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Residential ConstructionAcademy

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A u s t r a l i a C a n a d a M e x i c o S i n g a p o r e S p a i n U n i t e d K i n g d o m U n i t e d S t a t e s

Greg FletcherGreg Fletcher

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NOTICE TO THE READER

Publisher does not warrant or guarantee any of the products described herein or perform any independent analysis in connection with anyof the product information contained herein. Publisher does not assume, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to obtain and includeinformation other than that provided to it by the manufacturer.

The reader is expressly warned to consider and adopt all safety precautions that might be indicated by the activities herein and to avoid allpotential hazards. By following the instructions contained herein, the reader willingly assumes all risks in connection with such instructions.

The Publisher makes no representation or warranties of any kind, including but not limited to, the warranties of fitness for particular pur-pose or merchantability, nor are any such representations implied with respect to the material set forth herein, and the publisher takes noresponsibility with respect to such material. The publisher shall not be liable for any special, consequential, or exemplary damages result-ing, in whole or part, from the readers’ use of, or reliance upon, this material.

Residential Construction Academy: House WiringGreg Fletcher

Vice President, Technology and Trades SBU:Alar Elken

Editorial Director:Sandy Clark

Acquisitions Editor:Alison Weintraub

Development Editor:Monica Ohlinger

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Cover Photo:Randall Perry

COPYRIGHT © 2004 by Delmar Learning, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning™ is a trademark used herein under license.

Printed in the United States of America1 2 3 4 5 XX 05 04 03

For more information contact:Delmar LearningExecutive Woods5 Maxwell Drive, PO Box 8007, Clifton Park, NY 12065-8007Or find us on the World Wide Web athttp://www.delmarlearning.com

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work cov-ered by the copyright hereon may be reproducedor used in any form or by any means—graphic,electronic, or mechanical, including photocopy-ing, recording, taping, Web distribution orinformation storage and retrieval systems—without the written permission of the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataFletcher, Greg.

Residential construction academy : housewiring / Greg Fletcher.—1st ed.

p. cm.Includes index.

ISBN 1-4018-1371-2 (alk. paper)1. Electric wiring, Interior. 2. Dwellings—

Electric equipment. I. Title.TK3285.F58 2003621.319'24—dc21

Card Number: 2003012990

ISBN: 1-4018-1371-2

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Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

SECTION1 Preparing and Planning a

Residential Wiring Job . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 1 Residential Workplace SafetyGlossary of Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Understanding the Shock Hazard . . . . . . . . . 5National Electrical Code® . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA) . . . . . . . . 9Personal Protective Equipment . . . . . . . . . 11Ground Rules for General and

Electrical Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Classes of Fires and Types of

Extinguishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Suggested Procedure to Find Information in the NEC® . . . . . . . . 21

Suggested Lockout/Tagout Procedure . . . . . 21Suggested Procedure for Verifying

That Circuits Are Deenergized . . . . . . . . 21Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Chapter 2 Hardware and Materials Used in Residential Wiring . . . . . . 24Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Nationally Recognized

Testing Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Electrical Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Conductors and Cable Types . . . . . . . . . . . 31Raceways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Overcurrent Protection Devices . . . . . . . . . 49

v

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

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Panelboards, Loadcenters, and Safety Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Fasteners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Installing Aluminum Conductors . . . . . . . . 56Installing Toggle Bolts in a

Hollow Wall or Ceiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Installing a Lead (Caulking)

Anchor in a Concrete Wall Using a Setting Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Installing Plastic Anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59General Procedure for Installing

Threaded Fasteners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Chapter 3 Tools Used in Residential Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Common Hand Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Specialty Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Power Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Using a Screwdriver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Using a Wire Stripper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Using a Knife to Strip Insulation

from Large Conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Using an Adjustable Wrench . . . . . . . . . . . 83Using a Manual Knockout Punch to

Cut a Hole in a Metal Box . . . . . . . . . . . 84Setting Up and Using a Hacksaw . . . . . . . . 86Using Torque Screwdrivers or

Torque Wrenches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Using a Pistol Grip Power Drill . . . . . . . . . . 88Drilling a Hole in a Wooden Framing

Member with a Auger Bit and a Right-Angle Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Cutting a Hole in a Wooden Framing Member with a Hole Saw and aRight-Angle Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Drilling a Hole in Masonry with a Hammer Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Using a Circular Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Using a Reciprocating Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

