Basic Electrical Materials Part 2 of 2 - Introduction to Electrical Wiring - Trades Training Video
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers an in-depth look into electrical materials used in residential installations. It covers wire types, conduits for protection, and their installation requirements. The script explains different devices like duplex receptacles, GFCI and AFCI outlets, and switches, including three-way switches. It also highlights safety features and the importance of cover plates for aesthetics and protection. The video aims to educate on the language and parts of electrical systems in residential structures.
Takeaways
- 🔌 **Conduit Usage**: Conduits protect wires that are not enclosed or concealed in walls or structures and come in various materials like metal or plastic.
- 📏 **Rigid Conduit**: Rigid conduits are available in metal or plastic and can be bent by hand for metal versions, while plastic requires fittings.
- 📐 **Conduit Sizes**: Sizes range from three-quarter inches up to six inches or larger for commercial and industrial use.
- 🌡️ **Conduit Fill Limit**: Only 40% of the conduit's internal space should be filled with conductors to allow for heat dissipation.
- 💧 **Flexible Conduit**: Allows for flexibility and can be weatherproofed with special ends to keep out elements.
- 🔩 **Conduit Termination**: Various fittings are used to terminate conduits, differing by material and conduit type.
- 🛠️ **Securing Conduits**: Conduits must be secured with staples or straps to ensure stability.
- 🛡️ **Armored Cable**: A type of flexible conduit with an aluminum wrap around the conductors for added protection.
- 🏠 **Devices in Electrical Systems**: Devices like duplex receptacles, GFCI, AFCI, and switches are used to control and manage electricity.
- 🔒 **Safety Features**: GFCI and AFCI outlets provide safety by monitoring current flow and resistance to prevent electrical shocks and fires.
- 🖼️ **Cover Plates**: Used to finish electrical installations, providing insulation and a finished look while preventing shocks and fire spread.
Q & A
What is the purpose of conduit in electrical installations?
-Conduit is used to protect electrical wires that are not enclosed or concealed within a wall or other structure. It comes in various forms, shapes, and sizes, and is available in metal or plastic.
How is rigid conduit different from flexible conduit?
-Rigid conduit is available in metal or plastic and can be bent by hand for the metal version, while the plastic version requires fittings to change direction. Flexible conduit, on the other hand, can take any shape or direction and allows for some flex.
What is the maximum fill percentage for conductors inside a conduit?
-The inside of a conduit should not be completely filled with conductors. Only 40% of the inside space should be filled with conductors, leaving 60% as air space for heat dissipation.
What is the purpose of the space left inside the conduit?
-The space left inside the conduit allows the conductors to 'breathe' and dissipate heat, preventing overheating and ensuring the safe operation of the electrical system.
What is armored cable and how does it differ from other types of cables?
-Armored cable, also known as MC cable (metal clad), has a wrap of aluminum around the conductors, offering high protection. It serves as both the wire and conduit, providing a strong and flexible cable suitable for various installations.
What is the difference between a duplex receptacle and a single pole switch?
-A duplex receptacle is a type of outlet with two plugs available, typically used for power outlets. A single pole switch is a simple on-off switch used to control one or multiple fixtures from a single location.
What are the safety features of GFCI and AFCI outlets?
-GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlets detect imbalances in current flow, which can indicate a ground fault, and shut off immediately to prevent electrical shock. AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlets monitor for differences in resistance that could lead to a fire and also shut off the power if such a condition is detected.
How often should GFCI and AFCI devices be tested?
-GFCI and AFCI devices should be tested periodically using their test button to ensure they are functioning properly. It's a good practice to do this occasionally, especially in residential settings.
What is the purpose of wire staples in electrical installations?
-Wire staples are used to secure Romex wire to framing, ensuring it is held in place within every 12 inches near a box and every 54 inches in other areas, providing safety and organization.
What is the role of cover plates in electrical installations?
-Cover plates are used to finish off devices in junction boxes, providing a finished look, insulating against potential shocks, and containing any fire that might occur within the junction box.
Why is it important to know the language of electricity in the electrical trade?
-Understanding the language of electricity is crucial for clear communication on the job site, especially in skilled trades like electrical work, to ensure safety, accuracy, and efficiency in installations and repairs.
