TERMS Flashcards
A cylindrical assembly composed of a conductor centered inside a metallic tube or shield,
separated by a dielectric material, and usually covered by an insulating jacket.
Coaxial Cable
A qualifying term indicating that the circuit breaker does
not have any adjustment to alter the value of current at which it will trip or the time required for its
operation.
Nonadjustable (as applied to circuit breakers)
A cable containing optical fibers and current-carrying electrical
conductor
Composite Optical Fiber Cable
Intermittent operation in which the load conditions are regularly recurrent.
Duty, Periodic
A single unit, providing complete and independent living facilities for one or more
persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking, and sanitation.
Dwelling Unit
Surrounded by a case, housing, fence, or wall(s) that prevents persons from accidentally
contacting energized parts.
Enclosed
A nonmetallic raceway placed within a larger raceway.
Innerduct
Constructed so that moisture will not enter the enclosure under specified test conditions.
Watertight
A manually operated device used in conjunction with a transfer switch to
provide a means of directly connecting load conductors to a power source and of disconnecting the
transfer switch
Switch, Bypass Isolation
An assembly completely enclosed on all sides and top with sheet metal (except for ventilating
openings and inspection windows) and containing primary power circuit switching, interrupting devices,
or both, with buses and connections.
A
Switchgear
The conductors and equipment for delivering electric energy from the serving utility to the
wiring system of the premises served.
Service
Power conversion equipment that provides a means of adjusting the speed of an
electric motor.
Adjustable Speed Drive
An area including a basin with one or more of the following: a toilet, a tub, or a shower.
Bathroom
A branch circuit that supplies only one utilization equipment.
Branch Circuit, Individual
A load where the maximum current is expected to continue for 3 hours or more.
Continuous Load.
Without live parts exposed to a person on the operating side of the equipment.
Dead Front
An enclosure designed for surface mounting that has swinging doors or covers secured
directly to and telescoping with the walls of the enclosure.
Cutout box
Enclosures constructed so that dust will not enter the enclosing case under specified test
conditions
Dust-tight
A device, or group of devices, or other means by which the conductors of a circuit
can be disconnected from their source of supply.
Disconnecting means
All circuit conductors between the service equipment, the source of a separately derived system,
or other power supply source and the final branch-circuit overcurrent device.
Branch-circuit conductors
A building or portion of a building in which one or more self-propelled vehicles can be kept for
use, sale, storage, rental, repair, exhibition, or demonstration purposes.
Garage
An electrically conductive path from the point of a ground fault on a
wiring system through normally non-current-carrying conductors, equipment, or the earth to electrical
supply source.
A ground-fault current path
A device that establishes an electrical connection to the earth.
A grounding electrode
An assembly of two or more components consisting of one of the following:
(1) power circuit components only, such as motor controllers, overload relays, fused disconnect switches,
Industrial Control Panel
The current, in amperes, that a conductor can carry continuously under the conditions of use
without exceeding its temperature rating.
Ampacity
Utilization equipment, generally other than industrial, that is normally built in standardized
sizes or types and is installed or connected as a unit to perform one or more functions such as clothes
washing, air conditioning, food mixing, deep frying, and so forth.
Appliance
Connected to establish electrical continuity and conductivity.
Bonding
A device that, by insertion in a receptacle, establishes a connection
between the conductors of the attached flexible cord and the conductors connected permanently to the
receptacle.
Attachment Plug
Performing a function without the necessity of human intervention.
Automation
The connection between the grounded circuit conductor and the equipment
grounding conductor at the service.
Bonding Jumper, Main
An enclosure that is designed for either surface mounting or flush mounting and is provided
with a frame, mat, or trim in which a swinging door or doors are or can be hung.
Cabinet
A structure that stands alone or that is separated from adjoining structures by fire walls.
Building
A device designed to open and close a circuit by nonautomatic means and to open the
circuit automatically on a predetermined overcurrent without damage to itself when properly applied
within its rating.
Circuit Breaker
Equipment that controls dc voltage or dc current, or both, and that is used to charge a
battery or other energy storage device.
Charge Controller
A qualifying term indicating that no delay is
purposely introduced in the tripping action of the circuit breaker.
Instantaneous Trip
The value of current, time, or both, at which an adjustable circuit breaker is
set to trip.
Time Current Curve
Rendered inaccessible by the structure or finish of the building. Wires in concealed raceways
are considered concealed, even though they may become accessible by withdrawing them.