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Chapter 4 Test and Measurement Instruments Used in Residential Wiring . . . . . . 96Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Continuity Testers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Voltage Testers and Voltmeters . . . . . . . . . 98Ammeters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Ohmmeters and Megohmmeters . . . . . . . . 103Multimeters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Watt-Hour Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Safety and Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Meter Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . 109Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Using a Continuity Tester . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Using a Voltage Tester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Using a Noncontact Voltage Tester . . . . . . 112Using an Analog Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . 113Using a Digital Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Using a Clamp-On Ammeter. . . . . . . . . . . 115Using an Analog Ohmmeter . . . . . . . . . . . 116Using a Megohmmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Using a Digital Multimeter . . . . . . . . . . . 118Reading a Kilowatt-Hour Meter . . . . . . . . 121

Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Chapter 5 Understanding Residential Building Plans. . . . . . 123Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Overview of Residential Building Plans . . . 126Common Architectural Symbols . . . . . . . . 132Electrical Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Residential Framing Basics . . . . . . . . . . . 135Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

SECTION 2 Residential Service

Entrances and Equipment . . . . . . 143

Chapter 6 Introduction to Residential Service Entrances . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

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Service Entrance Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148Service Entrance Terms

and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148Residential Service Requirements

(Article 230) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151Grounding Requirements for

Residential Services (Article 250) . . . . . 160Working with the Local

Utility Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Chapter 7 Residential Service Entrance Calculations . . . . . . . . . 174Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175Determining the Number

and Types of Branch Circuits . . . . . . . . 176Sizing the Service

Entrance Conductors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192Sizing the Loadcenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197Sizing Feeders and Subpanels . . . . . . . . . 198Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Calculation Steps: The Standard Method for a Single-Family Dwelling . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Calculation Steps: The Optional Method for a Single-Family Dwelling . . . . . . . . . . . . 202


Chapter 8 Service Entrance Equipment and Installation . . . . . 205Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Overhead Service Equipment

and Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207Overhead Service Installation . . . . . . . . . 212Underground Service Equipment,

Materials, and Installation . . . . . . . . . 219Service Panel Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . 222Subpanel Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225Service Entrance Upgrading . . . . . . . . . . 227Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

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SECTION 3 Residential Electrical

System Rough-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Chapter 9 General Requirements for Rough-In Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . 233Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234General Wiring Requirements . . . . . . . . . 235General Requirements

for Conductors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243General Requirements for

Electrical Box Installation . . . . . . . . . . 245Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Chapter 10 Electrical Box Installation . . . . . . 258Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259Selecting the Appropriate

Electrical Box Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260Sizing Electrical Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261Installing Nonmetallic Device Boxes . . . . . 267Installing Metal Device Boxes . . . . . . . . . 268Installing Lighting Outlet and

Junction Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270Installing Boxes in Existing Walls

and Ceilings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274

Installing Nometallic Device Boxes in New Construction . . . . . . . . . 274

Installing Metal Device Boxes in New Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Installing a Handy Box on a Wood Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

Installing a Handy Box on a Masonry Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

Installing Outlet Boxes with a Side-Mounting Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

Installing Outlet Boxes with an Adjustable Bar Hanger . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

Installing Old-Work Electrical Boxes in a Wood Lath and Plaster Wall or Ceiling . . 281

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Installing Old-Work Electrical Boxes in a Sheetrock Wall or Ceiling. . . . . . . . 282


Chapter 11 Cable Installation . . . . . . . . . . . 284Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285Selecting the Appropriate Cable Type . . . . 286Requirements for Cable Installation . . . . . 286Preparing the Cable for Installation . . . . . 295Installing the Cable Runs . . . . . . . . . . . . 296Starting the Cable Run. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Securing and Supporting

the Cable Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Installing Cable in

Existing Walls and Ceilings . . . . . . . . . 301Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305

Starting a Cable Run from a Loadcenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305


Chapter 12 Raceway Installation . . . . . . . . . 309Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310Selecting the Appropriate

Raceway Type and Size . . . . . . . . . . . . 311Introduction to Cutting,

Threading, and Bending Conduit. . . . . . 323Installation of Raceway in a

Residential Wiring System . . . . . . . . . . 327Raceway Conductor Installation . . . . . . . . 328Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

Cutting and Threading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330Bending a 90-Degree Stub-Up . . . . . . . . . 333Bending a Back-to-Back Bend . . . . . . . . . 335Bending an Offset Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337Bending a Three-Point Saddle . . . . . . . . . 340Box Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343


Chapter 13 Switching Circuit Installation . . . 347Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348Selecting the Appropriate Switch Type . . . 349Installing Single-Pole Switches . . . . . . . . . 351

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Installing Three-Way Switches . . . . . . . . . 355Installing Four-Way Switches . . . . . . . . . . 358Installing Switched Duplex Receptacles . . . 363Installing Double-Pole Switches . . . . . . . . 366Installing Dimmer Switches. . . . . . . . . . . 368Installing Ceiling Fan Switches . . . . . . . . 369Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372

Chapter 14 Branch-Circuit Installation . . . . . 374Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375Installing General Lighting

