ADS – Automatic Disconnection of Supply – This is what prevents a dangerous occurrence arising in case of a fault condition. Circuit breaker (1) – A type of protective device for circuits, it will protect a circuit from overload and fault currents. Basic protection – This protects you from electric shock under fault free conditions i.e. Buy Pocket Guide to Electrical Equipment and Terminology by Lee, R. R. (ISBN: 9780884153054) from Amazon's Book Store. ... New national seismic hazard maps for the UK. Get in touch to request a free, no-obligation quotation today. Ferrule – Also known as an electrical crimp, this is a small metal tube that is placed over the stripped end of a multi strand wire and then crushed using a crimping tool to protect the end of the cable. Short Circuit Rating: The maximum short circuit current an electrical component can sustain without excessive damage. It’s a bold statement, but it’s true. Bonding: Connections on exposed wires to prevent electric shock. Flex (2) – A flexible cable that has a soft rubber or thermoplastic outer sheath and individually insulated conductors inside it. ELECTRICITY - The flow of electrons from atom to atom in a conductor. Electrical terms or Electrical terminology must be known by electrical students and engineers. Ring Circuit– A circuit that has two sets of conductors leaving a distribution board from the same point essentially forming a ring, generally only used for socket circuits. Service cable – This is the cable that supplies electricity into a property, it is terminated in the service head. Enclosure – This is what surrounds a piece of equipment to provide protection from different types of external influences. Spur – A spur is a branch off of a ring or a radial circuit. Circuit tester (Voltage tick): A device that plugs into a conventional outlet to check the circuit is properly grounded. De-energized circuit: A circuit with no power. UK expression usually meaning an electric or diesel multiple unit train. Meter tails – These are split into two parts, the meter tails from the service head to the electricity meter, and the meter tails from the meter to the consumer unit. A general term applied to most of the devices used for connecting and controlling lighting and power, eg sockets and switches. The change from petrol and diesel cars to electric is happening much more quickly than people anticipated. TT – A means of earthing commonly used in the U.K., in this installation there is no earth cable supplied by the distributor, instead use is made of a locally fitted earth electrode. Barrier (3) – Something to prevent contact with a live electrical part, for example a busbar cover within a Consumer unit. Part P – Part P of the Building Regulations details how to safely install an electrical system in a domestic property. This is an electrical outlet which has its own internal breaker, which opens the circuit when there is a connection made between the power wire and return wire to prevent electrical shock. Miniature circuit breaker (MCB): A small circuit breaker. Cut-out – this is the colloquial name for the Supply Protective Device. Electrical current – The movement of electrons through a conductor. Conduit: Tubing – usually rigid metal or plastic – used for electrical cables. Over current – this is where the current exceeds the rated current of the electrical equipment; with over current the circuit is considered unhealthy. Residual current circuit breaker (RCCB): See residual current device (RCD). Multi-meter: Used for continuity checks, checking voltage, and other similar tasks. Kingfield Electronics have been operating in contract electronics manufacturing and product management solutions since 1985, and have a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of the industry. Resistance: The property of an electrical circuit, measured in ohms, that restricts the flow of current. Notifiable work – Electrical work that requires the relevant building control body to be notified, examples include installing a new circuit or replacing a consumer unit. Neon voltage tester: A tool used to tell if wires are ‘hot’. Main switch (5) – Although not a protective device, in a typical household, the mains switch is located in the consumer unit. In UK terminology, the track normally used by trains proceeding towards the main terminus. It refers to the fact that a combination of methods of protection will disconnect the supply of electricity if a fault occurs. Electrical circuits where current passes through multiple elements either one after the other, or side by side, like the rungs of a ladder, or both. Radial Circuit – A circuit that has one set of conductors leaving a distribution board and terminating at the furthest point, an example would be a dedicated circuit supplying power to a cooker. Line conductor – What a lot of people mistakenly refer to as the ‘live’ conductor. Ohm: The unit of measure for electric resistance. Ampere (A or Amp) - Unit of electrical current. This connects the incoming supply to the final circuits, and protects the the fixed wiring in the building while providing a point of isolation. Normally used in UK houses at 240V (RMS) alternating at 50 times per second (50 hertz). Wire stripper: A tool to remove the plastic, rubber or paper insulation around an electrical wire. As a hands-on industry with a heavy reliance on health and safety, these terms have an important role to play, allowing for precision and ease of communication between contractors and customers, teams and individuals. Floor plan: A simple scaled drawing to depict rooms as seen from above. DC – Direct Current is an electric current that travels in only one direction, this is the type of current that a battery produces. Neutral conductor: The conductor that, under normal conditions, will carry no current. Electrical Terminology Background Information 1 REV 7-5-17 Alternating Current (AC) - a flow of electrons which reverses its direction of flow at regular intervals in a conductor. Each individual conductor is made up of very fine strands of copper to allow the cable to repeatedly flex. PEN conductor – Protective Earth and Neutral, this is one conductor that combines the functions of a neutral conductor and a protective conductor, the most commonly found example is in a TN-C-S earthing system. TN-S – A means of earthing commonly utilised in the U.K., the line, neutral and earth conductors enter the building as one cable, the line and the neutral conductors are in the centre of the cable and the lead sheath on the outside of the cable acts as the earth conductor. Exposed conductive part – Part of a piece of equipment that can be touched. Competent Persons Scheme – This allows an individual to self-certify that their work complies with the building regulations, examples being the NICEIC and ELECSA, Unit 29 Mid Sussex Business Park Folders Lane East Hassocks East Sussex BN6 8SE. Wattage – Rate of electricity energy used by lights or appliances; or the maximum watts the device is designed to deliver or control. Perhaps steam from your kettle near a power socket will trigger this to go off and cut your power. Blueprint: A set of comprehensive documents defining how a contractor or builder should work – including the electrical layout, floor plans, and full construction details. Accessory – This is something that makes up part of a circuit, but isn’t a fixed current using piece of equipment, an example is a socket. 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