Concealed
A separate portion of a conduit or tubing system that provides access through a removable
cover(s) to the interior of the system at a junction of two or more sections of the system or at a terminal
point of the system. Boxes such as FS and FD or larger cast or sheet metal boxes are not classified as
conduit bodies.
Conduit Body
A cooking appliance designed for mounting in or on a counter and
consisting of one or more heating elements, internal wiring, and built-in or mountable controls.
Counter-mounted cooking unit
Constructed or protected so that exposure to the weather will not interfere with successful operation.
Weatherproof
Constructed so that moisture will not enter the enclosure under specified test conditions.
Watertight
For grounded circuits, the voltage between the given conductor and that point or conductor of the circuit that is grounded; for ungrounded circuits, the greatest voltage between the given conductor and any other conductor of the circuit.
Voltage to Ground
A nominal value assigned to a circuit or system for the purpose of conveniently designating its voltage class (e.g.,120/240 volts, 480Y/277 volts, 600 volts). The actual voltage at which a circuit operates can vary from the nominal within a range that permits satisfactory operation of equipment.
Voltage, Nominal
The greatest root-mean-square (rms) (effective) difference of potential between any two conductors of the circuit concerned.
Voltage (of a circuit)
A flammable liquid having a flash point below 38°C, or a flammable liquid whose temperature is above its flash point, or a Class II combustible liquid that has a vapor pressure not exceeding 276 kPa at 38°C and whose temperature is above its flash point.
Volatile Flammable Liquid
Equipment that utilizes electric energy for electronic, electromechanical, chemical, heating, lighting, or similar purpose
Utilization Equipment
A protective device for assembly as an integral part of a motor or motor-compressor that, when properly applied, protects the motor against dangerous overheating due to overload and failure to start.
Thermal Protector (as applied to motors)
The words Thermally Protected appearing on the nameplate of a motor or motor compressor indicate that the motor is provided with a thermal protector.
Thermally Protected (as applied to motors)
A large single panel, frame, or assembly of panels on which are mounted on the face, back, or both, switches, overcurrent and other protective devices, buses, and usually instruments. Switchboards are generally accessible from the rear as well as from the front and are not intended to be installed in cabinets.
Switchboard
An automatic or nonautomatic device for transferring one or more load conductor connections from one power source to another.
Switch, Transfer
A switch rated in horsepower that is capable of interrupting the maximum operating overload current of a motor of the same horsepower rating as the switch at the rated voltage.
Switch, Motor-Circuit
A switch intended for isolating an electric circuit from the source of power. It has no interrupting rating, and it is intended to be operated only after the circuit has been opened by some other means.
Switch, Isolating
A manually operated device used in conjunction with a transfer switch to provide a means of directly connecting load conductors to a power source and of disconnecting the transfer switch.
Switch, Bypass Isolation
The total components and subsystems that, in combination, convert solar energy into electrical energy suitable for connection to a utilization load.
Solar Photovoltaic System
Any electric circuit that energizes signaling equipment.
Signaling Circuit
Any window used or designed to be used for the display of goods or advertising material, whether it is fully or partly enclosed or entirely open at the rear and whether or not it has a platform raised higher than the street floor level.
Show Window
The value of current, time, or both, at which an adjustable circuit breaker is set to trip.
Setting (of circuit breakers)
The point of connection between the facilities of the serving utility and the premises wiring.
Service Point
The underground service conductors between the street main, including any risers at a pole or other structure or from transformers, and the first point of connection to the service entrance conductors in a terminal box or meter or other enclosure, inside or outside the building wall. Where there is no terminal box, meter, or other enclosure, the point of connection is considered to be the point of entrance of the service conductors into the building.
Service Lateral
The necessary equipment, usually consisting of a circuit breaker(s) or switch(es) and fuse(s) and their accessories, connected to the load end of service conductors to a building or other structure, or an otherwise designated area, and intended to constitute the main control and cutoff of the supply.
Service Equipment
The service conductors between the terminals of the service equipment and the point of connection to the service lateral.
Service-Entrance Conductors, Underground System
The service conductors between the terminals of the service equipment and a point usually outside the building, clear of building walls, where joined by tap or splice to the service drop.
Service-Entrance Conductors, Overhead System
The overhead service conductors from the last pole or other aerial support to and including the splices, if any, connecting to the service-entrance conductors at the building or other structure.
