Inspector's Tips
Oct 1, 2005, By Tom Garvey, electrical inspector for the state of Wisconsin
Follow these tips so your wirewayless wiring installation passes inspection. Following the NEC guidelines, install electrical wiring and equipment in...
Short Circuits
Oct 1, 2005,
Where There's Smoke After graduating from high school in 1985, my father a line supervisor with the local power company found me a job with an electrician....
Getting Inside an Owner's Head
Oct 1, 2005,
The FMI/CMAA Sixth Annual Survey of Owners, released this fall and conducted by Raleigh, N.C.-based FMI Corp. and the Construction Management Association...
Mobile Safety Plan
Oct 1, 2005,
Safety is a major concern for any electrical construction and maintenance company, yet the latest safety initiative by EMCOR Group, Inc., Norwalk, Conn.,...
Ask Mister Sparky
Oct 1, 2005,
Need some help improving your electrical service business? Just ask Mister Sparky (AKA Patrick Kennedy). As the owner of Mister Sparky, Inc. in Atlanta...
Ask Mister Sparky
Sep 1, 2005,
Need some help improving your electrical service business? Just ask Mister Sparky (AKA Patrick Kennedy). As the owner of Mister Sparky, Inc. in Atlanta...
Creating a Culture of Safety
Sep 1, 2005,
Once an accident happens, it's too late to think about prevention; you're too busy dealing with the aftermath. The measure of a truly safe workplace,...
Short Circuits
Sep 1, 2005,
Caught Sauce Handed After receiving a service call to repair an emergency light in the ladies' room at a local BBQ restaurant, I pulled up to the rear...
The Case of the Conduit That Wasn't Continuous
Sep 1, 2005, By James E. Peserik, PE, PLS, CFEI, CFII, DABFET
While searching with a maintenance electrician for the source of arcing in the attic of a bank in eastern Pennsylvania, an alarm technician sat down on...
How to Save Your Motors During a Brownout
Sep 1, 2005, By Chuck Yung, EASA
Undervoltage is defined as a condition where the applied voltage drops to 90% of rated voltage, or less, for at least 1 minute. Low-voltage conditions...
Bearing Current Problems: Causes, Symptoms, and Solutions
Sep 1, 2005, By Rich Schiferl and Michael Melfi, Rockwell Automation
The vast majority of bearing failures in electric motors and electric motor-driven equipment are due to mechanical and thermal causes. However, currents...
How to Stock an Organized Truck
Sep 1, 2005, By Matthew Halverson, Managing Editor
John Hucker prefers predictability when it comes to stocking his residential service trucks. Take a look inside his aerial truck or any one of his eight...
Circuit Tracers: More Than Meets the Eye
Sep 1, 2005, By Mark Lamendola, Electrical Consultant
The classic application for the circuit tracer involves finding which breaker supplies a given 120V load (Photo above). But circuit tracers aren't limited...
2006 Truck & Van Preview
Sep 1, 2005, By the Editors of Fleet Owner Magazine
As companies keep up production to meet still feverish demand for commercial vehicles, it's very clear truck buyers should have little trouble finding...
Why Batteries Fail Prematurely
Sep 1, 2005, By Edward P. Rafter, P. E., Tier IV Consulting Group
The lead-acid battery is the primary source of backup power for today's mission critical systems. It's used to protect everything from switchgear to telecommunications...
How to Keep a Good Staff in Place
Aug 1, 2005, By Matthew Halverson, Managing Editor
Every time Tad Chadwick sends one of his techs out on a service call, he's reminded of why he doesn't want to lose them. It takes a lot of time and training...
The Case of the Poorly Maintained Battery
Aug 1, 2005, By Robert E. Nabours, Ph.D., P.E. RENCEE, Inc.
Operations at a remote cellular telephone relaying facility came to an abrupt halt one afternoon in 1992 when a 12V lead-acid automotive battery used...
Short Circuits
Aug 1, 2005,
Who Turned Out the Lights? One of my wet-behind-the-ears electricians recently got the scare of his young lifetime. He was trying to figure out why a...
Heat Stress Awareness and Prevention
Aug 1, 2005, By Sara Hornik, Summit Training Source
Working in high-temperature environments is not only uncomfortable, it can be harmful to your health. The combination of high temperatures and stresses...