Branch Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376Installing Small-Appliance

Branch Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378Installing Electric Range

Branch Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379Installing the Branch Circuit for

Counter-Mounted Cooktops and Wall-Mounted Ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380

Installing the Garbage Disposal Branch Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383

Installing the Dishwasher Branch Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

Installing the Laundry Area Branch Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387

Installing the Electric Dryer Branch Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388

Installing the Bathroom Branch Circuit . . . 391Installing a Water Pump Branch Circuit . . . 391Installing an Electric Water Heater

Branch Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394Installing Branch Circuits for

Electric Heating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395Installing Branch Circuits for

Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400Installing the Branch Circuit for Gas

and Oil Central Heating Systems . . . . . . 404Installing the Smoke Detector

Branch Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405Installing the Low-Voltage Chime Circuit . . 406Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410Review Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411

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Chapter 15 Special Residential Wiring Situations. . . . . . . . . . . . 412Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413Installing Garage Feeders and

Branch Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414Installing Branch-Circuit Wiring for

a Swimming Pool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419Installing Outdoor Branch-Circuit Wiring . . 430Installing the Wiring for a Standby

Power System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

Connecting a Generator’s Electrical Power to the Critical Load Branch Circuits . . . . 438


Chapter 16 Video, Voice, and Data Wiring Installation . . . . . . . 441Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442Introduction to

EIA/TIA 570-A Standards . . . . . . . . . . 443Installing Residential Video,

Voice, and Data Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . 448Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456

Installing an F-Type Connector on an RG-6 Coaxial Cable. . . . . . . . . . . 456

Installing an RJ-45 Jack on the End of a Four-Pair UTP Category 5 Cable . . . . 457

Assembling a Patch Cord with RJ-45 Plugs Using a Length of Category 5 UTP Cable . . . . . . . . . . . 460


SECTION 4Residential Electrical

System Trim-Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465

Chapter 17 Lighting Fixture Installation . . . . 467Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468Lighting Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469Overview of Lamp Types Found

in Residential Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . 470

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Selecting the Appropriate Lighting Fixture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476

Installing Common Residential Lighting Fixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488

Installation Steps for Installing a Light Fixture Directly to an Outlet Box . . . . . . . . . . 488

Installation Steps for Installing a Cable-Connected Fluorescent Lighting Fixture Directly to the Ceiling . . . . . . . . . . . . 489

Installation Steps for the Installation of a Strap to Lighting Outlet Box Lighting Fixture . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490

Installation Steps for Installing a Chandelier-Type Light Fixture Using the Stud and Strap Connection to a Lighting Outlet Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491

Installation Steps for Installing a Fluorescent Fixture (Troffer) in a Dropped Ceiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492


Chapter 18 Device Installation. . . . . . . . . . . 495Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496Selecting the Appropriate

Receptacle Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497Ground Fault Circuit

Interrupter Receptacles . . . . . . . . . . . . 499Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter Receptacles . . 501Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors . . . . . 502Installing Receptacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503Selecting the Appropriate Switch . . . . . . . 506Installing Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

Connecting Wires Together with a Wirenut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

Using Terminal Loops to Connect Circuit Conductors to Terminal Screws on a Receptacle or Switch . . . . . 511

Installing Duplex Receptacles in a Nonmetallic Electrical Outlet Box . . . . . 512

Installing Duplex Receptacles in a Metal Electrical Outlet Box . . . . . . . . . 514

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Installing Feed-Through GFCI and AFCI Duplex Receptacles in Nonmetallic Electrical Outlet Boxes . . . . 515


Chapter 19 Service Panel Trim-Out . . . . . . . . 517Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518Understanding Residential

Overcurrent Protection Devices . . . . . . . 519GFCI and AFCI Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . 524Installing Circuit Breakers in a Panel . . . . 525Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528

Installing a Single-Pole Circuit Breaker for a 120-Volt Branch Circuit Installed with Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable (Type NM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528

Installing a Single-Pole GFCI CircuitBreaker for a 120-Volt BranchCircuit Installed with Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable (Type NM) . . . . . . . . . . 530

Installing a Single-Pole AFCI Circuit Breaker for a 120-Volt Bedroom Branch Circuit Installed with Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable (Type NM). . 532

Installing a Two-Pole Circuit Breaker for a 240-Volt Branch Circuit Installed with Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable (Type NM). . 534

Installing a Two-Pole Circuit Breaker for a 120/240-Volt Branch Circuit Installed withNonmetallic Sheathed Cable (Type NM). . 536


SECTION 5 Maintaining and Troubleshooting

a Residential Electrical

Wiring System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539

Chapter 20 Checking Out and Troubleshooting Electrical Wiring Systems . . . . . . 541Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542

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Determining if All Applicable NEC®Installation Requirements Are Met . . . . 543

