BUILDING

UTILITIES 2
INTRODUCTION TO
PEC
Philippine Electrical Code
PEC
• The primary objective of the code is to

establish basic materials quality and

electrical works standards for the safe use of
electricity for light, heat, power,

communications, signaling and for other

purposes.

• “Practical safeguardingof personsand

propertyfrom hazards arising fromthe use
ofelectricity”
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.0.1.1 PURPOSE

This code is intended for the exclusive

use of licensed electrical
practitioners (PEE, REE, and RME).
This code is not intended as a design
specification nor an instruction manual
for a non-licensed electrical practitioner,
unless under the supervision of a
licensed electrical practitioner
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.0.1.2 SCOPE

Covers the installation of electrical conductors, equipment, and raceways; signaling and communications
conductors, equipment, and raceways; and optical fiber cables and raceways installed within or on, to or from:

1. Public and private buildings 8. Yards, carnival, parks, parking and other lots

2. Electrical generating plants 9. Quarries and mines

3. Industrial plants 10. Watercraft

4. Transformer stations 11. Dockyards

5. Permanent and temporary substations, etc. 12. Trailers

6. Airfields 13. Mobile homes and recreational vehicles

7. Railways Switchyards 14. Offshore facilities

PEC CHAPTER 1
1 . 0 . 1 . 5 MANDATORY RULES, PERMISSIVE RULES, AND EXPLANATORY MATERIAL
Mandatory rules of this Code are
those that identify actions that are
specifically required or prohibited and
are characterized by the use of the
terms shall or shall not.
Permissive rules of this Code are
those that identify actions that are
allowed but not required, are normally
used to describe options or alternative
methods, and are characterized by the
use of the terms shall be permitted or
shall not be required
Explanatory material, such as
references to other standards,
references to related sections of this
Code, or information related to a Code
rule, is included in this Code in the
form of fine print notes (FPN). Fine
print notes are informational only and
are not enforceable as requirements of
this Code
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.2.1 ELECTRICAL PERMITS

Electrical Permit Needed Before Work is Started. Before starting any installation work,
alternation, repair or extension on any electrical system, the owners, lessors, operators, occupants,
or licensed electrical practitioners shall obtain the following:

Electrical Permit

Office of the Local Building Official Maritime Industry Authority (Marina)

• Buildings • Watercrafts
• Trailers

• Mobile homes
• or other premises
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.2.1 ELECTRICAL PERMITS
a) The Electrical Permit shall include the b) Five (5) sets of complete electrical plans
following minimum information: and specifications signed and sealed by

1. Applicant Professional Electrical Engineer

2. Professional Electrical Engineer who signed and

sealed electrical plans and specifications

3. Licensed Electrical Practitioner who is in-charge

of electrical works

4. Building Owner
5. Lot Owner

6. Building Official
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

a) Location and Site Plans

Location and site plans with proposed structure and owner’s land drawn to appropriate metric scale shall
show:

1. Bordering areas showing public or well-known streets, landmarks and/or structures which need not be
drawn to scale unless they extend into the area concerned;

2. Location of service drop, service equipment and nearest pole of the utility company furnishing electrical
energy; location of the meter as well as sizes of service entrance wires, conduits and service equipment;
and

3. Clearance of the path or run of service drops and entrance wires to adjacent existing and/or proposed
structures
b) Legend
or
Symbols
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

c) General Notes and/or Specifications

1. Nature of electrical service, including number of phases, number of wires, voltage and frequency;

2. Type of wiring;

a) Service Entrance

b) Feeders, sub-feeders and branch circuit wires for lighting and/or power load

c) Fire alarm system, if required by law

d) Signaling and communication

PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

c) General Notes and/or Specifications

3. Special equipment to be installed, indicating ratings and classification of service or duty cycle of

a) Rectifiers

b) Heaters

c) X-ray apparatus

d) Electric welding equipment

e) Others
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

c) General Notes and/or Specifications

4. System or method of grounding;

5. Type and rating of main disconnecting

means, overcurrent protection (OCP) and
branch circuit wiring;

