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.