Commonly misunderstood/misapplied terms, part 7.
- Raceway. This term isn't so much misunderstood as just not used when and where it should be. Instead, many people incorrectly say "conduit." However, conduit is a specific type of raceway, and it does not include EMT or other types of tubing. Raceway does. Raceway is any enclosed channel (metallic or nonmetallic) designed expressly for holding wires, cables, or busbars.
- Rainproof. This isn't the same as watertight or weatherproof. If you're going to install an enclosure in an area with operator washdown, rainproof might seem like a good choice. After all, the operator is washing down — the same direction rain falls. But is the operator always going to spray down, not up? The test conditions for the rainproof designation are probably not similar to the conditions of actual use indoors in a given washdown area.
- Receptacle. Be careful you don't leave off the "modifier" on this term; be specific. A "single receptacle" has a single contact device on one yoke and a "multiple receptacle" has two or more contact devices on one yoke. A duplex receptacle has two contact devices on one yoke. In industrial applications, it's common to find a multiple receptacle (often as a strip) with four, six, or even eight contact devices.