6. Clearances of service drop, burial depth for

service lateral, mounting height and
clearance for service equipment, mounting
height and clearance for kWh meter.
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

d) Electrical layout

1. Plan for Power

a) Sizes and location of service entrance conductors, raceways, metering equipment, main switchboard,
layout of feeders and distribution panels or switches and their sizes, types and ratings;

b) Complete circuits of motors and other electrical equipment, their controlling devices, their locations
and ratings
c) Complete wiring of emergency power system, if any;
d) Nature of processes/activities carried out in each room or area
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

d) Electrical layout

2. Plan for Lightning and Receptacle Outlets

a) Location, type and rating of lighting fixtures, indicating illumination in lux in each room or area.
b) Location of switches for each fixtures or group of fixtures;

c) Location of receptacle outlets and appliances to be served and their ratings

d) Complete circuits of the lighting and receptacle outlets
e) Complete wiring of emergency lighting system, if any;

f) A separate drawing showing layout of receptacle outlets may be made at the discretion of the design
engineer.
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

d) Electrical layout

3. Plan for Fire Alarm Circuits

a) Location of outlets, equipment and/or apparatus and controls;
b) Complete circuit showing no. and size of raceway and wire;
 PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

e) Schedule of Loads

1. Motor Loads 2. Lighting and Receptacle Loads 3. Other Loads

a) Motors as numbered or identified in a) Panel as numbered in the feeder a) Designation number on plan
power layout diagram
b) Description of load
b) Type of motor b) Circuit designation number
c) Classification of service
c) Horsepower/kilowatt/kilovolt ampere c) Number of lighting outlets in each circuit duty, if required
rating
d) Number of switches in each circuit d) Rating of kilovolt-ampere or
d) Voltage rating kilowatt
e) Number of receptacles outlets
e) Full-load current rating (convenience outlets) e) Phase loading indicating full
load line current
f) Frequency rating other than 60 hertz f) Voltage of circuit
f) Voltage rating
g) Number of phases g) Type and size of wiring
g) Type and size of wiring
h) Type and size of wiring h) Protective device rating
h) Protective device rating
i) Protective device rating
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND
SPECIFICATIONS
e) Schedule of Loads
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS

f) Design Analysis

1. Branch circuits, sub-feeders, busways, and

service entrance

2. Types, ratings, and trip settings of overload

protective devices

3. Calculation of short circuit current for

determining the interrupting capacity of
overcurrent protection device for residential,
commercial, and industrial establishment;

4. Calculation of voltage drops

PEC CHAPTER 1
3. Feeders and Subfeeders
a) Identification and/or labeling of
feeders and subfeeders
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS
b) Size and type of wires and
raceway
g) One Line Diagram c) Protective devices and controls

The allowable ampacity of the

1. Lighting and Receptacle 2. Motor Loads d)
conductor over the design load
Outlet Loads a) Rating in kilowatts/horsepower/kilovolt
current in amperes expressed as
ampere a ratio and indicated along side
the conductor
a) Single line or schematics diagram
of lighting and receptacles b) Full load current
panelboards showing mains and c) Locked rotor current
4. Load Center
branch circuit rating;
d) Phase connection for 1-phase motor on a) Identification and/or labeling of
b) Size of conductors for feeders a 3-phase system load center showing type and
rating of transformer, switches,
e) Rated voltage circuit breaker and other related
devices
f) Type and size of wiring, indicating load
in amperes b) Incoming and outgoing feeders,
type, size and voltage
g) Electric motors shall be numbered
consecutively to correspond to their c) Equipment grounding
numbers in the layout
PEC CHAPTER 1
1.3.2 PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS
g) One Line Diagram
GENERAL TERMS
GENERAL TERMS
GROUND PROTECTION

A ground is an electrical connection which may either be

intentional or accidental between an electric circuit or
equipment and the earth, or to some conducting body that
serves in place of the earth. The purpose of grounding a
circuit is to fix permanently a zero voltage point in the
system. The grounded line of a circuit should not be
broken nor fused to maintain a solid and uninterrupted
connection to the ground.
Grounding could be accomplished in the following manner:
1. Connection to a buried cold water main.

2. Connection to a rod or group of rods.

3. Connection to a buried ground plate.
GENERAL TERMS
PANELBOARD

A panelboard is a single panel or group of panel units

designed for assembly in the form of a single panel. This
includes buses, automatic overcurrent protective devices,
and with or without switches for the control of light, heat
or power circuit. It is designed to be placed in a cabinet
or cutout box placed in or against a wall or partition and
accessible only from the front.

Principles applied in installing panel board

1. The approach should be accessible and convenient.
2. The panelboard must be centrally located to shorten the home wiring runs.

3. It must be installed near the load center. As in most cases, panelboard is installed near the kitchen
and the laundry where heavy loads are expected.
GENERAL TERMS
MAIN

The feeder interior wiring extending from

service switch, generator bus, or converter bus
to the main distribution.
GENERAL TERMS
BRANCH CIRCUIT
Defined as the circuit conductors between the final

overcurrent device protecting the circuit and the

outlets. This means that the branch circuit is only the

wiring between the circuit overcurrent protection

device such as fuses or circuit breaker and the outlets.

