of contractor tools enables the electrician to “pull” wire through enclosed areas. These are cable pulling or fish taping systems used in wiring.

Testing equipment is an important part of the contractor’s tool assortment. There is a wide variety of testing equipment. The most common is the Digital multimeter. There was a time when a multimeter was something you would only expect a trained electrician to understand, but the digital multimeter is now something that actually belongs in just about any home tool box. The most common function of the multimeter is to test circuit integrity. This is done by disconnecting power from an appliance and touching the negative and positive probes of the multimeter to each end of the circuit. If the resistance reading is zero, it indicates that the circuit is intact and will handle a current flow. The multimeter can test simple light bulbs in this manner. In the hands of an electrician, the multimeter can test much more than simple current.

A final group of equipment for an electrical contractor is safety related equipment. Electrical work has a high potential of danger. Safety equipment is the most important part of any electrician’s tool kit. Safety equipment includes eye protection, electrician’s gloves, and tagging equipment to insure that equipment is disconnected while work is being performed

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Light Emitting Diode, which is conveniently called as LED lights in electronic term is a semi conductor light that emits light as soon as an electric current is applied to it. They are extensively used as indicator lights on electronic devices and also in higher power applications as in case of flashlights and area lighting. As per the technological methodology, an LED is a light source which can be infrared, visible or ultra violet. The color is determined by the composition and condition of the semi conducting material used. Discovered in the year 1907 by H.J Round, a British experimenter, earlier these bulbs were used as replacements for incandescent indicators only.

Methodology

The white color of the LED bulbs come from a narrow band blue that is emitted naturally by GaN LEDs. The yellow on the other hand is generated by a phosphor coating on the die which absorbs a proportion of the blue and converts it to yellow. These GaN die are able to produce operational wavelengths from green to ultraviolet by varying the relative amounts of indium and gallium during production. When electric applied in the forward direction of the device it results in a form of electro luminescence where incoherent and narrow-spectrum light is discharged from the p-n junction in a solid state material.

Advantages

LED technology has taken the world to a whooping stage of development as it is very useful in conservation of energy and pollution. Some of the important advantages of the bulb are -

1. LED lights are more efficient when compared to the conventional bulbs and tube lights. They produce more light per watt against an incandescent bulb and this facet makes it very useful when used in battery powered or energy-saving devices.

2. This technology has the capacity of emitting various colors of light without the use of colors filters that traditional lighting methods require, thus saving initial costs.

3. Due to their small size, they can be easily placed and they also light up very quickly and achieve full brightness in microseconds.

4. These LED light have a better cycling life as compare to incandescent bulbs and also radiate much less heat in the process of switching on and off.

5. They have a better life span around 35,000 to 50,000 hours of useful life and LEDs mostly fail by dimming over time, rather than the abrupt burn-out of incandescent bulbs as in comparison to incandescent lights.

6. These lights are shock resistant and the solid package of the LED can be designed to focus its light. The fact that they are non toxic (do not contain mercury) also favors the application of these bulbs.

Disadvantages

However, withstanding all the advantages, there are certain short comings faced by these LED lights as well. they are listed below -

1. As compared to incandescent bulbs the LEDs are much more expensive and its execution largely depends on the ambient temperature of the operating environment. They require adequate heat sinking in order to make it more durable.

2. These LEDs are also voltage sensitive and one needs to be vigilant as they involve series of resistors or current-regulated power supplies. As they work on the mechanism of area light source, it becomes difficult for them to operate in spherical light field.

3. Of recent it is being observed by the scientists that blue and cool white LEDs emit blue light hazard that is unsafe for eyes. The cool white LED lights should not be used for outdoor lighting near astronomical observatories. Together these lights have certain limitations that are termed as blue pollution.

Applications

LED lights are perhaps the most advanced technology that is taking its tool over the people all over the world. Their application is diverse and hence they can be divided in three distinct categories – Visual signal application where the lights transpires from the bulb to the human eyes directly, Illuminations where LED light is reflected from an object to give visual response and finally, technological approach that does not require the contact with human visual system as in case of light photosynthesis in plants.

In the past decade, LED technology has expanded its scope to almost every household in the world. From little red spots that tells one that the wi fi connection is on, to the excellent light source that we see in our rooms just by switching on a plug, applications of LED is ubiquitous. Production quality LEDs are now capable of efficiencies of around 70 lm/W, compared with 12 lm/W for incandescent light bulbs, and single die devices are producing over 100 lm

Today one can find the implication of these LED lights in many areas. Be it the LCD screen of the computers or the latest version of the mobile phones, be it Ipods or safety and security hardware like LED enabled drainage system or Led micro lights for reading at nights, LED technology is vast and growing by leaps and bounds. The newest trend in the electronic market is the green influence that has not left the LED world bereft. The most recent launches in the LED market are theLight bulbs that can help one save up to 90% of electricity costs plus reduce the heat output and even more than this the bulbs claim to last up to 10 times longer than a standard light bulb or compact florescent. Some of the most advanced LED enabled products in the electronic world are -

LED enabled Faucet Lights – Install this in your homes to give a new look to the monotonous water taps. Available in red and blue they are heat sensitive and alarm the user by changing colors, as soon as the water temperature goes above 89 degrees centigrade.