Service Drop
The conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.
Service Conductors
Service conductors made up in the form of a cable.
Service Cable
The conductors and equipment for delivering electric energy from the serving utility to the wiring system of the premises served.
Service
Any electric circuit that controls any other circuit through a relay or an equivalent device.
Remote-Control Circuit
An outlet where one or more receptacles are installed.
Receptacle Outlet
A receptacle is a contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug. A single receptacle is a single contact device with no other contact device on the same yoke. A multiple receptacle is two or more contact devices on the same yoke.
Receptacle
Constructed or protected so that exposure to a beating rain will not result in the entrance of water under specified test conditions.
Raintight
Constructed, protected, or treated so as to prevent rain from interfering with the successful operation of the apparatus under specified test conditions.
Rainproof
An enclosed channel of metal or nonmetallic materials designed expressly for holding wires, cables, or busbars, with additional functions as permitted in this Code. Raceways include, but are not limited to, rigid metal conduit, rigid nonmetallic conduit, intermediate metal conduit, liquid tight flexible conduit, flexible metallic tubing, flexible metal conduit, electrical nonmetallic tubing, electrical metallic tubing, underfloor raceways, cellular concrete floor raceways, cellular metal floor raceways, surface raceways, wireways, and busways.
Raceway
A single panel or group of panel units designed for assembly in the form of a single panel, including buses and automatic overcurrent devices, and equipped with or without switches for the control of light, heat, or power circuits; designed to be placed in a cabinet or cutout box placed in or against a wall, partition, or other support; and accessible only from the front.
Panelboard
Operation of equipment in excess of normal, full-load rating, or of a conductor in excess of rated ampacity that, when it persists for a sufficient length of time, would cause damage or dangerous overheating. A fault, such as a short circuit or ground fault, is not an overload.
Overload
Any current in excess of the rated current of equipment or the ampacity of a conductor. It may result from overload, short circuit, or ground fault.
Overcurrent
An arrangement of incandescent lamps, electric discharge lighting, or other electrically powered light sources to outline or call attention to certain features such as the shape of a building or the decoration of a window.
Outline Lightning
A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment.
Outlet
Action requiring personal intervention for its control. As applied to an electric controller, non-automatic control does not necessarily imply a manual controller, but only that personal intervention is necessary.
Non-automatic
A qualifying term indicating that the circuit breaker does not have any adjustment to alter the value of current at which it will trip or the time required for its operation.
Non-adjustable (as applied to circuit breakers)
A type of surface, flush, or freestanding raceway designed to hold conductors and receptacles, assembled in the field or at the factory.
Multi-outlet Assembly
An assembly of one or more enclosed sections having a common power bus and principally containing motor control units.
Motor Control Center
A switchgear assembly completely enclosed on all sides and top with sheet metal (except forventilating openings and inspection windows) containing primary power circuit switching, interrupting devices, or both, with buses and connections. The assembly may include control and auxiliary devices. Access to the interior of the enclosure is provided by doors, removable covers, or both.
Metal-Enclosed Power Switchgear
Installations under ground or in concrete slabs or masonry in direct contact with the earth; in locations subject to saturation with water or other liquids, such as vehicle washing areas; and in unprotected locations exposed to weather. Luminaire. A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps together with the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and protect the lamps and ballast (where applicable), and to connect the lamps to the power supply.
Location, Wet
A location not normally subject to dampness or wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under construction.
Location, Dry
Locations protected from weather and not subject to saturation with water or other liquids but subject to moderate degrees of moisture. Examples of such locations include partially protected locations under canopies, marquees, roofed open porches, and like locations, and interior locations subject to moderate degrees of moisture, such as some basements, some barns, and some cold storage warehouses.
Location, Damp
Conductor or conductive part intended to be energized in normal use.
Conductor or conductive part intended to be energized in normal use.
Equipment, materials, or services included in a list published by an organization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with evaluation of products or services, that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials or periodic evaluation of services, and whose listing states that the equipment, material, or services either meets appropriate designated standards or has been tested and found suitable for a specified purpose.
Listed
An outlet intended for the direct connection of a lampholder, a luminaire (lighting fixture), or a pendant cord lighting fixture), or a pendant cord terminating in a lampholder.
