Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

Electrical fittings are everywhere in home and business distribution systems – so much so, you might think they’re all interchangeable. But for contractors working in multiple indoor and outdoor locations, that’s not the case. Not all connectors or other fittings offer the same level of protection for the cabling running through them, which is why matching this hardware to its specific applications is so important.

If you're a J.R.R. Tolkien fan, you recognized that headline reference. Or if you're a movie buff and watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you're familiar with the little jar of liquid that lit up when you talked to it.

But in any case, if you're an electrician, you've been in dark places because of power outages or new construction.

I've been in my share of them, for sure.

A number of materials can be used to manufacture electrical connectors and couplers, with steel and zinc leading the pack. Each material has its advantages that can make it more appropriate for specific applications, but it’s important to remember that all such fittings have to meet specific requirements to gain a UL listing. For example, die-cast zinc alloy offerings can add value where corrosion is a threat.

If you're a residential lighting professional or electrical contractor, you already understand the importance of helping customers save energy. Everyone loves to get a break on their utility bills. If you can save them money on their electrical energy costs, you're their hero for life.

As a small business owner, I’ve come to count on a number of software packages to track my workload and manage my finances. I use different packages for overseeing my personal finances, keeping a calendar, tracking invoices and the once-a-year joy of preparing my annual income taxes. I spend a lot of time transferring data from one of these programs to another, mostly by hand.

From Ben Franklin's famous kite experiment in 1752 to Michael Faraday's research in the 1830's, the harnessing of this powerful energy source made a change in the way we work and live and play.