Outlines
🔌 Conduit and Wiring Protection
This paragraph discusses the use of conduit to protect electrical wires that are not concealed within walls or other structures. Conduit comes in various materials like metal or plastic and sizes, with rigid conduit being a common type that can be bent by hand for metal or requires fittings for plastic. It's crucial not to fill the conduit completely, allowing for 40% conductors and 60% air space for heat dissipation. The paragraph also covers flexible conduit, which is weatherproof and can be bent to shape, and the various fittings used to terminate conduits at junction boxes or devices. Different types of conduit fittings are mentioned, such as those for EMT conduit and PVC rigid conduit, including liquid-tight connections and the use of O-rings for sealing.
🛠 Electrical Cables and Devices
The second paragraph delves into different types of electrical cables and devices. It introduces armored cable, which is a flexible conduit with an aluminum wrap around the conductors, providing protection and serving dual purposes as both wire and conduit. The paragraph explains the standard 14-gauge setup with color-coded wires for hot, neutral, and ground. It then moves on to discuss outdoor cables or UF cables, which are designed for burial with a weather-resistant jacket. The discussion continues with devices like duplex receptacles, which are common outlets with three-prong arrangements for hot, neutral, and ground connections. Safety features such as ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) and arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) outlets are highlighted for their ability to detect electrical anomalies and prevent shocks or fires.
🛑 Circuit Protection and Switches
This paragraph focuses on circuit protection devices and switches. It mentions GFCI and AFCI outlets in detail, explaining their roles in detecting current imbalances and loose connections respectively, which can prevent electrical shocks and fires. The paragraph also covers the importance of testing these devices regularly and what to do if they continually trip. The discussion then shifts to switches, starting with basic on-off switches and their wiring method. It introduces three-way switches, which allow control of a light fixture from two different locations, and explains the difference between single-pole and three-way switches in terms of wiring and terminals. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of cover plates in electrical installations for aesthetics and safety, protecting users from shocks and containing any potential fire within the junction box.
🏗 Electrical Installation Materials and Safety
The final paragraph provides a review of electrical materials used in residential electrical systems, emphasizing safety and aesthetics. It covers service wires, meter bases, load centers, circuit breakers, and special safety breakers like GFCI and AFCI. The paragraph explains the use of Romex wire, its color coding, and the importance of securing it with wire staples. Junction boxes are discussed as enclosures for wire splices and device installations. Duplex receptacles are highlighted as points of use for powering appliances, with a focus on their safety features. The paragraph also touches on single-pole and three-way switches, wire nuts for securing spliced wires, and the role of cover plates in finishing electrical installations. The video concludes by encouraging viewers to learn the language of building, especially for skilled trades like electrical work, and to explore the vast array of parts and variations in the electrical trade.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Conduit
💡EMT Conduit
💡Flexible Conduit
💡Armored Cable (MC)
💡Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
💡Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI)
💡Duplex Receptacle
💡Switch
💡Junction Box
💡Romex Wire
Highlights
Introduction to conduit and its purpose: protecting wires when not enclosed in walls.
Explanation of rigid conduit in both metal and plastic forms, highlighting their durability.
Description of flexible conduit and its ability to follow various paths due to its flexibility.
Detailed safety requirements for conduit, including the 40% fill rule for conductors.
Discussion on liquid-tight and weatherproof conduit designed for outdoor applications.
Key explanation on the use of armored cable (MC) for added protection and durability.
Importance of using fittings to terminate conduit and armored cable safely into junction boxes.
Demonstration of how a duplex receptacle functions with clear guidance on wiring hot, neutral, and ground connections.
Introduction to safety devices: Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) and Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs).
Explanation of how GFCI outlets protect against electrical shock by sensing current imbalances.
Overview of AFCI outlets and their role in preventing fires caused by loose connections.
Simple on/off switches and their wiring structure, along with a brief overview of three-way switches.
Clarification of the difference between a single-pole switch and a three-way switch for controlling fixtures from two locations.
The significance of cover plates: both for aesthetics and safety, preventing electrical shock.
Final recap of common electrical materials such as wire staples, Romex wire, circuit breakers, and the importance of secure wiring.