However, it is a common knowledge and practice that

the branch circuit comprises the entire circuit including

the outlet receptacles and other wiring devices.

GENERAL TERMS
THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND THE FUSE
A circuit breaker is an overcurrent protective
device also designed to function as a switch. It is
equipped with an automatic tripping device to
protect the branch circuit from overload and
ground fault.
A fuse is also an overcurrent protective device
with a circuit opening fusible element which
opens when there is an overcurrent in the circuit.
It is considered as the simplest and the most
common circuit protective device used into the
house wiring connection.
GENERAL TERMS
THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND THE FUSE
CIRCUIT BREAKER
The circuit breaker acts as a switch aside from
its being an overcurrent device.
When there is an overcurrent, the circuit
breaker trips automatically and after correcting
the fault, it is ready to be switched on again,
unlike the fuse which has to be discarded and
replaced after it is busted.
FUSE
One of its major advantage is its reliability and
stability. It can stay on its position for years and
act when called on to act as designed, unlike
the circuit breaker which requires proper
maintenance and periodic testing to keep it into
a tip-top condition.
The cost of afuse is less than that of a circuit
breaker.
GENERAL TERMS
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS

Electrical Conductors are substances that Insulators are substances that offer a very high
offer a very low resistance to current flow. resistance to current flow.

List of some good electrical conductors List of some insulating materials

1. Silver 6. Zinc 1. Rubber 6. Mica 11. Oils
2. Copper 7. Platinum 2. Porcelain 7. Latex 12. Wax
3. Aluminum 8. Iron 3. Varnish
8. Asbestos 13. Dry air
4. Nickel 4. Slate 9. Thermoplastics
9. Tin
5. Brass 10. Lead 5. Glass 10. Paper
GENERAL TERMS
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS
GENERAL TERMS
WIRES AND CABLES

Wires are those electrical conductors which are 8 mm2

(AWG no. 8) or smaller, while cables are those larger
than the wires. They are either solid or stranded.

Stranded wire - consists of a group of wires twisted

to form metallic string. The total circular-mil area of a
stranded wire is found by multiplying the circular mil
area of each strand by the total number of strand.

Cord is the term given to an insulated stranded wire.

GENERAL TERMS
RACEWAYS
Raceways are channels designed for holding wires, cables or bus-bars, which are either made of
metal or insulating materials. The common types of raceways in household wiring are the following:
Conduits, pipes or tubings
are the most common
electrical raceway. According
to the type of materials used,
conduit maybe classified as
either metallic such as steel
pipes or nonmetallic such as
PVC, and the like. According to
its make, conduits maybe
classified as: rigid metal,
flexible metal, rigid nonmetal
and flexible nonmetal.
A connector is a metal
sleeve usually made of copper
that is slipped over and
secured to the butted ends
of conductors in making joint.
A connector is also called a
splicing sleeve.
Aside from the conduits and
connectors there are still numerous
types and kinds of raceways,
among these are the
a) conduit couplings, elbows and
other fittings;
b) conduit supports, such as
clamps, hangers, etc;
c) cable trays, cablebus;
d) metal raceways;
e) nonmetal raceways.
GENERAL TERMS
OUTLETS, RECEPTACLES and other WIRING DEVICES OUTLETS.
An outlet is a point in the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment. The
kinds of outlets are: convenience outlet or attachment cap, lighting outlet, and receptacle outlet.

A convenience outlet or attachment cap is a device which by insertion in a receptacle, establishes

connection between the conductor of the flexible cord and the conductors connected permanently to
the receptacle.

A lighting outlet is an outlet intended for direct connection of a

lampholder, a lighting fixture, or a pendant cord terminating in a
lampholder.

A receptacle outlet is an outlet where one or more receptacles are

installed.
GENERAL TERMS
TYPES OF WIRES

A. TYPES T, TW, THW

The most ordinary type of plastic insulated wire is the

“type T”. It may be used only in dry locations.

Some manufactures no longer make the ordinary Type

T, instead produce Type TW, which is identical in
appearance, but may be used in wet or dry locations.
Also available is Type THW, is similar to Type TW but
withstand a greater degree of heat, and consequently
has a higher ampacity rating in the larger sizes
GENERAL TERMS
TYPES OF WIRES

B. TYPES THHN, THWN

These are comparatively new types of wire, consisting

of the basic Type THH and THW but with less
thermoplastic insulation, and with a final extruded
jacket of nylon. Nylon has exceptional insulating
qualities and great mechanical strength, all of which
results in a wire which is smaller in diameter than
ordinary Types T, TW, TW of corresponding size.
GENERAL TERMS
TYPES OF WIRES