Lightning Outlet
Equipment or materials to which has been attached a label, symbol, or other identifying mark of an organization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with product evaluation, that maintains periodic inspection of production of labeled equipment or materials, and by whose labeling the manufacturer indicates compliance with appropriate standards or performance in a specified manner.
Labeled
Not readily accessible to persons unless special means for access are used.
Isolated (as applied to location)
A qualifying term indicating that there is purposely introduced a delay in the tripping action of the circuit breaker, which delay decreases as the magnitude of the current increases.
Inverse Time (as applied to circuit breakers)
A qualifying term indicating that no delay is purposely introduced in the tripping action of the circuit breaker.
Instantaneous Trip (as applied to circuit breakers)
The highest current at rated voltage that a device is intended to interrupt under standard test conditions.
Interrupting Rating
Any shaft way, hatchway, well hole, or other vertical opening or space in which an elevator or dumbwaiter is designed to operate.
Hoistway
An enclosure identified for use in underground systems, provided with an open or closed bottom, and sized to allow personnel to reach into, but not enter, for the purpose of installing, operating, or maintaining equipment or wiring or both.
Handhole Enclosure
Covered, shielded, fenced, enclosed, or otherwise protected by means of suitable covers, casings, barriers, rails, screens, mats, or platforms to remove the likelihood of approach or contact by persons or objects to a point of danger.
Guarded
The conductor used to connect the grounding electrode(s) to the equipment grounding conductor, to the grounded conductor, or to both, at the service, at each building or structure where supplied by a feeder(s) or branch circuit(s), or at the source of a separately derived system.
Grounding Electrode Conductor
A device that establishes an electrical connection to the earth.
Grounding Electrode
The conductor used to connect the non–current-carrying metal parts of equipment, raceways, and other enclosures to the system grounded conductor, the grounding electrode conductor, or both, at the service equipment or at the source of a separately derived system.
Grounding Conductor, Equipment
A conductor used to connect equipment or the grounded circuit of a wiring system to a grounding electrode or electrodes.
Grounding Conductor
A system intended to provide protection of equipment from damaging line-to-ground fault currents by operating to cause a disconnecting means to open all ungrounded conductors of the faulted circuit. This protection is provided at current levels less than those required to protect conductors from damage through the operation of a supply circuit overcurrent device.
Ground-Fault Protection of Equipment
Connected to ground without inserting any resistor or impedance device.
Grounded, Solidly
A system or circuit conductor that is intentionally grounded.
Grounded Conductor
A device intended for the protection of personnel that functions to de-energize a circuit or portion thereof within an established period of time when a current to ground exceeds the values established for a Class A device.
Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
Intentionally connected to earth through a ground connection or connections of sufficiently low impedance and having sufficient current-carrying capacity to prevent the buildup of voltages that may result in undue hazards to connected equipment or to persons.
Grounded, Effectively
Connected to earth or to some conducting body that serves in place of the earth.
Grounded
A conducting connection, whether intentional or accidental, between an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth or to some conducting body that serves in place of the earth.
Ground
An overcurrent protective device with a circuit-opening fusible part that is heated and severed by the passage of overcurrent through it.
Fuse
An accessory such as a locknut, bushing, or other part of a wiring system that is intended primarily to perform a mechanical rather than an electrical function.
Fittings
A string of outdoor lights that is suspended between two points.
Festoon Lighting
All circuit conductors between the service equipment, the source of a separately derived system, or other power supply source and the final branch-circuit overcurrent device.
Feeder
Apparatus enclosed in a case that is capable of withstanding an explosion of a specified gas or vapor that may occur within it and of preventing the ignition of a specified gas or vapor surrounding the enclosure by sparks, flashes, or explosion of the gas or vapor within, and that operates at such an external temperature that a surrounding flammable atmosphere will not be ignited thereby.
Explosion-proof Apparatus
Electrically connected to a source of voltage.
Energized
A general term including material, fittings, devices, appliances, luminaires (fixtures), apparatus, and the like used as a part of, or in connection with, an electrical installation.
Equipment
An electrical practitioner that has not complied with the requirements of RA 7920 or a qualified person with relevant education and experience to enable him or her to perceive risks and to avoid hazards which electricity can create.
Electrical Practitioner, Non-Licensed
One who has undergone training in electrical engineering and has complied with the requirements of Republic Act 7920 or otherwise known as the New Electrical Engineering Law.