Determining if the Electrical System is Working Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546

Troubleshooting Common Residential Electrical Circuit Problems . . . . . . . . . . 549

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553

Testing 120-Volt Receptacles with a Voltage Tester to Determine Proper Voltage, Polarity, and Grounding . . . . . . 553

Testing 120/240-Volt Range and Dryer Receptacles with a Voltage Tester to Determine Proper Voltage, Polarity, and Grounding . . . . . . . . . . . 555

Testing a Standard Three-Way Switching Arrangement . . . . . . . . . . . 559

Determining Which Receptacle Outlet Box Has a Ground Fault Using a Continuity Tester . . . . . . . . . . 561


Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575

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PrefacePreface

Home Builders Institute

Residential Construction Academy:

House Wiring

About the Residential Construction Academy Series

One of the most pressing problems confronting the building industry today is the shortage ofskilled labor. It is estimated that the construction industry must recruit 200,000 to 250,000new craft workers each year to meet future needs. This shortage is expected to continue wellinto the next decade because of projected job growth and a decline in the number of availableworkers. At the same time, the training of available labor is becoming an increasing concern

throughout the country. This lack of training opportunities has resulted in a shortage of 65,000 to 80,000skilled workers per year. The crisis is affecting all construction trades and is threatening the ability ofbuilders to build quality homes.

These are the reasons for the creation of the innovative Residential Construction Academy Series. TheResidential Construction Academy Series is the perfect way to introduce people of all ages to the buildingtrades while guiding them in the development of essential workplace skills including carpentry, electrical,HVAC, plumbing, and facilities maintenance. The products and services offered through the ResidentialConstruction Academy are the result of cooperative planning and rigorous joint efforts between industryand education. The program was originally conceived by the National Association of Home Builders—thepremier association of over 200,000 member groups in the residential construction industry—and its work-force development arm, the Home Builders Institute.

For the first time, Construction professionals and educators created National Skill Standards for theConstruction trades. In the summer of 2001, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), throughthe Home Builders Institute (HBI), began the process of developing residential craft standards in fivetrades: carpentry, electrical wiring, HVAC, plumbing, and facilities maintenance. Groups of electricalemployers from across the country met with an independent research and measurement organization tobegin the development of new craft training Skill Standards. The guidelines from the National SkillsStandards Board were followed in developing the new standards. In addition, the process met or exceededthe American Psychological Association standards for occupational credentialing.

Then, through a partnership between HBI and Delmar Learning, learning materials—textbooks, videos,and instructor’s curriculum and teaching tools—were created to effectively teach these standards. A foun-dational tenant of this series is that students learn by doing. A constant focus of the ResidentialConstruction Academy is teaching the skills needed to be successful in the Construction industry and con-stantly applying the learning to real world applications.

Perhaps most exciting to learners and industry is the creation of a National Registry of students whohave successfully completed courses in the Residential Construction Academy Series. This registry, like atranscript service, provides an opportunity for easy access for verification of skills and competenciesachieved. The Registry links construction industry employers and qualified potential employees togetherin an online database facilitating student job search and the employment of skilled workers.

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About This BookAbout This Book

home is an essential part of life. It provides protection, security, and privacy to the occupants.It is often viewed as the single most important thing a family can own. This book is writtenfor the students who want to learn how to wire a home.

House Wiring covers the basic electrical wiring principles and practices, with NationalElectrical Code® references, used in the installation of residential electrical wiring systems.

Wiring practices that are commonly used in today’s residential electrical market are discussed in detailand presented in a way that not only tells what needs to be done, but also shows how to do it. Both gen-eral safety and electrical safety are stressed throughout the textbook.

This textbook provides a resource for the areas in residential wiring that are required of an entry-levelelectrician, including the basic “hands-on” skills, as well as more advanced theoretical knowledge neededto gain job proficiency. In addition to topics such as calculating conductor size, calculating voltage drop,determining appliance circuit requirements, sizing service entrance conductors, grounding services andequipment and many other aspects of residential electrical installation, this text focuses on “hands-on”wiring skills, such as the proper usage of hand and power tools, splicing wires together properly, attach-ing electrical boxes to a wood or metal stud or fishing a cable in an existing wall. The format is intend-ed to be easy to learn and easy to teach.

Organization

This textbook is organized in the same way that a typical residential wiring project unfolds. The fivemajor sections cover the installation of a residential wiring system from start to finish:

• Section 1: Preparing and Planning a Residential Wiring Job is designed to show students howto apply common safety practices, how to use materials, tools and testing instruments, and how toread and understand building plans.

• Section 2: Residential Service Entrances and Equipment shows how to install the necessaryequipment to get electrical power from the electric utility to the dwelling unit before permanentpower is established.

