Electrical Wiring Residential 17th Edition

Book Preface

STOP . . . Don’t read any further . . . yet. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how to use this text to get the most benefit from it. Think of it as a three-legged stool. One leg is this text, the second leg is the 2011 edition of the National Electrical Code®, and the third leg is the set of Plans that are in the packet in the inside back cover. If any one of the legs is missing, the stool will collapse. Stated another way, you will not get as much out of this course. When you have completed all of the chapters in Electrical Wirin —Residential, you will have virtually wired a typical house according to the requirements of the 2011 National Electrical Code. An accomplishment you can be proud of!

The NEC ® defines a “qualified person” as One who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of the electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training to recognize and avoid the hazards involved.*

Electrical Wiring—Residential is intended for use in residential wiring courses at high schools, two-year and four-year colleges, as well as apprenticeship training programs. This comprehensive book guides readers, room by room, through the wiring of a typical residence and builds a foundation of knowledge by starting with the basic requirements of the National Electrical Code (NEC), then continuing on to the more advanced wiring methods. Each Code rule is presented through text, illustrations, examples, and wiring diagrams. In addition, an accompanying set of plans at the back of the book guides the reader through the wiring process by applying concepts learned in each chapter to an actual residential building in order to understand and meet the requirements set forth by the NEC.

An Important Note about Safety

In the educational field, it is pretty much a given that “Society will pay for education . . . one way or another.” Proper training of a skilled trade is much better than hit-or-miss learning. Having to do the job over, having a house burn down, or having someone get electrocuted because of improper wiring is costly! It really doesn’t take any longer to do it right the first time than to have to do it over. You probably have heard the phrase “Measure twice . . . cut once. Measure once . . . cut twice.”

How true!
Electrical wiring is a skilled trade. Wiring should not be done by anyone not familiar with the hazards involved. It is a highly technical skill that requires much training. This material provides all of the electrical codes and standards information needed to approach house wiring in a safe manner. In fact, Electrical Wiring— Residential has been adopted as the core text by the major electrical apprenticeship programs across the country. Their residential curriculum program directors and committee members made this text their top choice for their residential wiring training.

Electrical Wiring—Residential will provide you with the know-how so you can wire houses that “Meet Code.”

Electrical Wiring—Residential has become an integral part of approved (accredited) training programs by an increasing number of states that require residential electricians to have a residential license if they are going to wire homes and small apartments. The NEC has one thing in mind—safety! There is too much at stake to do less than what the NEC requires. Anything less is unacceptable! The NEC in 90.1(A) makes it pretty clear. It states that The purpose of this Code is the practical safeguarding of persons and property from hazards arising from the use of electricity.*

Do not work on live circuits! Always deenergize the system before working on it! There is no compromise when it comes to safety! Many injuries and deaths have occurred when individuals worked on live equipment. The question is always: “Would the injury or death have occurred had the power been shut off?” The answer is “No!” All mandatory safety-related work practices are found in the Federal Regulation Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Title 29, Subpart S—Electrical, Sections 1910.331 through 1910.360.