Electrical Distribution System

Conductors

category of materials that allow electrons to flow easily (which is called electricity and are a useful way to transport energy).

electrical insulator

a material in which the electron does not flow freely or the atom

Wires

a single conductor made up of an electrically conductive material like aluminum or copper.

cable

Made up of multiple conductors surrounded by some type of insulation.

Stranded Wires

composed of a number of small wires bundled or wrapped together to form a larger conductor.

Solid Wires

also called solid-core or single-strand wire, consists of one piece of metal wire.

Bare wires

High-tension wires are most commonly used as ground wires

Armored Cable

a fabricated assembly of insulated conductors (cable) enclosed in flexible metal sheath.

Metal Clad Cable

a factory-assembled cable of one or more conductors each individually insulated and enclosed in a metallic sheath

Mineral Insulated Cable

a factory assembled conductor/s insulated with a highly compressed refractory mineral insulation enclosed in a liquid and gas tight continuous copper sheath.

Non-Metallic Sheathed Cable

also known by the trade name ROMEX, is a factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors having a moisture resistant, flame retardant, and non-metallic material outer sheath.

Shielded Non-Metallic Sheathed Cable

a factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors in an extruded core of moisture resistant and flame retardant material covered within an overlapping spiral metal tape.

Underground Feeder and Branch Circuit Cable

Insulated conductors within a moisture- and flame-resistant core wrapped in spiral metal tape.

Service Entrance Cable

Single or multi-conductor assembly used primarily for service wiring.

Power and Control Tray Cable

Factory-assembled insulated conductors in a metallic sheath for use in cable trays or raceways.

Flat Cable Assemblies

Parallel conductors formed within an insulating web, designed for installation in structural channels.

Flat Conductor Cable

Insulated parallel flat copper conductors installed inside floor surfaces for branch circuits.

Medium Voltage Cable

a single or multi-conductor solid dielectric insulated cable rated at 2,000 to 35,000 volts. Trade name is Medium Voltage Solid Dielectric.

American Wire Gauge (AWG)

A logarithmic stepped standardized wire gauge system for the diameters of round, solid, nonferrous, electrically conducting wire.

Ampacity

This is a term for the maximum current carrying capacity, in amps, of a particular device.

Conduits

a tube used to protect and route electrical wiring in a building or structure.

Rigid Conduits

Embeddable outdoor tubing is used primarily as main feeder lines to junction and utility boxes.

Flexible Conduits

Conduits best for earthquake-prone areas, routing wiring from junction boxes to loads.

Rigid Metal Conduits (RMC)

Threaded. Has a thick wall. Used for the feeder line

Intermediate Metal Conduits (IMC)

Threaded. Has a thin wall and weighs less than RMC. Used for the feeder line. IMT for small diameters

Electric Metal Conduits (EMC)

Non-threaded. Used with compression knot. Can be embedded on concrete. Mostly used for residential applications. EMT for small diameters

Raceways

Used to protect and route electrical wiring in a building or structure. Some are decorative in nature and used to conceal electrical wiring

3m

Most Rigid PVC pipes has a standard length of ___m. In plans, we schedule the sizes of conduits in metric.

Conduit Fill Chart

Condulets

Determines how many wires can be safely put into a conduit

Condulets

They are conduit fittings used for pulling and feeding the wires.

Outlet Box

Used for cable ends. Circular and used for lighting outlet

Junction Box

Used for splicing and joining. Octagonal. There will always be a junction box that will serve the main feed, the switch and the load or outlet.

Pull Box

Used to facilitate pulling. Square shaped

Utility Box

Cable ends for outlets and switches. Rectangular.