Transcripts
hello everybody welcome back to our
electrical materials video
let's get right into it with some more
parts
to start with we talked about wire that
is going to be
enclosed or concealed in a wall or in
other spaces
in a structure what do we do if we're
not
hiding or concealing that wire we need
to protect it
we're going to do that with a material
we call conduit
conduit can come in a lot of different
forms
shapes and sizes we're going to start
with rigid conduit and rigid conduit is
available
in metal or plastic i've got a couple
examples
of a three-quarter conduit here we would
run
our cables through these conduit and
then it would protect that cable from
anything that would happen to it whether
that would be fasteners or just wear and
tear
or exposure to weather even so you see
here
this is three-quarter metal emt conduit
and three-quarter
outdoor this is a pvc conduit and
they're the same size
inside this is an inside diameter
measurement
keep in mind conduit is going to come in
long lengths
the metal version we can bend by hand
and the plastic version we're going to
have to use
different fittings to get it to follow a
certain path
conduit sizes are going to range
anywhere from three-quarter
up to six inches they can even be larger
if we're looking at
commercial installations and some
industrial situations
and the inside of the conduit cannot be
completely full with our conductors we
need to only
fill this inside space of this conduit
up to 40
percent the other 60 percent needs to be
air space
we need those conductors to breathe they
need to dissipate heat
so we need to leave some space in there
another type of conduit other than rigid
conduit
would be flexible conduit this conduit
is going to take whatever shape or
direction
we want to put it in and it's going to
allow some flex so we can run
our conductors through this conduit this
type
is also weather proof so it's going to
be they call it liquid tight
when you put special ends on this
conduit
it's going to keep all the weather out
this conduit is also
like the rigid plastic is going to be uv
resistant so this can be exposed to
sunlight and be
out in the elements there's a whole
array of different type of pieces and
parts we will use
to terminate the ends of the conduit
into a junction box
to a specific device those parts
are going to look different depending on
the type
of conduit we're using and the material
that conduits made out of
here you see some examples and on the
presentation there are some duplicates
of these examples
the rigid type the one at the bottom
right is for an emt conduit that's going
to be for the metal pipe
it has a set screw we're going to
tighten that screw up to clamp it to the
pipe
that's going to terminate the conduit we
can then run our cables through it
there's also on a typical end
for this kind of conduit is going to
have a threaded
end and the ends either going to get
threaded
into the box or it would go through a
knockout in the box then we would
put a nut on the end to secure it to the
box
this is a 90 degree turn for a liquid
tight connection
we take our flexible conduit we would
attach it to the end
of this piece here that's going to seal
up this end
then this end would terminate in a box
and it also has
the same nut on the end if you look
close
also it has an o-ring
this is a rubber o-ring that is going to
allow
that fitting to seal up against the box
that's what makes it liquid tight
there's a lot of other variations of
hardware
some to make turns with ent rigid
conduit
some would be a coupler like the top
right that would be to connect two
straight pieces together
it has the same set screws that we
talked about before and the one on the
bottom
is a version of a 90 degree turn we
could use with a pvc rigid conduit
now that we have our conduit run in the
path that we need
we have to secure that conduit to make
sure that all of this holds together
just like our cables and our wire
staples
these straps are going to hold that
conduit tight you might see a two-hole
version or a one-hole version
the only difference is going to be the
amount of fasteners we use
to secure them an armored cable is a
type of a flexible conduit
and this cable has a
wrap of aluminum around the conductors
that are already inside of it
as you can see i have some limited
flexibility
in this cable based on the way it's made
and the
cables or the conductors on the inside
are very well protected
this is a very strong type of cable
this serves as your wires and
your conduit at the same time so we have
a typical
14 gauge setup here with our three
or our two conductors and our ground as
you can see
our ground is a green wire so
this has an insulation around it that's
very common and we consider
green for ground we have our black which
is our hot
and then we have our white which is our
neutral armored cable or what they call
mc which is metal clad cable is going to
take its own
special fittings so if we wanted to
terminate
the end of this cable into a box we'd
use something similar to this
that looks like our other hardware it
has this same set
nut on it and we can screw this into the
box
or we can add the nut to clamp it to the
box this is the way these go on you're
going to thread these in
around your conductors and this is going
to actually
thread into the cable where
you've cut it it's going to thread nice
and tight
now we have a good termination of an end
this fitting is also going to protect
the
insulation of these wires from this very
sharp
edge that we cut off of this armored
cable
another version of cable you might see