LED Jellyfish Mood Lamps – These are unique desktop tank that plays trick with the eyes by displaying three jellyfish that swim, with the aid of the 6 bright colorful LEDS that are placed at the top of the tank.

Sony’s Walkman - Sony, the largest supplier of electronic goods has launched a new Walkman called NWZ-X1000 that features an OLED (Organic light emitting diode) touchscreen.

When lighting needs to be provided to large spaces, then it surely becomes a task! It becomes difficult to implement the right lighting requirement that you have in your mind. Lofts and condos are the places where there are large spaces a lack of walls and fewer power points. All these factors just add to the lighting dilemma. Most lofts are divided into one or two large areas rather than a number of separate rooms. The problem of lighting in large spaces is aggravated by the high ceilings which are usually present in lofts. One of the important things to remember when lighting lofts is that it is not a gymnasium. This is because you will unknowingly provide luminous lighting throughout the space you have, which will make it look more like a gymnasium. Instead use the wide open space to create an inviting atmosphere.

It may be the open space that you liked about the loft to begin with. Use lights that can be suspended from the ceilings, in this way you will bring light closer to the floor. Cable lighting and monorail lighting are good options that you can consider for lighting your loft. Use light to break up the space to create separate areas. Just because it is one large room it does not need to be used in the same manner. Here light can be effectively used to create and break the space. You can use a focused or accent light in the dinning or sitting area. This type of lighting creates a soft and intimate area. Dark areas in between well lit areas will help to break the space and distinguish it as a different space without making the room look cluttered. Another common problem that you encounter when lighting lofts is the lack of power points to power the lighting.

Here the linear lighting systems like monorail lighting, cable lighting or track lighting is a good option. With the linear lighting systems it is possible to connect multiple fixtures to the same power source. This is a good source of lighting when only one or two ceiling power sources are there. When lighting high ceilings you can suspend track systems and bring the light closer to the surface area. If the ceiling is higher than 8ft then the track systems will need wire supports. These can be used for any length that is required. Shadows are another common problem that can arise in large spaces. To avoid shadows all you need is a good mix of direct and ambient light. You should also be careful when using spotlights. This is because they reflect off any shiny surface like polished table tops and glass.

Do a little research and familiarize yourself with the differences in size, portable vs. permanent and fuel usage. Most sales people know squat about them other than the profit margins. I’ll try to help. First consider what you need to have power for NOT what you want power for, unless money is not an issue. This list doesn’t include any necessary medical equipment in the household that would, of course, be a priority or a fish aquarium that requires a consistently maintained environment.

#1 is refrigerator/freezer.
#2 well pump (if applicable).
#3 septic pump/lift station (if applicable).

Now you can add the conveniences like: 1 or 2 lighting circuits (preferably, the garage circuit if that’s where the generator is so you’ll have light and interior circuits with paddle fans!), microwave or toaster-oven, convenience outlets for TV and such. Then consider the water heater and A/C after all that.

Your choices of connected load items will create the size requirements of the generator as well as the need for a transfer switch. The cheapest way is to have a portable generator just outside the garage or in a carport and then run #12 power cords into the house to plug in lights or appliances as desired. The better way is to install a transfer switch to your electrical panel. A manual transfer switch gives you the option of choosing the load being operated since you can turn breakers on and off as necessary. An example is to run the water heater until the tank is hot then turn it off before turning on an A/C unit. An automatic transfer switch is just that- automatic. Power goes off, generator self starts and the ATS switches the load (house) from utility power to the generator. When the utility power returns the ATS times itself out and switches back. The generator will shut itself down as well.

Permanently installed generators run on either natural gas or propane. Before investing in one of those generators, check if natural gas is available and get pricing on running a gas line for that installation. If not, you’ll need the price for installing a propane tank. They can be installed above ground or buried so consider that. Most homeowner associations frown on permanently installed generators, so be sure you’re not creating a problem for yourself there.

My experience is that people want (a) easy and (b) cheap. (No ex-wife jokes here) so I’ll focus on portable units.

Where are you going to (1) store your generator (2) set up the generator to use it? Remember, it may be severe weather so, where could you put it to keep it safe and be able to refuel it easily? If you’re using power cords, will they be dry and as far out of the way as possible?

