Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

Don’t look now, but those new light fixtures in your lab, office or cafeteria may be doing a lot more than illuminating the space.

They may also be actively disinfecting your immediate surroundings, suppressing the growth of a wide range of common bacteria, molds, fungi and yeast that can lead to individual and public health risks.

It was during a lecture in the school auditorium where I came across my first floor box. I was bored to death and looking around for something to pass the time. When I glanced down, I noticed a brass device on the floor beneath me.

It had what looked like a round cover with a slot in the middle. Just perfect for sticking in a quarter and turning.

Sure enough, the lid came off and an electrical outlet appeared before my eyes.

Steel fittings in a variety of formulations have been liquidtight raceway products of choice since the early days of electrical distribution. When these products have been galvanized, a thin zinc coating offers corrosion resistance for use in many outdoor and exterior applications where non-galvanized steel might otherwise rust through. But electrical wiring requires extra protection in more significantly corrosive environments. So, contractors need to consider materials that offer more advanced protection in settings where chemicals, salt spray and other damaging substances are common.

With an average age of 58, according to 2018 National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) figures, electrical contractors might not fall into the “early adopters” category, when it comes to technology use. However, electrical pros are increasingly seeing the value in the range of construction software and other productivity tools now available as mobile device apps.

The new Maestro C·L PRO dimmer offers superior dimming performance of LEDs, low-voltage, incandescent, and halogen lighting, reducing the likelihood that you’ll arrive to the jobsite with a dimmer that’s unsuitable for the project. An optional neutral connection makes the Maestro C·L PRO dimmer an ideal solution for most jobs.

The days of locating onsite generation or an electrical outlet in order to cut cable appear to be waning.

Similarly, contractors and electricians who need to cut cable can now do so with far less strain on their arms or backs, thanks to new lines of battery-operated hand held cable cutters such as those now being offered by BURNDY.