03/25/2009 Agenda • Residential circuits • Improving power consumption • Sockets • Switches • Cables • Protection devices • Service panel • Distribution panels • Electrical symbols Residential Circuits • Residential loads are connected in parallel, since the voltage remains the same through the loads and if a circuit fails it does not affect the others • Purelly resistor load (e.g. lights, toaster) – Demand P = VIcos(av – ai) – cos(av – ai) is the power factor • If a motor is added (e.g. celing fan, refrigerator) – Demand Q = VIsin(av – ai), as well as P – sin(av – ai) is the reactive factor Improving Power Consumption • Add a capacitor/capacitor block in parallel to the load • Make sure is the right one • Don’t add it to purely resistor circuits Sockets • A power socket is used for connecting appliances. • Big hole specifies the neutral end (to source) • Small specifies the hot end (from source) • Examples – 125V @ 15A – 125V @ 20A – 230V @ 30A – Ground Fault – Arc Fault Switches • Switches allow the user to control a load (on/off) • Examples – Single – Double – 3 way – 4 way – Combined – Pilot light Cables • Black – hot, connection from the AC source to switch typically • Red – return, connection from switch to load • White – neutral, connection from load back to the AC source, it closes the circuit • Green – ground, protects people from electrically charged metal parts Size of Cables • 14: minimum approved width in United States for residential wiring. In PR we can use it for lamps wiring • 12: minimum approved width in Puerto Rico for residential wiring • 2: cable used from service panel to distribution panel, passes up to 100A of current Size of Cables (cont.) Protection Devices • Breakers: work like a fuse, opens current path when threshold is exceeded. This protects the circuits from high currents, no protection to people • Ground connection: connection to ground so that users are protected from alternate current paths, like breakers they open the current path but when a current change is found Service Panel • Nude cable comes from transformer • It then changes to a white cable and connects to the box • From here a connection to breaker and ground is done Distribution Panels • Load balancing: the act of distributing equally all 120V loads Electrical Symbols