Understanding Fire Pump Controller Applications
Mar 24, 2009, By Warren Shill, Underwriters Laboratories
Fire pump controllers are control panels containing electrical components, such as circuit breaker, switches, relays, and other devices, dedicated to the operation of fire pumps....
Automating the Electrical Product Sourcing and Submittal Process
Mar 1, 2009, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer
Before the advent of online submittal forms, the product submittals process was a tedious paper chase for commercial electrical contractor Brian Swain,...
Plumber Electrocuted After Installing Unsafe Temporary Power Connection at New Construction Residential Housing Development
Mar 1, 2009, By Chris Shiver, P.E., Cerny & Ivey Engineers, Inc.
When plumbers Jim and Dave arrived at a new residential development, their task at hand certainly seemed routine performing trim-out work (installation...
Common Legal Disputes on Construction Projects
Mar 1, 2009, By Marilyn Klinger, Sedgwick Deter Moran & Arnold LLP
During times like these, when the world is experiencing economic troubles and money is tight, disputes often arise because construction project participants...
Successful Project Management Implementation In Electrical Contracting Firms
Feb 1, 2009, By David Brown, D. Brown Management
As any experienced electrical contractor will tell you, implementing a company-wide project management (PM) system in a construction company has much...
The Secret to Short-Interval Scheduling
Feb 1, 2009, By Dr. Perry Daneshgari and Heather Moore, MCA, Inc.
When the project manager asked the foreman what he'd accomplished that day, the foreman answered with a slight hesitation. Well, I installed the pipe...
How to Keep Variable-Frequency Drives and Motors Running
Feb 1, 2009, By Dan Orchard, Intigral, Inc.
When applied to blowers and pumps, variable-frequency drives (VFDs) offer energy savings. In mechanical applications, they allow fine adjustments that...
Training & Continuing Education Trends in the Electrical Industry
Feb 1, 2009, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer
Despite the slowdown in construction caused by the U.S. economic recession, Jackson, Mich.-based engineering, consulting, and construction management...
Saving Energy Through Load Balancing and Scheduling
Jan 1, 2009, By Randy Barnett, American Trainco, Inc., for the Fluke Corp.
You can find significant energy-saving opportunities through load balancing and load scheduling when using power logging test tools. Whether conducting...
A Killer in the Ranks
Jan 1, 2009, By Tom Zind, Freelance Writer
Of more than 4,000 U.S. military deaths recorded in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, two, in particular, have haunted the halls of Congress, corridors of...
Is Troubled U.S. Economy Putting Workers at Risk?
Jan 1, 2009,
These days, the volatile economy is being blamed for a number of problems, including a lack of compliance with important worker safety procedures. According...
The Case of the Misplaced Air-Handling Unit
Dec 1, 2008, By Leonard Greene, P.E., Orbital Engineering and Consulting
When the work order came across his desk, it seemed like any other routine maintenance call to the school district's service technician certainly nothing...
From the Forensic Files of NIOSH
Dec 1, 2008,
Proper maintenance and inspection of equipment is a critical part of any electrical contracting company's operations. However, keeping records of maintenance...
Tax Planning: Past, Present, and Future Savings
Dec 1, 2008, By Mark E. Battersby, Freelance Writer
As the deadline for filing tax returns fast approaches, every electrical contractor should be aware of the many changes to our tax laws changes that will...
Troubleshooting Residential Submersible Pump Systems
Dec 1, 2008, By David Herres, Master Electrician
Why is it that residential deep well submersible pump system malfunctions are notoriously hard to diagnose? For one, a pump/motor assembly suspended 10...
Strength in Numbers
Dec 1, 2008, By Bob Mitchell, Integrated Management Group
Historically, traditional managers put very little stock in forming teams in the workforce. Their school of thought was to hire a group of technically...
Spreading the Wealth
Nov 1, 2008, By Brad Dawson, LTV Dynamics
Contractors who resist the urge to hoard profits can reap big rewards by establishing a shared compensation arrangement...
The Case of the Blinding Arc Blast
Nov 1, 2008, By Andrew Paris, P.E., Anderson Engineering
When a manufacturer of plastic bag and packaging materials set out to expand its operation, it leased additional space in a large industrial building...
Don't Get Blindsided
Nov 1, 2008,
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that each day approximately 2,000 U.S. workers suffer job-related eye injuries that require medical attention....
On the Bright Side
Nov 1, 2008, By Mike Pile, President, Mike Pile Partners, a Solar Consultancy
Amid the housing slump, banking crisis, wild swings of the stock market, and a generally gray economic outlook, there is a glimmer of virtually untapped opportunity in the electrical industry...