that's very similar to romex but has a
very different
characteristic to it is an outdoor cable
or uf
this would be an underground feeder
that's the uf
designation this cable has a special
jacket around it
that is molded around the conductors
that are inside
same gauge wire same insulation around
the inside conductors
it's just that it is a more weather
resistant and more
water tight situation this type of cable
can actually be buried in the ground
as long as the ends or bare ends of the
cable are
protected and dealt with properly
moving on from our conduit and our
cables we're going to get into devices
we've run all of the system of
conductors now we need to put them to
use
my first device to show you is going to
be a duplex receptacle
we're all very familiar with this this
is what we use
when we're trying to get power out of an
electrical system
this is a three-pronged outlet you might
hear it called an outlet i call it a
duplex
receptacle because it has two plugs
available
on it it has a three prong arrangement
which is going to have a narrow blade
that's going to be
our hot conductor it's going to have a
wider blade that's our neutral conductor
it's also going to have a ground prong
that's the more
round one this is a modern addition to
an outlet you might see an older one
that only has two prongs it will be
missing this ground
and on this receptacle if we look
at the side of it it's going to have
gold terminals
these terminals are going to accept a
wire end and as we
as we curve that wire end we can hook it
on that terminal we will then
tighten it up that's what's going to
deliver our electricity
to this outlet so we have on this side
we have
our our gold
terminals that's where our hot wire or
our black wire is going to go
on the other side we have silver
terminals
that's where our white wire is going to
connect
and then we also have a ground terminal
that's where our bare ground or our
green insulated
ground conductor will connect next up
we have receptacles available to us that
have safety features built into them
just like the breakers we talked about
earlier we have a ground fault circuit
interrupter
outlet and we also have an arc fault
circuit interrupter outlet
this ground fault they look very similar
you would
not even know the difference unless you
look very closely
what's different is the interior
circuitry of them and how they
operate and what they're looking for in
the circuit very sophisticated circuitry
in them
a ground fault is looking for current
variations
in the amount of current that's coming
into them and the amount of current
that's going
out of them if it senses an imbalance
in those two directions of current it
will turn this
outlet off immediately that's a safety
feature that could save you
from electrical shock these both
both versions of these will have a reset
button on them
so if they trip and often they can trip
for reasons
other than a person being shocked it's
looking for this condition and if it
trips
it will turn off the reset button will
reset
power to this it's important to mention
that if this
outlet is continually tripping it might
have gone bad or you might have a
problem with your wiring so
at that point we need to look into this
situation further
there is also a diagnostic feature on
this device
which is a test feature when you push
the test button
it's going to test the system to make
sure this device is working properly you
should do that every once in a while
if you have these installed in your home
a quick review of the terminals on this
device
would be that the gold ones are for our
hot or black wire
and then on the other side we have our
silver terminals those are for
our neutral wire it also will have
a ground terminal that's going to be
green that's for our bare copper
or our green insulated wire
here is our arc fault circuit
interrupter a whole different device and
what it's looking for
is problems in the circuit mainly for
differences
and problems with resistance which in an
electrical circuit
equates to loose connections that could
cause a fire so this particular one is
monitoring for that condition
if it sees or senses that condition it's
going to turn the power off
instantly it has the same test and reset
features that our ground fault did
next up we have a simple device we're
going to call a switch
often we need to control other devices
and we'd use this device to do it
it's a simple on off switch we're all
very familiar with it
and it works very simply let me explain
that
so this particular switch is
supposed to be or we understand it to be
oriented
so that on is up and down
is off that is the position we would
mount the switch in
when we installed this device it also
has fewer terminals than a typical
duplex receptacle
so if we look at the right side of this
single pole switch you're going to see
two terminals they're both gold
we can connect a hot wire to either one
of these
and i have a diagram to show you how
that works
so here we have a switch and we have a
simple light we're going to run
one wire in on one gold terminal that's
going to be a black wire
and one wire out also a black wire
to our fixture or our light when we
power up that first wire
it's going to send voltage or current
to our switch with the switch turned off
the light does not receive that energy
when we switch that switch on it's going
to
connect these two terminals and it's
going to let that
electricity flow through to the light so
when we turn it back off we're breaking
the connection between those two
terminals
that is the most simple version of a
switch that we have