• Section 3: Residential Electrical System Rough-In demonstrates how to install electrical boxesand run cable or raceway according to the electrical circuit requirements.

• Section 4: Residential Electrical System Trim-Out involves installing all of the switches, recep-tacles, and luminaires (lighting fixtures) throughout the house.

• Section 5: Maintaining and Troubleshooting a Residential Electrical Wiring System explainshow to test each circuit to make sure they are to code and in proper working order. It also shows howto troubleshoot and correct problems to ensure a satisfied customer.

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A

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Features

This innovative series was designed with input from educators and industry and informed by the curricu-lum and training objectives established by the Standards Committee. The following features aid learning:

Learning Features such as the In-troduction, Objectives, and Glos-sary set the stage for the comingbody of knowledge and help thelearner identify key concepts and in-formation. These learning featuresserve as a road map for continuingthrough the chapter. The learner alsomay use them as a reference later.

Active Learning is a core concept of the Residential Con-struction Academy Series. Information is heavily illustrated to providea visual of new tools and tasks encountered by the learner. Chapters alsocontain a Procedures section that takes the information and applies it sothat learning is accomplished through doing. In the Procedures, varioustasks used in home construction aregrouped in a step-by-step approach. Theoverall effect is a clear view of the task,making learning easier.

Safety is featured throughout the text to instill safety as an “attitude”among learners. Safe jobsite practices by all workers is essential; if oneperson acts in an unsafe manner all workers on the job are at risk ofbeing injured too. Learners will come to appreciate that safety is ablend of ability, skill, and knowledge that should be continuously applied to all they do in the Construction industry.

Caution features highlight safety issues and urgent safety reminders for the trade.

# 41240Cust: Delmar Au: Flecher Pg. No. 146

Title: Residential Construction Academy: House Wirin ISBN#: 1-4018-1371-2 C/M/Y/KShort / Normal

accessible, readily (readily ac-

cessible) capable of being reached

quickly for operation, renewal, or in-

spections without requiring a person

to climb over or remove obstacles or

to use portable laddersbonding the permanent joining of

metal parts to form an electrically

conductive path that ensures electri-

cal continuity and the capacity to

conduct safely any current likely to be

imposed on the metal object; the pur-

pose of bonding is to establish an ef-

fective path for fault current that

facilitates the operation of the over-

current protective devicebonding jumper a conductor used

to ensure electrical conductivity be-

tween metal parts that are required to

be electrically connectedconcentric knockout a series of re-

movable metal rings that allow the

knockout size to vary according to

how many of the metal rings are re-

moved; the center of the knockout

hole stays the same as more rings are

removed; some standard residential

wiring sizes are 1⁄2, 3⁄4, 1, 1 1⁄4, 1 1⁄2, 2,

and 2 1⁄2 inchesdrip loop an intentional loop put in

service entrance conductors at the

point where they extend from a

weatherhead; the drip loop conducts

rainwater to a lower point than the

weatherhead, helping to ensure that

no water will drip down the service

entrance conductors and into the me-

ter enclosureeccentric knockout a series of re-

movable metal rings that allow a

knockout size to vary according to

how many of the metal rings are re-

moved; the center of the knockout

hole changes as more metal rings are

removed; common sizes are the same

as for concentric knockouts

equipment a general term including

material, fittings, devices, appliances,

luminaires (lighting fixtures), appara-

tus, and other parts used in connec-

tion with an electrical installation

equipment-grounding conductor

the conductor used to connect the

non-current-carrying metal parts of

equipment, raceways, and other en-

closures to the system-grounded con-

ductor, the grounding electrode

conductor, or both at the service

equipmentground a conducting connection,

whether intentional or accidental, be-

tween an electrical circuit or equip-

ment and the earth or to some

conducting body that serves in place

of the earthgrounded connected to earth or to

some conducting body that serves in

place of the earthgrounded conductor a system or

circuit conductor that is intentionally

groundedgrounding conductor a conductor

used to connect equipment or the

grounded conductor of a wiring system

to a grounding electrode or electrodes

grounding electrode a part of the

building service entrance that con-

nects the grounded service

(neutral) conductorto theearth

grounding electrode conductor the

conductor used to connect the ground-

ing electrode to the equipment-

grounding conductor, to the grounded

conductor, or to both at the service

main bonding jumper a jumper

used to provide the connection be-

tween the grounded service conductor

and the equipment-grounding conduc-

tor at the servicemeter enclosure the weatherproof

electrical enclosure that houses the

kilowatt-hour meter; also called the

“meter socket” or “meter trim”

