Handbook Of Electrical Design Details, 2Nd Edition (2003){Home Wiring, NEC ANSI)
This is the second edition of the Handbook of Electrical Design Details (HEDD), originally
published in 1997. It is a well-illustrated reference book on electrical power and
lighting—how it is generated, transmitted, distributed, and used. Considerable new
information has been added in this edition but it is a smaller volume, making it more
user-friendly and easier to keep on a desk or shelf. Among the topics new to this edition
are computer-aided electrical drawing (CAD), basic switch and receptacle circuit
wiring, outdoor low-voltage wiring, telephone and structured wiring, and electrical
surge protection.
This book begins with a discussion of electrical drawing and symbols and the importance
of specifications in electrical projects. The chapters that follow cover power generation,
transmission, and distribution. Design details of generators and transformers and
their role in delivering electric power to consumers’ homes or buildings are included.
Aerial and buried service entrances are explained and illustrated, as are main panels or
loadcenters and the principles of earth grounding.
Properties of wire and cable are presented, and the dimensions and the details of basic
electrical wiring devices are described and illustrated. The rules for installing branch
circuit wiring are given along with an example of a load calculation and the reasons for
load balancing. Extensive coverage is given to lighting, lamps, and indoor and outdoor
lighting design. Other chapters explain telephone and structured wiring, electric motors,
emergency and standby electrical systems, and the essentials of surge protection.
This edition of HEDD makes many references to the National Electrical Code®
(NEC®)* on all topics governed by the code, such as wiring protection, wiring methods
and materials, and standard equipment, where appropriate for reader guidance. In
the chapters on wire, cable, and wiring devices, individual drawings represent whole
classes of standard products such as switches, receptacles, and lamps, replacing the
many repetitive catalog pages that appeared in the first edition.
Each chapter begins with a content summary called “Contents at a Glance” and an
Overview of the chapter. In addition, there are separate glossaries of technical terms
at the ends of the chapters on transformers, electrical service entrance, wiring, lighting,
motors, telecommunications, emergency and standby systems, and surge protection,
for handy reference and quick memory refreshing.
This second edition of HEDD has been written in an informal descriptive style,
with minimal use of mathematics. The readers most likely to benefit from this book
are electrical contractors, electricians, and instructors. Others who will find this volume
helpful are those employed in the electrical industry in manufacturing, service, contractors, electricians, installers, and others performing the work. Contract documents,
which might also include surveys and test data, are legal documents, and they
can be used as evidence in court cases involving contractor malfeasance, or failure to
comply with the intent of the drawings and specifications.
The present conformity to accepted formats for drawings and specifications is the
result of years of practical experience reinforced by accepted national and international
standards issued by government agencies and private standards organizations. The standards
organizations are advised by experienced personnel from the ranks of manufacturers,
contractors, and other interested parties. The intent of standards is to produce
unambiguous documentation that is understandable by all project participants, from
engineers and architects to contractors, project supervisors, electricians, and installers.
This chapter discusses the preparation of drawings and schedules and their reproduction.
It also explains and illustrates typical standard electrical symbols used on planview,
one-line, and schematic drawings for electrical construction, and identifies the
principal government and industry agencies whose standards affect all phases of electrical
work. Appendix A is a compilation of American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) electrical symbols and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
plug and receptacle and circuit wiring configuration diagrams. Appendix B contains the
front matter and selected commonly used sections of a typical electrical specification,
to show how a written specification is organized, its legal language, and its style.