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What is alternating current |
 MultimeterTest for breaks in wire/ Test for voltageMost appliance require 80% rated voltage to function correctly Buy Multimeters at Amazon Electric testers at Amazon Resource: How to test and replace element How to test thermocouple Element tests for 120 volts How to test wire |
Safety
when testing wires: Never touch wet or previously flooded appliance. Never stand on wet surface when working on electric. Never stand on bare soil, put down dry boards. Tape tester leads to wood sticks to keep hands away from power. Use non-contact voltage tester before touching wires. Never touch or lean into any made of metal. Remove metal objects from pockets. Do not use oxygen or fuel accelerants in same room as electrical repairs Resource: Basic house wiring |
 Non-contact voltage testerTest for power without touching connectorsNEVER assume power is OFF Buy: Non-contact voltage tester Amazon Electric testers at Amazon Resource: How to test electric power is off |
Twist-on wire connector assortmentsDo not reuse old connectorsBuy: Connector assortment at Amazon Connector assortment at Amazon Resource How to select and install twist-on wire connectors |
Weatherproof wire connectorConnector cavity is full of siliconeBuilt-in cover keeps silicone in place Protect from water, dust etc Buy from my affiliate links Weatherproof size 14 to 6 Amazon Weatherproof size 22 to 8 Amazon Resource How to select and install connectors |
Wrench to apply wire connectors Tighten connector Buy: Wire connector blaster Twist connector wrenches at Amazon Resources: How to twist wire How to select and install twist-on wire connectors |
 Buy: Blue for 16-14 wire Yellow for 12-10 wire Resource: How to install terminals |
 TerminalsBuy:Terminal kit Blue for 16-14 wire Yellow for 12-10 wire |
Push-on wire connectors in place of twist-on connectorsBuy:Push on wire connectors Amazon Red 3P connector for 10-14 gauge wire Lever connectors for stranded wire at Amazon |
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  When removing insulation from wire, do NOT score or put cuts on surface of copper wire. Doing so increases resistances on wire and creates weak point. Buy tools: Wire strippers at Amazon Linesman pliers Utility knife at Amazon End cutting nippers at Amazon |
 Use solid copper wire Fire inside timer caused by stranded wire Keep enclosure door closed at all times Buy: soldering guns Resource Timer caught fire |
 Generator is the source of
alternating currentAll matter is made from atoms. Under typical conditions, each atom has negatively charged electron(s) in orbit around a nucleus that contains positively-charged proton(s). Passing a magnet or electromagnet over a coil (or winding) of wire that is made from conductive material like copper, causes the electrons to come loose from orbit. This process is called electromagnet induction. The electrons start jumping from atom to atom, moving along the wire, creating what we call electricity. A power plant generator uses an electromagnet. The electromagnet rotates in a 360°circle going past 3 coils of wire located exactly 120° apart. The magnet has a south and north pole. As the south pole gets close to the coil, the electrons begin to accelerate one direction on the wire. As the south pole moves away and the north pole approaches the coil, the electrons slow down, momentarily stop, before accelerating back the other direction down the wire. Each time the electrons stop, the voltage drops to zero. The generator spins at 60 times per second (60 cycles, 60 Hz, frequency are common terms) and the direction change happens so quickly that the end user cannot see their light bulbs are actually flickering with the momentary drop to zero volts, and the average voltage is always above zero so the lights stay on.  Back and forth the electrons oscillate on each wire, producing what is called alternating current. DC or direct current, produced by solar panels or batteries, causes electrons to move one direction only, and must be changed into matching phases of alternating current before being transmitted along power company wires. |
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| How alternating correct works: The magnet inside the generator arrives at each coil at different times, so the acceleration of electrons on each coil is different, or out of phase. Since there are 3 coils in the generator, 3 Hot wires emerge from the power plant. What is 3-phase A single Hot wire (Hot or Line means the wire carries power potentiial)  is taken from one end of
each coil. The other ends of
the 3 coils are connected together to form the Neutral wire. (This is
called a WYE configuration where the 3 coils are wired in parallel with each other, amperage on each coil equals amperage
on each line, each wire carries the same voltage, and voltage between