Small generators (less than 5500 watts) can only do so much. If you overload the unit and damage it, you won’t have any power at all. So be smart! Portable units are made up to almost 20k watts but they’re not for people on budgets.
The bottom line is to add up the load (watts) you plan to connect and size your generator at least 25% higher. When motors like the compressor in the refrigerator start up there is a sudden draw of power higher than the normal running load and you want to compensate for that.
Small appliances will have the wattage marked on them. Lighting circuits will be less than 1200 watts each. Water heater is 4500 watts alone.

Also,you’ll truly get what you pay for…unless you buy from one of those guys selling from the back of their pick-up truck (don’t do that). Don’t wait till the last minute and you know that bad weather is approaching or you’ll be stuck with whatever is left in the stores. Oh, and the “trick” with connecting the generator to the dryer outlet to backfeed the house? DON’T YOU DARE! It will result in damage and/or injury. I’ve been in home improvement stores and overheard a salesman suggest this method to a prospective customer. At that point, I had to assert myself and step in with more ‘professional’ advice.

Photovoltaic systems use solar cells to capture the sun rays and convert that energy into electricity. Such systems allow homeowners to generate electricity in a clean, reliable, and quiet way that can offset the cost of future electricity costs and decrease their dependence on the energy grid.

Photovoltaic cells are generally made from modified silicon, or other semi conductive materials, that absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are long lasting (the first PV system ever installed in the USA – in 1954 – is still operating today). Most manufacturers warranty their products power output for a minimum of 20 years. But most solar professionals agree that a system should last at least 25 – 30 years.

Types of Solar Cells

There are three basic types of PV modules: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. All modules work well though monocrystalline cells often yield the greatest efficiencies. Thin-film technology typically costs less and its efficiency is ever improving as demand for solar panels grow. A growing variety of manufacturers and models are available in the marketplace today. A solar pro can walk you through the advantages and disadvantages of each system so that you find a design that performs optimally over its multi-decade long lifespan for your application.

How solar electric systems work

Photovoltaic panels are often mounted on a roof and wired into a building via an inverter. The inverter converts the direct current (DC) energy generated through the solar panels into alternating current (AC), the most common type of current used to power buildings in the USA.

Orienting solar panels to the south maximizes the effectiveness of energy collection, and most roofs – from flat to 60-degrees – can accommodate photovoltaic cells.

Orienting solar panels to the south maximizes the effectiveness of energy collection, and most roofs – from flat to 60-degrees – can accommodate photovoltaic cells.

Solar Panels vs Building Integrated Photovoltaic Products (BIPV)

Solar panels are flat panels of photovoltaic arrays mounted on a roof or a pole to capture the sun’s rays. They are the traditional arrays used to catch energy from the sun. Because of their standalone design, solar panels are well suited for home retrofits or remodels.

Solar photovoltaic cells, however, are increasingly incorporated into building components such as windows, walls, or roof tiles. The effect provides a seamless integration into a building’s design since the BIPV components essentially disappear into the skin of your home. BIPV products work particularly well for new home construction or a significant remodel. And because BIPV panels are made for both photovoltaic and thermal collection systems, designers often place both technologies side-by-side to further maximize efficiencies.

With one formula, you can find what fan is right for your home. This is the formula for fan CFM: Cubic feet per minute, more commonly known as CFM is calculated by the following formula: air speed (feet per minute) X area (square feet)=CFM. Not everyone is going to take a look at CFM, but for those who do it is a helpful tool. In simpler words than that of the formula, it is the amount of air a fan moves.

The amount of air depends on some other factors as well, such as the diameter and shape of the blades, speed at which the blades turn (revolutions per minute or rpm), horsepower (hp) of the motor, and overall fan design. These combined factors establish the air moving capacity of a fan. Fan capacity is measured in terms of the cubic feet, and again, this is how CFM (cubic feet per minute is determined.)

CFM and RPM are the two most important things to look for in a fan, so that you are guaranteed correct and effective operation. If you only know the RPM, and not the CFM, or vice versa, you should feel confident in your fan purchase. As long as you know one of the calculations, you are ensured of a well-working fan. However, if you are not satisfied with these calculations, this is not the only criteria one can use for evaluating fan performance.

One of the main qualifications, second to rpm and CFM measurement is noise level or decibel rating, followed by the next qualification of vibration. Look for fan noise levels rated in sones or decibels. Check these if the CFM or RPM still leave you unsettled about your fan choice.

A standard measurement of airflow indicates how many cubic feet of air passes by a stationary point in one minute. The higher the number, the more air is being forced through the system. The volumetric flow rate of a liquid or gas in cubic feet per minute equals the CFM, and one CFM equals approximately 2 liters per second.

