|  | | | | | | Welcome to the inaugural episode of “EC&M Asks,” a new short video series featuring SMEs answering reader-submitted questions regarding popular electrical topics in 10 minutes or less. In Episode 1, Randy Barnett discusses grounding and bonding basics. |
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| | | | Batteries can be a reassuring backup for residential and commercial buildings when grid power goes down, and they’re critical to the reliability of wind and solar power systems. But appropriate testing and maintenance are key to ensuring that a battery system is ready when needed. |
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| | | | A money pig is a pool of cost that is big relative to other costs in its category or in general. Manufacturing plants stopped stockpiling every conceivable spare part for things that rarely fail or cost a lot of money to stock. Another cost that many plants started cutting is maintenance labor. The result is the maintenance department appears to operate... |
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| | | | A developer in the area bought a 30-unit apartment complex a few weeks ago. The previous owner contracted with a handyman to be the maintenance man. Old trouble tickets show what to the developer seems like a high incidence of complaints about electrical problems. He’s compiled a list of the top three complaints. The bigger problem is the same problems... |
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| | | | Art. 430, Part XII provides the NEC requirements for the protection of the live parts of motor systems, regardless of the voltage. But this wording is potentially misleading. It isn’t the live parts you are protecting, it’s the people who may come into contact with those parts. The reason for this wording is you apply the protection to the live parts... |
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| | | | FREE PREMIUM CONTENT: In Episode 19 of “EC&M Tech Talks,” Randy Barnett, a journeyman electrician, inspector, author, trainer, and electrical safety expert, takes a typically dry topic — electrical theory — and reviews the basics that benefit workers in the field. Electrical codes and standards are based on the physical attributes of electricity. Sine... |
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| | | | NECA 2022 has begun in Austin, Texas! The Editorial Team of EC&M is at the show and got a chance to check out all of the latest product innovations being showcased on the show floor. As always, this year's show has a great selection of products designed to help electrical contractors work more efficiently, safely, and quickly. In this gallery, Group... |
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| | Advertisement | | Two locations: Seattle and Boston! Register now for EC&M’s 2-day Code Change Conferences! |
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| | | | Check out the products that EC&M is highlighting on Day 2 of the NECA Convention and Trade Show. |
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| | | | While the DC power industry has more than its fair share of challenges, one stands above the rest: the lack of adequately trained stationary battery technicians. A recent study of data center outages by the Uptime Institute estimates that almost two-thirds of all unplanned outages are associated with human error. Most of these events occur when technicians... |
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| | | | With the accelerated adoption of variable renewable energy sources (VREs) and distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar and electric vehicles, to say the energy landscape has changed over the last 10 to 15 years would be an understatement. Here's a look at how and why microgrids are transforming the electrical industry. |
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| | | | Knowing the NEC rules for transformers is only a start. Article 450 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) opens by saying, “This article covers the installation of all transformers.” Then it lists eight exceptions. So, what does it really cover? |
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| | | | Fill in the blank. Where Type NM cable is run at angles with joists in unfinished basements and crawl spaces, it is permissible to secure cables not smaller than _____conductors directly to the lower edges of the joist. |
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| | | | Take this quiz about Halloween and enter for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Amazon, iTunes, or Cabela’s! |
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