Hot and Neutral is same for each line.)Each Hot wire carries electrons that are accelerating different directions at any given moment, thus causing the 3 Hot wires to be out of phase from each other. At the same time, each Hot is out of phase with the Neutral wire. There are two general types of alternating current: a) Single-phase using any 2 out-of-phase wires: this includes 2 Hot wires connected to a single-phase Load -or- 1 Hot and 1 Neutral connected to a single-phase Load. b) 3-Phase using 3 out-of-phase Hot wires connected to a 3-phase Load. A Load is any light bulb, motor, computer etc that consumes power. Difference between single-phase and 3 phase If two wires (or 3 wires) are out-of-phase with each other, they have a 'potential' power difference from each other. When the out-of-phase wires are connected to a Load, the electrons start oscillating back and forth, from wire to wire, passing through the Load. This energizes the Load with power. Taking residential single-phase for example: When the two out-of-phase wires are connected to an incandescent light bulb, the electrons (current) begin flowing back-and-forth across the filament inside the bulb. The filament heats up and emits light. If the two wires are not out-of-phase, then the electrons do not oscillate back and forth, and light bulb will not light up. So there is potential power between a Hot wire and a Neutral wire, and there is a potential power between any two out-of-phase Hot wires. The potential is realized, and power is released into the Load when the out-of-phase wires are connected. |
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 3-phase motor controlled by
single phaseAlternating current comes from 3-phase power plant generator, such as commercial windmill, hydroelectric dam, atomic plant, coal-fired power plant, or smaller gas-fired plant etc. Alternating current can also come from smaller generators, small single-phase windmill and household single-phase generators etc. Typical household and commercial single phase comes from 3-phase by pulling 2 Hot wires off the 3 phase, or pulling 1 Hot and 1 Neutral. Fig-3 shows 2 Hot wires pulled off two legs of the 3-phase. The 2 Hot wires are single-phase because they use 2 wires to complete a circuit. Each Hot wire, or leg, of the 3-phase is out-of-phase with the other. Each wire has electrons moving at a different rate from electrons on the other wires. This gives power potential that can be put to work by connecting the 3 Hot wires to 3 different windings inside a motor. One method of wiring a motor is the WYE configuration where one end of each winding is connected to a Hot wire, while the other ends of the 3 windings are connected together at a common point. Once the 3 Hot wires are are energized, then each wire supplies a steady flow of oscillating electrons across the 3 windings, causing the motor to spin. Usually, 3-phase is controlled with single-phase timers, switches, PLC etc. Pulling two hot wires off separate legs of 3-phase gives a power potential between each wire because the electrons are moving differently on each wire. A switch is turned on, sending power to the contactor. The contactor has a coil of wire with an iron core in the center. The two single-phase Hot wires connect to each end of the coil, causing electrons to oscillate across the coil. This magnetizes the iron core, which pulls down a metal lever that closes contact points that energize the 3-phase motor. Resources Contactors and relays 3-pole contactors How to wire motor control contactor |
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| Terminology for wiring Load = light bulb, motor, fan, heater, pump; Total load = add up wattage on all Loads. Resistive Load: incandescent light bulb, heating element have uniform voltage and amp draw; Inductive load: motor, pump etc. Inductive loads pull many amps during start up. Load rating... light bulb shows wattage, label on water heater shows volts-watts, timer labels show rating for inductive or resistive etc Figure volts amps watts Volts x amps = watts Water heater formulas .pdf Hot wire = wire or wires that carry voltage potential and would shock you if breaker was on Image residential breaker box Neutral wire = by code, a white wire used for 120V and 277V circuits to complete circuit, and carries no voltage Ground wire = green or bare copper wire that connects to ground busbar in breaker box Why ground is needed 208 and 240 volt single-phase circuits have 2 Hot wires. (US electric) Image residential breaker box Some countries have 230-240Volt circuits with 1 Hot and 1 Neutral (instead of 2 Hot wires). What is 208 volt 120 and 277 volt circuits have 1 Hot and 1 Neutral / Usually 277volt is found in commercial applications (US) What is 277 volt Standard voltages in US and Americas include 12V 24V 120V 208V 240V 277V 480V 600V etc found in various applications Voltages around the world vary depending on country. Standard voltages make it possible to mass produce wires, breakers, appliances etc. 60Hz or 60 cycle = number of times AC generator rotates each second. Americas use 60 Hz power, while other countries use 50Hz. Read more DC direct current is generated by solar panels and batteries. Large arc when switching high voltage DC is fire hazard. Device must show DC rating. Read about DC vrs AC AC alternating current produced by power plant, windmill, or portable generator. More Single-phase = residential electrical systems are single phase AC, requiring 2 wires to complete circuit More Three-phase = commercial wiring requiring 3 Hot wires to complete circuit More Wire gauge = diameter of wire. The wire size and load rating and breaker must match Select wire and breaker Breaker: circuit breaker is overcurrent protection that will trip when amp draw from Load or short circuit overheats wire. Turn breaker fully off and then fully on. Jumper = short wire used to connect 2 electrical points together. |
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