Fan manufacturers base their measurements on a standard measurement with clean, dry air at a density of 0.075 pounds mass per cubic foot, barometric pressure at sea level of 29.92 inches of mercury, and a temperature of 70°F. These standard measurements are used to determine SCFM: Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute.

With the use of CFM and RPM, you can make a more educated choice when choosing your home ceiling, exhaust, or table fan, and know what you are getting!

If you are considering doing custom wiring to your home, you should do your research and understand all your options. Many times home builders will not present all the options available to you. They will follow their list of options and be quick to say “no”. If you are building with a national builder, you may need to be more adamant and put up some cash up front. Just about any custom builder will go above and beyond your expectations.

With any home construction project you will have floor plans to review. I will assume you have already visually determined where your furniture will go and how you will design the interior. I highly suggest making a copy of the floor plan and use colored pencils to place your low voltage outlets and hardware. Use different colors for your speakers, satellite receivers and network cables as these all require different types of wires. The wires should all lead back to one central location. This is where you will put your control panel. Typically people like to have this located in a closet or even the laundry room.

Central control panels offer you the best possible solution for keeping everything organized. If you have the space to add some shelving beside it you can be even more flexible. You can put your network router as well as your DVD player and audio receiver on the shelves and control them through an infrared control from anywhere in the house (assuming you wire for one). This can allow you to send the DVD (or DVR) signal to each and every television that’s wired in so you don’t miss out when you are making a drink run or popping some pop corn.

Low voltage wiring in new home construction is quickly becoming a new standard in today’s high tech market. Although computer networks are quickly moving toward the wireless sector, certain electronic connections are still needed for full home audio, video and security. More and more homes are preparing their home not just for cable, but for the complete expansion of their home theater with the complete whole house video and audio capabilities.

Low voltage wiring is much more affordable to install once the house has been framed and before drywall goes up. Home builders are quickly adding in multiple satellite television lines leading up into the attic for easy installation of your dish. Lines for an additional satellite radio antenna are also becoming more abundant to boost the signal of this technology from within the home. It is now more affordable then ever for whole house audio to play music from a central control panel or direct from your living room receiver. Speakers with volume controls can be installed just about anywhere in your home during construction. If you wait to long, it may be impossible to wire additional rooms on separate floors without significant investments and renovations.

Theater rooms are the new craze these days. Home owners used to dream about turning that huge bonus room into a pool room with an eight foot table. Now they dream about their 60″ high definition plasma screens with 7.1 surround sound and plush theater seats. Their dreams of the pool hall are quickly turning into dreams of being the ultimate gamer or arm chair quarterback while watching their favorite team on NFL Sunday Ticket.

The options don’t stop there. We are now seeing an increase of home appliances and electronic components that are network ready. Many of these new products are not capable of wifi or receiving satellite signals. They require a hard line into your home network. Wiring your each room in your home with an additional cat-5 line will allow you the greatest amount of flexibility for future compatibility.

Never forget that you also need to protect this investment. While wiring your new “Smart Home” do not forget that the majority of home security wiring falls with the low voltage area. Most contractors who wire your home for audio and video will also represent your major security companies like ADT and will be able to wire your home accordingly. Wireless window and door connections are clearly visible. When the doors and windows are hard wired during construction, you cannot see the contacts stuck to the hardware. Now is the time to determine what to protect along with what detectors you would like installed (carbon monoxide, fire, flood, glass break). Always remember to get the battery backup and cellular options if they are available.

Put some thought into your floor plan and you will be pleased with the end result for years. Remember that your low voltage options expand well beyond a few satellite dish feeds and home security wires. You can expand it as far as your imagination and budget will allow. Never build for now. Build your home for tomorrow and you will be happy for years to come.

If you’ve ever walked into a home where the ceiling fan is hanging or separated from the ceiling and ever wondered what was causing the problem, you’re about to find out. These ceiling fans were attached to a regular light fixture rough electrical box.

Here’s what happens, these plastic rough electrical boxes are designed for lighter duty, light fixtures. The weight of an electric ceiling fan, over time will usually start to pull the rough electrical box away from the wood framing. Now we have an electrical safety hazard.

I know that ceiling fans look great and I would recommend installing them in any room of your home, as long as you have the proper electrical box to attach them to. If you choose to install a ceiling fan, using these boxes anyway, you might not ever have any problems with them. However, if you start to notice the base of the ceiling fans, starting to separate from the ceiling, you could have a problem.

Now you’re probably wondering if I have a light fixture on my ceiling and would like to install a ceiling fan, how could I actually do it, safely? Here’s the best advice that I could give you, contact a licensed electrician and have them installed the proper electrical box, for you and save yourself a lot of grief.

Could you imagine the ceiling fan, falling on top of an expensive piece of furniture or worse than that, someone as they’re walking underneath the fan, while it’s an operation? Something to think about.