we also have more complicated versions
of switches
this is an example of a three-way switch
the name's a little confusing
a three-way switch allows us to have two
different switches for one location
so if this was switch number one we
could also have switch number two
and they would both control the same
light fixture
or series of light fixture this is a
convenience feature that allows us to
put these switches
in two different locations possibly at
two different entrances
to the same room there's a lot more
complicated
wiring that has to happen to make a
three-way switch work
but i'll go through the basics of it the
difference between a three-way switch
and a single pole switch is that you're
going to have your two gold terminals
but you're also going to have a black
terminal and your
your feed wire which is either feeding
energy in
or letting the energy out of the circuit
is going to come in or out from this
black terminal the other ones we call
travelers these gold ones and they're
going to give us two different
paths for the circuit to follow we'll
get more into that when we get into the
skills exercise
about three-way switches i would like to
mention also that it has
a ground terminal that would be for our
bare wire or a green insulated conductor
to wrap things up with our electrical
installation we need to give
all of our systems a finished look we're
going to use
cover plates to do that and a cover
plate is going to do
two things it's going to make this
whole electrical system look finished so
any point that we're touching or come in
contact with
is going to look good the other thing
that a cover plate does
is it's going to insulate us from the
potential of shock or any of those bare
wires
inside of that junction box behind that
device it's also going to if there's any
kind of fire or
arcing in that junction box it's going
to help prevent
fire from spreading from that location
so
i have here some very basic low end
cover plates cover plates can get very
expensive and decorative
they all pretty much do the same thing
and even your most
basic cover plate is going to have to
meet a ul
listed criteria that keeps you the user
safe when we're talking about cover
plates
we're talking about aesthetics when we
get to this point in the installation we
want to make
this job look good a lot of the
aesthetics of the job
or quality of the job is installing
these properly so
you need these to be straight on the
wall you need to make sure that the
screws are in place
and that they match the cover plate that
they're being used with
and that there are no bows or warping to
the cover plate
that cause a problem when you're looking
at it
let's do a review of our electrical
materials
to start with these are aluminum
stranded heavy duty conductors we're
going to call
service wires every building will have
a meter base and a meter installed this
is going to allow us
to measure the amount of energy coming
in so that the utility company can build
a customer
a load center or service panel is going
to contain
all of the beginnings of the circuits it
will also hold
all of the breakers that we're going to
use to
service those circuits a circuit breaker
is a switch
and also has a safety feature built into
it that's going to allow us
to monitor the amount of amperage that's
going through a circuit
special safety breakers might be ground
fault or arc fault circuit interrupters
these offer extra safety features
romex wire comes in different gauges
it's also
color coded and has different amounts or
numbers of conductors
in it wire staples are used to hold
romex to framing
we're going to secure it within every 12
inches of a box and every 54 inches
everywhere else
junction boxes are enclosures that are
going to hold
wire splices any ends it's also going to
allow us a place to
install our devices duplex receptacles
are point of use plugs that we use to
power our appliances there's going to be
three conductors or three prongs for the
plug that's a ground
a hot and a neutral
afcis and gfcis which are arc fault and
ground fault circuit interrupters
are safety versions of our duplex outlet
these are going to measure
and they're going to monitor the current
flow and resistance
of the electricity and they're going to
shut off if we have any problems in the
circuit
single pole switches are simple switches
we use
to control one fixture or multiple
fixtures in one location
and three-way switches are going to
allow us to have two switches that
operate
a single or multiple fixtures from
two different locations wire nuts are
special clamps that are twisted
onto wire ends that are spliced together
to help hold them tightly
cover plates are used to finish off a
device
in a junction box to look good and also
to keep the user from getting shocked
and also to contain
any fire that might happen inside that
junction box
this is a list of terms used when we're
talking about electricity
and as always i like to stress this idea
of learning the language of building
and using it on the job site especially
when we're talking about skilled trades
like electrical
so i hope you've learned something about
some basic parts that are used
in a residential structure when we're
installing an electrical system
keep in mind there is an entire world
of other parts and variations of all
these parts
that you will see when you get further
into this trade
so i hope you've learned something get
further into this
i'll see in the next video
this video is a production of trade
skills you
all rights reserved
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