Electrical Practitioner, Licensed
A fixed, stationary, or portable self-contained, electrically illuminated utilization equipment with words or symbols designed to convey information or attract attention.
Electric Sign
A building that consists solely of two dwelling units.
Dwelling, Two-Family
A building that contains three or more dwelling units.
Dwelling, Multifamily
A building that consists solely of one dwelling unit.
Dwelling, One-Family
A single unit, providing living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking, and sanitation.
Dwelling Unit
Operation at loads, and for intervals of time, both of which may be subject to wide variation.
Duty, Varying
Operation at a substantially constant load for a short and definite, specified time.
Duty, Short-Time
Intermittent operation in which the load conditions are regularly recurrent.
Duty, Periodic
Operation for alternate intervals of (1) load and no load; or (2) load and rest; or (3) load, no load, and rest.
Duty, Intermittent
Operation at a substantially constant load for an indefinitely long time.
Duty, Continuous
Constructed so that dust will not enter the enclosing case under specified test conditions.
Dust-tight
A device, or group of devices, or other means by which the conductors of a circuit can be disconnected from their source of supply.
Disconnecting Means
A unit of an electrical system that is intended to carry or control but not utilize electric energy.
Device
The ratio of the maximum demand of a system, or part of a system, to the total connected load of a system or the part of the system under consideration.
Demand Factor
Without live parts exposed to a person on the operating side of the equipment.
Dead Front
An enclosure designed for surface mounting that has swinging doors or covers secured directly to and telescoping with the walls of the box proper.
Cutout Box
Conductors drawn from a copper-clad aluminum rod with the copper metallurgically bonded to an aluminum core. The copper forms a minimum of 10 percent of the cross-sectional area of a solid conductor or each strand of a stranded.
Copper-Clad Aluminum Conductors.
A device or group of devices that serves to govern, in some predetermined manner, the electric power delivered to the apparatus to which it is connected.
Controller.
A load where the maximum current is expected to continue for 3 hours or more.
Continuous Load
A device that establishes a connection between two or more conductors or between one or more conductors and a terminal by means of mechanical pressure and without the use of solder.
Connector, Pressure (Solderless)
A conductor encased within material of composition and thickness that is recognized by this Code as electrical insulation.
Conductor, Insulated
A conductor encased within material of composition or thickness that is not recognized by this Code as electrical insulation.
Conductor, Covered
A conductor having no covering or electrical insulation whatsoever.
Conductor, Bare
\
A branch circuit that consists of two or more ungrounded conductors that have a voltage between them, and a grounded conductor that has equal voltage between it and each ungrounded conductor of the circuit and that is connected to the neutral or grounded conductor of the system.
Branch Circuit, Multiwire
A branch circuit that consists of two or more ungrounded conductors that have a voltage between them, and a grounded conductor that has equal voltage between it and each ungrounded conductor of the circuit and that is connected to the neutral or grounded conductor of the system.
A branch circuit that supplies only one utilization equipment.
Branch Circuit, Individual
A branch circuit that supplies two or more receptacles or outlets for lighting and appliances.
Branch Circuit, General-Purpose
A branch circuit that supplies two or more receptacles or outlets for lighting and appliances.
A branch circuit that supplies energy to one or more outlets to which appliances are to be connected and that has no permanently connected luminaires (lighting fixtures) that are not a part of an appliance.
Branch Circuit, Appliance
The connection between the grounded circuit conductor and the equipment grounding conductor at a separately derived system.
Bonding Jumper, System
The connection between the grounded circuit conductor and the equipment grounding conductor at the service.
Bonding Jumper, Main
A reliable conductor to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.
Bonding Jumper
The organization, office, or individual responsible for approving equipment, materials, an installation, or a procedure.
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
A generic term for a group of nonflammable synthetic chlorinated hydrocarbons used as electrical insulating media. Askarels of various compositional types are used. Under arcing conditions, the gases produced, while consisting predominantly of noncombustible hydrogen chloride, can include varying amounts of combustible gases, depending on the askarel type.
Askarel
Capable of being removed or exposed without damaging the building structure or finish or not permanently closed in by the structure or finish of the building.
Accessible (as applied to wiring methods)
Capable of being reached quickly for operation, renewal, or inspections without requiring those to whom ready access is requisite to climb over or remove obstacles or to resort to portable ladders, and so forth.
Accessible, Readily (Readily Accessible)
