Residential Wiring

By: Ing. Hector M Lugo-Cordero, MS

03/25/2009

Agenda

Residential circuits
Improving power consumption
Sockets
Switches
Cables
Protection devices
Service panel
Distribution panels
Electrical symbols

Residential Circuits
Residential loads are connected in parallel,
since the voltage remains the same through the
loads and if a circuit fails it does not affect the
others
Purelly resistor load (e.g. lights, toaster)
Demand P = VIcos(av ai)
cos(av ai) is the power factor

If a motor is added (e.g. celing fan, refrigerator)

Demand Q = VIsin(av ai), as well as P
sin(av ai) is the reactive factor

Improving Power Consumption

Add a capacitor/capacitor block in parallel
to the load
Make sure is the right one
Dont add it to purely resistor circuits

Sockets
A power socket is used for connecting
appliances.
Big hole specifies the neutral end (to source)
Small specifies the hot end (from source)
Examples

125V @ 15A
125V @ 20A
230V @ 30A
Ground Fault
Arc Fault

Switches
Switches allow the user to control a load
(on/off)
Examples
Single
Double
3 way
4 way
Combined
Pilot light

Cables
Black hot, connection from the AC
source to switch typically
Red return, connection from switch to
load
White neutral, connection from load
back to the AC source, it closes the circuit
Green ground, protects people from
electrically charged metal parts

Size of Cables
14: minimum approved width in United
States for residential wiring. In PR we can
use it for lamps wiring
12: minimum approved width in Puerto
Rico for residential wiring
2: cable used from service panel to
distribution panel, passes up to 100A of
current

Size of Cables (cont.)

Protection Devices
Breakers: work like a fuse, opens
current path when threshold is
exceeded. This protects the
circuits from high currents, no
protection to people
Ground connection: connection to
ground so that users are
protected from alternate current
paths, like breakers they open the
current path but when a current
change is found

Service Panel
Nude cable comes
from transformer
It then changes to a
white cable and
connects to the box
From here a
connection to
breaker and ground
is done

Distribution Panels
Load balancing: the act of distributing
equally all 120V loads

Electrical Symbols