riser a length of raceway that ex-

tends up a utility pole and encloses

the service entrance conductors in an

underground service entrance

service the conductors and equip-

ment for delivering electric energy

from the serving utility to the wiring

system of the premises served

service conductors the conductors

from the service point to the service

disconnecting meansservice drop the overhead service

conductors from the last pole to the

point connecting them to the service

entrance conductors at the building

service entrance cable service con-

ductors made up in the form of a cable

Glossary of Terms

146SECTION TWO Resident ia l Serv ice Entrances and Equipment

One of the most important parts of a residential electrical sys-

tem is the service entrance. The service entrance provides a

way for the home electrical system to get electrical power

from the electric utility company. This chapter discusses the most

common items involved in preparing and planning for the installa-

tion of a residential service entrance, service entrance terminology,

and several important National Electrical Code rules that electri-

cians must apply when installing a residential service entrance.

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this chapter, the student should be able to:

X demonstrate an understanding of an overhead and an underground resi-

dential service entrance.

X demonstrate an understanding of how to establish temporary and per-

manent power with an electric utility company.

X define common residential service entrance terms.

X demonstrate an understanding of National Electrical Code (NEC) re-

quirements for residential service entrances.

X demonstrate an understanding of grounding and bonding requirements

for residential service entrances.

X list several NEC requirements that pertain to residential service en-

trances.

X demonstrate an understanding of common electric utility company

requirements.

Chapter 6Introduction

to Residential

Service EntrancesIntroduction

to Residential

Service Entrances

145

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Procedures Bending a Back-to-Back Bend

Follow these procedures for bending a back-to-back bend in a length

of 1/2-inch EMT with a hand bender. For this example, leg 1 of the

bend will be 25 inches high and leg 2 will be 30 inches high. The ac-

tual length of the bend from the outside of one leg to the outside of

the other leg will be 48 inches.

• Wear safety glasses and observe

all applicable safety rules.

• Subtract the “take-up” from the

finished stub height for leg 1.

Since the first leg is to be 25

inches high, 25 inches � 5 inches

(1/2-inch EMT bender take-up) �

20 inches.

• Measure 20 inches back from one

end of the conduit and mark this

dimension clearly on the conduit.

• Place the conduit on a flat sur-

face, such as the floor.

Line up the arrow on the EMT ben-

der with the mark on the conduit.

Apply constant foot pressure to

the bender and bend the conduit

to 90 degrees. You should now

have leg 1 bent to a 90-degree

angle with a height of 25 inches.

B

A

A

B

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CHAPTER 12 Raceway Installation 335

About This Book xix

CAUTION: Garages that are unfinished result in ex-

posed runs of the wiring method used to install the

branch-circuit wiring. Some electrical inspectors

may not allow wiring methods such as nonmetallic

sheathed cable to be used exposed in a garage be-

cause it is considered to be exposed to physical

damage. In these instances, a metal-clad cable or

conduit wiring system may have to be installed in

an unfinished garage. Always check with the au-

thority having jurisdiction to make sure the wiring

method you are using is allowed in an unfinished

garage (or basement).

CHAPTER 15 Special Residential Wiring Situations 417Detached GarageIf a garage is detached from the main house, the NEC does

not require that electrical power be brought to it. However,

if electrical power is brought to a detached garage, the same

rules apply as those for an attached garage (Figure 15–6). In

other words, at least one 120-volt receptacle outlet and at

least one wall switch–controlled lighting outlet must be in-

stalled. The same GFCI requirement for an attached garage

must be applied to a detached garage with electrical power

brought to it. The wiring practices described for an attached

garage are also followed when installing the branch-circuit

wiring in a detached garage.If a detached garage is going to be supplied with elec-

trical power, there are two ways to accomplish this: either

install overhead conductors from the main house to the de-

tached garage or install underground wiring from the main

house to the detached garage. If there is not much of an

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Title: Residential Construction Academy: House Wirin ISBN#: 1-4018 13 C/M/Y

AT LEAST ONE LIGHTING OUTLETCONTROLLED BY A WALL SWITCH

OUTSIDE EXITS MUST HAVE ILLUMINATION

AT LEAST ONE RECEPTACLE(GFCI PROTECTED)

THE OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR IS NOT

CONSIDERED AN ENTRANCE OR EXIT AND DOES NOT REQUIRE A LIGHTING

OUTLET(S) TO BE INSTALLED OVER IT

OR NEXT TO IT

Figure 15–6 A detached garage that meets the minimum NEC requirements when electrical power is brought to it. Remember that a

detached garage is not required to have electrical power brought to it, but if it is, the NEC requirements are the same as those for an

attached garage.

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From Experience provides tricks of the trade andmentoring wisdom that make a particular task a littleeasier for the novice to accomplish.

first, the traveler wires will be red and white in color.

