Electical Contractor

CODE CITATIONS Article 210—Branch Circuits Article 250—Grounding Article 424—Fixed Electric Space Heating Equipment Article 700—Emergency Systems Bonding gas piping Q: The November 2000 issue of Electrical Contractor magazine included a question about the required size of the bonding conductor to be

With the growing reports of energy demand exceeding supply, the attractiveness of energy conservation devices has begun to resurface.

When I went through “Firefighter 101” training, the instructors emphasized that the primary purpose of a fire department is to prevent fires, not to put them out. The old adage that, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” applies to the power quality world as well.

One of my favorite scenes from the “Wizard of Oz” is when Dorothy stops at the traveling magician’s (soon-to-be Wizard’s) trailer. He tells her future by looking into the crystal ball while rummaging through her belongings for information about her when she closes her eyes.

While the screwdriver may still be one of the best tools for troubleshooting power- quality-related problems, another tool is very useful in determining the equipment’s susceptibility to the quality of the electrical supply.

A plethora of solutions, often called “mitigating devices,” is being marketed for power quality-related problems. Choosing the best one for a particular facility and its problems is similar to prescribing the right medicine for an illness.

The quality of electrical power is an issue that most of us tend to leave unmeasured and unexamined. The general feeling seems to be: "Lights are on, no problem." Yet U.S. companies waste an estimated $26 billion a year in lost time and revenue stemming from electrical power-related problems.