ECM Buyers' Guide

2010 Product of the Year Winners

An EC&M Tradition

2010 EC&M Product of the Year Competition

A decade ago, the EC&M Product of the Year competition was established to honor excellence in new product development for the electrical industry. The prestigious Platinum award showcases the most innovative product of the past year and recognizes inventive products that allow electrical design professionals, installers, and maintenance personnel to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.

This year's contest pulled in almost 100 submissions — representing almost every major product category offered to the electrical design, construction, and maintenance markets. The quality level and diversity of the entries made it difficult for voters to zero in on just a single item, which once again led to a neck-in-neck final vote tally — with just a few votes separating the Platinum, Gold, and Silver award winners.

Product of the Year

For Electricians by Electricians

The Electrical Bypass

This year's platinum winner in the 2010 Product of the Year competition comes from the conduit fittings category and proves that a simple device can prevail in a high-tech world. The Electrical Bypass is a patented, disposable device designed to provide electrical and communications contractors with an easier way to install conductors with multiple junction boxes when using conventional snake/wiring methods. In addition, the product also allows users to use a mouse and string setup to blow or vacuum a line from beginning to end of the conduit.

"When you're pushing a conventional metal snake through, typically you would have to stop at every box," says Jim Sullivan, a master electrician, who, with his brother Frank, invented the device and co-founded The Electrical Bypass Co., Pittsfield, Mass. "When using the bypass, the wiring passes from one end to the other without getting stuck. That's particularly helpful if you're up in the air doing a row of 30 lights."

The invention of the Electrical Bypass came about through necessity. As experienced electricians, the Sullivan brothers experienced the delays that came from pushing conductors through multiple junction boxes. "This was a problem we needed to solve," says Sullivan. "Now, you can push a snake from one end to the other without having to stop at each box, and then it just tears out of the way at the end."

To use the labor-saving device, install conduit and as many junction boxes as needed to complete the line. Then, simply insert The Electrical Bypass into junction boxes. "We suggest you put the bypasses in as you're installing the boxes, and then you don't need to get back to that box," says Sullivan. Tie on your wires and pull the wiring straight through to the desired box. You can then tear out the bypass at its perforated rip strips to access the wiring, and the job is complete.

In addition to saving time and labor, the use of the device eliminates the need for an additional scissor lift. "With the bypass in there, the snake doesn't get stuck, so you don't have to have someone else there to move the staging over to feed it through," explains Sullivan, who estimates that a project with two conduit runs with 20 box installations can result in the savings of 4 hr or more. "A two-person job just became a one-person job in parts."

The Electrical Bypass is manufactured in the United States and is available in various sizes (including ½ in., ¾ in., and 1 in.) and is packaged in bags of 20. "Really, it's just a simple product, but electricians always appreciate something that works," says Sullivan.

For more information, visit www.electricalbypass.com/.

Gold Award

Simutech Multimedia, Inc.'s Troubleshooting Skills Series V4 software

The first runner-up in this year's Product of the Year competition comes from the computers and software category. Simutech Multimedia, Inc.'s Troubleshooting Skills Series V4 software is a simulation-based troubleshooting training system that helps users develop skills for troubleshooting a variety of electrical circuits and equipment. From basic electrical circuits to control and motor circuits, the series teaches a proven troubleshooting process, providing “hands-on” training on a range of realistic electrical simulations. According to the company, each component in the simulation is designed to work like a real one.

Silver Award

Eaton Corp.'s Arc-Resistant Low-Voltage Switchgear

The second runner-up in this year's competition is Eaton Corp.'s Arc-Resistant Low-Voltage Switchgear. This ANSI Type 2 arc-resistant, low-voltage switchgear protects operating and maintenance personnel from dangerous arcing faults by redirecting or channeling the arc energy out the top of the switchgear, regardless of the origination location of the arc. With a floor to ceiling height of 10 ft, the switchgear also features a flap system on its rear ventilation openings that remain open under normal operating conditions but closed during an arcing event to prevent dangerous gases from escaping.

Voting Winners

EC&M would like to congratulate the following three readers who each won $100 for voting in this year's competition:

  • Will Kidd Jr., electrical contractor, Kidd Electric Co., Washington, D.C.
  • Jim Kulchisky, principal engineer, High Time Industries, Ltd., Calgary, Canada
  • Eric Branning, electrician/project manager, Engineered Systems, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind.

The EC&M editorial team randomly selected these names from the list of voters who cast their vote via our online poll.

