Basic Electrical Circuits

Last Updated on Thursday, 05 November 2009 01:55 Written by <a href='/jomsocial/62-iamrichard/profile'>Richard</a> Friday, 12 December 2008 05:23

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Basic Electric Circuits

basic electrical circuits and hvac, hvac electrical circuits, hvac electrical

If you are new to electricity and want to learn you need to start with the basics of electricity first. Included in the basics of electricity and the primary lesson in electricity is electrical safety. Electricity can be very dangerous and safety needs to be practiced. Electricity is invisible to the eye and can only be felt when touched. Unless you have a meter to read the wire or a test load you will never know that the wire you are working with is hot or powered up with electricity. Always ensure using a meter or test load that any circuit you are working on is not powered up before touching any electrical wires. Safety is always first especially when dealing with electricity.

In any basic circuit you have three elements; A source, a path, and a load. Without any one of the three elements you will not have a complete circuit.

The Electrical Source - this is where the power or electricity comes from for the circuit. This can be from your main electrical panel where the electricity comes from the electric power company or the electricity can come from a battery. Either way, to have a complete electrical circuit you need a source of electricity to complete the electrical circuit.
The Electrical Path - this is the electrical conductor or electrical wire which carries the source electricity to the electrical load. It is very important that this electrical conductor or electrical wire for the path be sized properly. Electrical conductors or electrical wire is sized according to the amount of amperage the load will consume. In average residential wiring circuits for lighting and receptacles #12 AWG (American Wire Gage) wire size is used for the electrical conductor or electrical path to from the electrical source to the electrical load. The minimum wire size used in residential electrical wiring (except for low voltage wiring for door bells ect....¦) is #14 AWG according to the NEC (National Electrical Code).
The Electrical Load - this is the power consuming device like a light or something you would plug into a receptacle which could be any electrical power consuming device. This final element completes the basic electrical circuit.