C. TYPE XHHW

In appearance, it resembles Types T, TW, THW but because of

somewhat thinner layer of insulation, the over-all diameter is
smaller. The insulation is “cross-linked synthetic polymer,” which has
an extraordinary properties as to insulating value, heat resistance,
and moisture resistance. It may be used in dry or wet locations.
While at present, it is an expensive wire, it would be no surprise if
in due course of time, this one single type will replace all the many
types and subtypes of Type T or R now recognized by the Code.
GENERAL TERMS
TYPES OF WIRES

D. RUBBER-COVERED WIRE

It consists of copper conductor, tinned to make it easier

to remove the insulation, and for easy soldering. Over
the copper is a layer of rubber, the thickness of which
depends on the size of the wire. Then follows an outer
fabric braid which is saturated with moisture-and-fire-
resistant compounds; if it is set on fire with a blowtorch,
the flame dies out when the torch is removed.
GENERAL TERMS
TYPES OF WIRES

E. OTHER TYPES

Other types such as the basic Type R, which is suitable

for only in dry locations, is no longer being made. The
most ordinary kind is Type RHW, which may be used for
dry or wet locations. Types RH and RHH have insulation
which withstands more heat and therefore have a higher
ampacity in the larger size. They may be used only in
dry locations.
GENERAL TERMS
KINDS OF LOCATIONS

DAMP LOCATION

Partially protected locations under

canopies, marquees, roofed open porches,
and like locations, and interior locations
subjected to moderate degree of moisture,
such as some basements, some barns, and
some cold-storage warehouses.
GENERAL TERMS
KINDS OF LOCATIONS

DRY LOCATION

A location not normally subject to

dampness or wetness. A location classified
as dry may be temporarily subject to
dampness or wetness, as in the case of a
building under construction.
GENERAL TERMS
KINDS OF LOCATIONS

WET LOCATION

Installations underground or in concrete

slabs or masonry in direct contact with the
earth, and location subject to saturation
with water or other liquids, such as vehicle
washing areas, and locations exposed to
weather and unprotected.
GENERAL TERMS
KINDS OF LOCATIONS

HAZARDOUS (CLASSIFIED)
LOCATIONS

Locations where fire or explosion

hazards may exist due to flammable
gases or vapors, flammable liquids,
combustible dust, or ignitable fibers
or flyings.
ELECTRICAL PLAN
MAKING YOUR OWN ELECTRICAL PLAN
FLOOR LAYOUT LIGHTING POWER LAYOUT OTHER DETAILS
LAYOUT
ELECTRICAL PLAN
FLOOR LAYOUT LIGHTING LAYOUT POWER LAYOUT OTHER DETAILS

• From your architectural

plans (Reflected Ceiling
Plans), identify all the
fixtures and devices that
would require electricity.
ELECTRICAL PLAN
FLOOR LAYOUT LIGHTING LAYOUT POWER LAYOUT OTHER DETAILS

• From your floor layout, you

may now start doing the 1

lighting layout.

S GANG SWITCH
(NUMBER INDICATES SWITCH NUMBER)
S S3
INCANDESCENT LAMP

(SWITCH TO LAMP)

(LAMP TO LAMP) CONDUIT S2 S

1 CIRCUIT HOMERUN
(NUMBER INDICATES CIRCUIT NUMBER)
ELECTRICAL PLAN
FLOOR LAYOUT LIGHTING LAYOUT POWER LAYOUT OTHER DETAILS

• From your floor layout, you may

start doing the power layout.
SERVICE ENTRANCE
3
CONVENIENCE OUTLET
WP

WEATHERPROOF
CONVENIENCE OUTLET
WP

M
PANELBOARD
M KILOWATTHOUR METER
2
1 CIRCUIT HOMERUN
(NUMBER INDICATES CIRCUIT NUMBER)
 ELECTRICAL PLAN
FLOOR LAYOUT LIGHTING LAYOUT POWER LAYOUT OTHER DETAILS
QUANTITY
• Schedule
of Loads For your
plate, leave
the details of
INCANDESCENT this portion
LAMP blank.

CONVENIENCE
OUTLET

WEATHERPROOF For the rest of the

details, just copy the
CONVENIENCE
provided sample as you
OUTLET
make your plate.
ELECTRICAL PLAN
FLOOR LAYOUT LIGHTING LAYOUT POWER LAYOUT OTHER DETAILS

• Single Line
Diagram

INCANDESCENT
LAMP
Spare
For your
plate, provide
CONVENIENCE
at least three
OUTLET
(3) spare.

WEATHERPROOF
CONVENIENCE
OUTLET For the rest of the details, just copy the
provided sample as you make your plate.
ANY QUESTIONS?
END