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2009 Winner

The 2009 platinum award winner confirms the adage that sometimes two are better than one. The Tamper-resistant nightlight/GFCI combination device from Syracuse, N.Y.-based Pass Seymour/Legrand (P&S) aimed at residential homeowners, the product incorporates an LED nightlight into a tamper-resistant duplex ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), meeting 2008 NEC standards for child electrical safety in newly constructed single- and multi-family dwellings.
The 2009 Gold Award: The first runner-up in this year's Product of the Year competition came from the luminaires (indoor/LED) category and went to Juno Lighting for its LED downlight. This recessed LED downlight features 5-in. and 6-in. LED housings available in new construction and remodel styles.
The 2009 Silver Award: The second runner-up in this year's competition was Ideal Industries' TKO hole cutters in the tools (hand/accessory) category. TKO carbide tipped hole cutters are designed to cut sheet metal and stainless steel.
Read more about the 2009 category winners.

2008 Winner



People say change is hard, but EC&M’s 2008 Product of the Year winner is helping to dispel this common notion. EverLED TR from Randolph, Vt.-based LEDdynamics is a direct “drop-in” replacement for standard fluorescent tubes that uses the existing fluorescent ballast of a luminaire. According to the company, the product is compatible with most standard ballast-equipped fluorescent light fixtures, including lenses, reactive and electronic ballasts, and programmed/instant/rapid/trigger start.
The 2008 Gold Award: Adjustable Mud Ring. The first runner-up in this year’s Product of the Year competition came from the boxes category and went to Thomas & Betts for its Steel City adjustable mud ring. The product ensures that stud-mounted outlet boxes fit flush with any thickness of finished drywall, plaster, or ceramic tile, according to the company.
The Silver Award: LED Linear Lighting. The second runner-up in this year’s competition was Juno Lighting Group’s Trac 12 LED in the lighting fixture category. Juno Trac 12 TL201LED low-power LEDs consume less than 15% of the power of conventional 5W low-voltage xenon lamps, according to the company.
Read more about the 2008 category winners.

2007 Winner



The KO Stamp from Deviser won EC&M’s 2007 contest by a knockout. This marking device for conduits helps electricians find the center points and conduit sizes to be installed in an electrical enclosure. According to the company, the device cuts layout time by 98%. To use, place the stamps into the electrical conduits, ink the tops of them, and then place the box on top of the stamps to accurately imprint center point and conduit size.
The 2007 gold award went to Carlon/Lamsom & Sessions for its Metal Adjust-A -Box. This product allows the installer to adjust the box to any wall thickness with the turn of a screw. Clip onto the stud, and then turn the screw to adjust the box in or out to make it flush with the finished wall.
The second runner-up in this year's competition was Fluke's 117 Digital Multimeter in the portable test & measurement equipment category. This device includes integrated VoltAlert non-contact voltage detection, which quickly senses the presence of AC voltage and provides a visual indicator to determine proper grounding.
Read more about the 2007 category winners.

2006 Winner



Short on features, but long on practicality, the One-Box non-metallic outlet box from Arlington Industries garnered the most votes from EC&M readers, securing the Platinum Award in the magazine's 2006 Product of the Year competition.
The One-Box is designed for new construction or retrofits and mounts securely to a wood or steel stud via its captive angled screws. If the box is set too far forward or too far back, you can easily back out the screws and reposition them for new work. In old work applications, the box mounts to the stud — not the drywall (as do boxes designed with wing brackets) — which enhances the structural integrity of the overall unit upon final installation.
Read more about the top three products. View the 2006 category winners.

2005 Winner

Proving the age-old adage that good things come in small packages, the Space Saver EMT Set Screw and Compression Connector from Cooper Crouse-Hinds garnered the most votes from EC&M readers to secure the Platinum Award in the magazine's 2005 Product of the Year competition.
The first runner-up was the 700 series of 600A and 1,000A industrial clamp meters with TightSight display from Ideal Industries.
The second runner-up was Southwire Co.'s Romex SIMpull tear-resistant, reduced friction nonmetallic Type NM-B cable.
Read more about the 2005 award winners.

2004 Winner



EC&M awarded Pass and Seymour/Legrand the 2004 Product of the Year Platinum Award for its Trademaster Decorator Combination Devices. The second and third place runners-up are MGE UPS Systems' Evolution Nexa RM Fuel Cell UPS and KO Instruments' CBA1000 Circuit Breaker Analyzer. View the list of the 2004 category winners.

2003 Winner

Drill-spotting tool helps electricians take the guesswork out of drilling

EC&M readers select the First Edition Products DrillSpotter as the 2003 Product of the Year. Learn about the 20 finalists.
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2002 Winner

Encore's Color-Coded Cable

Encore Wire Ltd., McKinney, Texas, expanded its line of color-coded wire and cable to NM-B, THHN and XHHW-2 building wire. Each wire size now comes in a different color. Encore Wire introduced its colored wire and cable for the commercial market in 1999 to help contractors with installation and inspection, simplify inventory management and provide a safer, more efficient work environment.
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2001 Winner

Generac's Power Player

Powered by natural gas and offering remote control and monitoring, the DG 50 generator offers small retail and commercial users a one-two punch -- 50kW of backup power during blackouts or power interruptions and an on-site power source that can help them slash their electrical bills by managing their power consumption and feeding excess power to the utility grid.
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