The white traveler conductors will need to be reidenti-

fied with black tape at each switch location.

• Most four-way switch traveler terminals are vertically

configured. This means that when the four-way switch

is positioned in a vertical position, the top two screws

have the same color and are a traveler terminal pair. The

bottom two screws are the other traveler terminal pair

and have the same color. Remember that the colors of

each traveler pair is different.

• Like a three-way switch, there is no marking for the

“On” or “Off” position of the toggle on the four-way

switch, so it does not make any difference which way it

is positioned in the electrical device box.

The following applications will assume the use of nonmetal-

lic sheathed cable with nonmetallic boxes.Four-Way Switching Circuit 1

Follow these steps when installing a four-way switching

circuit with the power source feeding the first three-way

switch location (Figure 13–14):1. Always wear safety glasses and observe all applicable

safety rules.2. At the lighting fixture box, connect the bare

grounding conductors to the grounding connection of

the lighting fixture. If the fixture does not have any

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360 SECTION THREE Resident ia l E lect r ica l System Rough-In

metal parts that must be grounded, simply fold the

grounding conductor into the back of the box.

Remember that a nonmetallic box does not require the

circuit-grounding conductor to be connected to it.

3. At the lighting fixture box, connect the white

insulated grounded conductor to the silver screw

terminal or wire identified as the grounded wire on the

lighting fixture.4. At the lighting fixture box, connect the black “hot”

ungrounded conductor to the brass screw or a wire

identified as the ungrounded conductor on the

lighting fixture.

Some four-way switches are made with the traveler ter-

minals in a horizontal configuration. They are not very

common, and because they are not encountered very of-

ten, they can confuse an electrician who is making con-

nections at four-way switch locations. With this type of

switch configuration, the traveler terminal pairs having

the same color are located on the same side of the switch.

Always look at the manufacturer’s instructions when us-

ing four-way switches to determine whether the traveler

terminals are configured vertically or horizontally.

FROM EXPERIENCE

S3

S4

S3

THREE-WIRECABLE

TWO-WIRECABLE

TWO-WIRECABLE

S3#1

S4#1

S3#2

120-VOLTFEEDTHREE-WIRECABLE

A

B

Figure 13–14 A cabling diagram (A) and a wiring diagram (B) for a switching circuit that has a four-way switch and two three-way

switches controlling a lighting load. The power source is feeding the first three-way switch location. No grounding conductors are shown.

Review QuestionsDirections: Answer the following items with clear and

complete responses.

b The most often used category rated UTP cable for

wiring from various outlets back to the service cen-

ter in a residential application is _____.

c The minimum bending radius for a Category 5–rated

cable is recommended to be no less than _____

times the diameter of the cable.

d The minimum bending radius for a coaxial cable is

recommended to be no less than _____ times the di-

ameter of the cable.

e Define the term “structured cabling.”

f Name the EIA/TIA standard that is used as a guide

for the installation of a structured cabling system in

a residential application.

g Describe why each pair of wires in the voice and

data cables used in a residential structured cabling

system is twisted.

h Describe the difference between a 568-A and a

568-B connection.

i What do the letters “IDC” stand for?

j What is the maximum amount of pulling force that

an electrician can exert on a Category 5 cable?

1) Name the document that contains the installation

requirements for a structured cabling system that

must be followed.

1! A _____ is the rating, based on the bandwidth per-

formance, of UTP cable.

1@ A type of coaxial cable that is “quad shielded” and

is used in residential structured cabling systems to

carry video signals such as cable and satellite televi-

sion is called _____.

1# The popular name given to an eight-pin connector or

jack used to terminate UTP cable is _____.

1$ A _____ _____ is the short length of cable with an

RJ-45 plug on either end and is used to connect a

home computer to the work area outlet.

1% The standard color coding for a four-pair UTP cable is:

• Pair 1: tip is _____; ring is _____




463 2

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CHAPTER 16 Video, Voice, and Data Wiring Installation 463

xx RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY: HOUSE WIRING

Review Questions complete each chapter. These are de-signed to reinforce the information learned in the chapteras well as give the learner the opportunity to think aboutwhat has been learned and what they have accomplished.

Turnkey Curriculum and Teaching Material Package

We understand that a text is only one part of a complete, turnkey educational system. We also understandthat Instructors want to spend their time on teaching, not preparing to teach. The Residential ConstructionAcademy Series is committed to providing thorough curriculum and prepatory materials to aid Instructors andalleviate some of their heavy preparation commitments. An integrated teaching solution is ensured with thetext, Instructor’s e.resource ™, print Instructor’s Resource Guide, Student Videos, and CD Courseware.

e.resource™

Delmar Learning’s e.resource™ is a complete guide to classroom management. The CD-ROM containslecture outlines, notes to instructors with teaching hints, cautions, and answers to review questions, andother aids for the Instructor using this Series. Designed as a complete and integrated package, theInstructor is also provided with suggestions for when and how to use the accompanying PowerPoint,Computerized Test Bank, Video Package, and CD Courseware package components. A print Instructor’sResource Guide is also available.

PowerPoint

The series includes a complete set of PowerPoint Presentations providing lecture outlines that can beused to teach the course. Instructors may teach from this outline or can make changes to suit individualclassroom needs.

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Computerized Testbank

The Computerized Testbank contains hundreds of questions that can be used for in-class assignments,homework, quizzes, or tests. Instructors can edit the questions in the testbank, or create and save newquestions.

Videos

The House Wiring Video Series is an integrated part of the Residential Construction Academy HouseWiring package. The series contains a set of eight, 20-minute videos that provide step-by-step instruc-tion for wiring a house. All the essential information is covered in this series, beginning with the impor-tant process of reviewing the plans and following through to the final phase of testing andtroubleshooting. Need to know NEC® articles are highlighted, and Electrician’s Tips and Safety Tips offerpractical advice from the experts.

The complete set includes the following: Video #1: Safety and Safe Practices, Video #2: Hardware, Video#3: Tools, Video #4: Initial Review of Plans, Video #5: Rough-In, Video #6: Service Entrance, Video #7:Trim-Out, Video #8: Testing & Troubleshooting.

CD Courseware

This package also includes computer-based training that uses video, animation, and testing to intro-duce, teach, or remediate the concepts covered in the videos. Students will be pre-tested on the materi-al and then, if needed, provided with the suitable remediation to ensure understanding of the concepts.Post-tests can be administered to ensure that students have gained mastery of all material.

Online Companion

The Online Companion is an excellent supplement for students. It features many useful resources tosupport the House Wiring book, videos, and CDs. Linked from the Student Materials section of www.residentialacademy.com, the Online Companion includes chapter quizzes, an online glossary, productupdates, related links, and more.

About This Book xxi

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About the AuthorAbout the Author

The author of this textbook, Gregory W. Fletcher, has over 25 years of experience in the electricalfield. He has taught electrical wiring practices at both the secondary level and the post-secondary level and has been licensed, first as a Journeyman and then a Master Electrician, since1976. He has taught apprenticeship electrical courses and has facilitated workshops ranging fromFiber Optics for Electricians to Understanding Electrical Calculations. The knowledge gained over

those years, specifically on what works and what does not work to effectively teach electrical wiring prac-tices, was used as a guide to help determine the focus of this text.

Since 1988 he has been Department Chairman of the Trades and Technology Department and anElectrical Instructor at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield, Maine. He holds an Associate ofApplied Science Degree in Electrical Construction and Maintenance, a Bachelor of Science Degree in AppliedTechnical Education and a Master of Science Degree in Industrial Education. Mr. Fletcher is a member ofthe International Association of Electrical Inspectors, The National Fire Protection Association, and theInstrument Society of America. At present, he lives in Waterville, Maine with his wife and daughter.

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AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

House Wiring National Skill Standards

The NAHB and the HBI would like to thank the many individual members and com-panies that participated in the creation of the House Wiring National Skills Standards.Special thanks are extended to the following individuals and companies:

John Gaddis, Home Builders Institute Electrical InstructorStephen L. Herman, Lee CollegeRoy Hogue, TruRoy ElectricalFred Humphreys, Home Builders InstituteMark Huth, Delmar LearningRay Mullin, Wisconsin Schools of Vocational, Technical and Adult EducationRon Rodgers, Wasdyke Associates/Employment ResearchJack Sanders, Home Builders InstituteClarence Tibbs, STE Electrical Systems, Inc.Ray Wasdyke, Wasdyke Associates

In addition to the standards committee, many other people contributed their timeand expertise to the project. They have spent hours attending focus groups, reviewingand contributing to the work. Delmar Learning and the author extend our sincere grat-itude to:

DeWain Belote, Pinellas Technical Education CentersMike Brumbach, York Technical CollegeMark Caskey, Lancaster Vocational SchoolGary Reiman, Dunwoody Institute

Finally, the author would like to express a special thanks to David Gehlauf of Tri-County Vocational School in Nelsonville, Ohio, for lending his time and expertise to thiswriting project. Many of David’s ideas and observations found their way into this text-book. David’s contributions, especially in Chapters 17, 18, and 19, helped the authormeet his goal of writing a residential wiring textbook that was up-to-date, easy-to-use,and technically accurate.

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