Electrician U

Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB3jUEyCLRbCw7QED0vnXYg/join In today’s age of electrical work, shared neutrals are relatively rare. Most of us run an independent neutral with our phase conductors. But can you receive an electrical shock from a shared neutral even if the breaker is in the off position? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin explores this topic to bring some light to the subject. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com As discussed in previous videos, electricity travels in loops to function. On a single pole circuit (120v for example) the flow typically leaves out on the hot wire, goes thru the load, and returns to source (usually a breaker) on the neutral conductor. In addition, in most current residential work, a single dedicated cable, comprised of one hot, one neutral, and one grounding conductor, is run for each separate circuit. So, when you shut the breaker off, there isn’t a chance to receive a shock on that circuit (on the load side of the breaker anyhow) since the loop is broken. However, in past years, shared neutrals were fairly common. A shared neutral is where you have multiple hot conductors sharing the same neutral. This was done to save wires and therefore save money. However, there are dangers present when using shared neutrals. That being, even if you turn off the breaker for the circuit you are physically going to perform work on, that neutral conductor can still have current flowing on it from the other circuit. To combat this issue the NEC now requires us to install a multipole breaker (or place handle ties on the single pole breakers of a multipole shared neutral circuit) so you are made to shut off ALL the breakers involved with a shared neutral circuit. But this provision is a fairly recent change (within the past 15 years or so) and you can still find single pole breakers for a shared neutral circuit all throughout the country. There are a few scenarios where you could receive a shock on the neutral conductor of a shared neutral circuit. If you left the breaker on but took apart the joint on the neutral drop in the box and touched the white wire headed to the panel and either of the other 2 white wires headed to the actual device, you will just be completing the loop itself! Another way to get an even worse shock would be to leave the breaker on, take apart the neutral joint, and then touch the 2 white wires headed to the devices themselves. By doing this, you are basically completing a 240v loop and will get a wicked shock! The easiest way to avoid all of this would be to simply turn the circuit off that you are working on. And if you are working on an older shared neutral circuit with single pole breakers, then shut them both off! This eliminates the chance of having any voltage on the neutral. Another prudent thing to do is to test if with your meter. Test your meter on a known live circuit first, then test the circuit you are attempting to work on, then retest again on the live circuit to prove that your meter is operating properly. Another thing to consider regarding receptacles. The loop is NOT complete, so current CANNOT flow, until something is plugged in somewhere in that circuit. The loop is open at the device itself. Lighting on the other hand, is connected via the lightbulb itself (or the filament within the light bulb) so current will flow as soon as you turn the breaker and the switch on! Another thing to consider, is that current does NOT care about the color of the wire! So just because you are touching a white wire, doesn’t mean you won’t get shocked if you are doing something you shouldn’t be doing with it!! Always get your journeyman’s tips or advice before attempting to work on a circuit until you fully understand the exact scenario you are up against. We hope this has been helpful in understanding a bit how one could get shocked by touching the shared neutral conductor even if the breaker is off. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be

Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB3jUEyCLRbCw7QED0vnXYg/join 🔨⚡ SPONSOR: Klein Tools - https://www.kleintools.com/ ⚡🔨 When it comes to being an apprentice in the skilled trades, there are many things one needs to know how to do. But there is one thing that, as an apprentice, you should NOT do; forget the wire stretcher!! Just kidding! In todays episode of Electrician U, Dustin explains the top 5 things apprentices should not be doing as they will most certainly earn the ire of your journeyman. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com First, a shout out to Klein Tools for sponsoring today’s episode. As a definite top tier electrical tool manufacturer, Klein Tools makes some of the best tools available on the market today. Most of us know they make hand tools and meters, but they even manufacture knee pads to keep electricians safe and comfortable when on our knees installing something. They have several styles available ranging in price from $20-$60. With a large selection to choose from, one should certainly find something that will suit their needs. In reviewing the top 5 things that an apprentice should NOT do; the first thing is to sit down on the job! Trust me, nothing will rile up your journeyman more than walking around the corner to find you sitting on your rump while installing something. Kneel or bend down to work, but don’t sit down. It just has an appearance of being lazy. Save the sitting down for when you get into construction management! Just kidding, us managers rarely have time to sit around and do nothing!! Learn to adjust your speed as the job dictates- some require you to move faster to install while others need us to slow down and be a bit more meticulous. Learn to shift gears to accommodate the project. Another big no no is to stand around. As an apprentice (well, everyone in the skilled trades really) we should constantly be working. If you have finished the task you are currently working on and you cannot find your journeyman to see what is next (or if they are tied up with something), then you should find something to do. Pick up a broom, sort materials, or restock the van. But do not just stand there! No one ever got in trouble for picking up a broom or cleaning up, but many an apprentice has been lit up for standing around with their hands in their pockets! Constantly being on your phone is another way to get your crew leader riled up. There is a time and place to be looking at your phone at non-work-related items. Break time, lunch time, or before/after work. But your employer is paying you to WORK, not look at your phone. Having said that, us managers are not monsters, so if there is a NEED to have your phone at the ready (if your wife is expecting any day or you have a loved one that is ill, or something like that) explain this to your crew lead and I am sure they will accommodate the temporary need. As an apprentice, you don’t know everything. In the beginning, you don’t know much at all! So when asked to do something, if you don’t understand then convey that to the person telling you what to do. In other words, don’t pretend to know if you don’t; it will just wind up costing more time and money to fix what was screwed up! Trust me, you have at least 4 years of learning to get ready to take your electrical exam for your journeyman’s (or masters) license, so you will have plenty of time to let knowledge sink in. But in the beginning, just be humble, do what is asked of you, and let them know if the task needs additional explaining. The last item is fairly simple. If you need to use a tool (or whatever) that does NOT belong to you to do a task, ASK the person who owns it if you can use it! Then, when you are done, PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU GOT IT FROM! If you inadvertently take something home that you borrowed, good chance that the person who it belonged to will need that thing the next day, and if you still have the item, they will be unable to do what they need to. Simple concept that will keep your journeyman happier! We hope this has been helpful in understanding some of the things that an apprentice SHOULD NOT do. Is there a topic you would like to see a video for? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be. #electrician #electrical #electricity # five #things #apprentices #should #never #do

Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB3jUEyCLRbCw7QED0vnXYg/join As electricians, we all know the difference between set screw and compression fittings for EMT conduit. But did you know that there are specifically compression fittings that are required for outdoor/wet locations? In the latest episode of electrician U, Dustin talks about the differences between compression and wet listed compression. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Set screw fittings rely on a single point of contact (via the set screw) to secure itself to the conduit. Compression fittings rely on pressure all the way around the conduit provided by the locking ring inside the connector being compressed by tightening the shoulder of the connector or coupling. For years, these were touted by the industry and manufacturers as being listed for use outdoors and/or for wet locations. But fairly recently, studies showed that the standard compression did NOT make for a waterproof installation and something else was needed! While the overall appearances of a standard compression fitting and a raintight compression fitting are similar, there are differences. First is the outside. While some of the raintight fittings are color coded, many of them have a stamp on the fitting itself that says raintight or ok to use in wet locations. There is also a couple of additional gromets to prevent water intrusion. One located on the outside of the connector behind the locknut (preventing water from entering the enclosure at this point) and another nylon ring on the inside that prevents water from entering the installation when the shoulder nut is tightened on the connector or coupling. There are several NEC references requiring the usage of raintight compression fittings, but many electricians may have to read into the differences of the two types of connectors. Article 358.42, 314.15, 225.22 & 230.53 in a nutshell state that the installation (and therefore the fittings used) shall be LISTED for use in wet locations. For years, we used standard compression fittings in outdoor locations as most of us didn’t know any better or were unaware of the raintight ones. But, with inspectors cracking down these days (coupled with the fact that THEY are fully aware of the NEC requirements) you will most assuredly fail an inspection if the standard compression fittings are used in an outdoor/wet location! Make sure you are specifying the raintight fittings when ordering your materials from the supply house, and make sure you are int\stalling them where required! We hope this has been an insightful look into the world of raintight compression fittings. Is there a topic you would like to see a video of? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.

Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB3jUEyCLRbCw7QED0vnXYg/join One of the cooler things about being an electrician is the amazing amount of technology we get to use. Also cool is being able to see and use new tools and materials that are constantly being developed to make our jobs more efficient and safer. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin visits a few booths at the recent NECA show and shows off some of the items that are coming to market soon as well as advances by well established companies already working within the electrical industry! 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Reciprocating saws are something that we use probably on a daily basis. A newer company called Spyder has developed a 3-sided recip saw blade that is awesome. In addition to the standard cutting edge on the bottom of the blade, they have patented the front AND the top side cutting edges. So, no more having to swap the blade around or the tool around to cut overhead or for bottom cuts. This will really improve efficiency for the user. In addition, their newer blades are made from a single piece of stamped steel (in lieu of the standard welded together pieces) which results in a stronger overall blade further improving performance and longevity. Super cool stuff indeed!! Milwaukee tools have been around for years and are definitely on the top tier of power tools. Their booth at NECA was showcasing the advances to their line of corded and cordless power tools. They have refined the anti-bind capability of their drills. The tool will automatically shut down in the event of quick torque/spinning that occurs when the tool binds when drilling thru a surface. This action can damage the users (us!!) wrists and arms. Milwaukee designers have advanced the tech within the tools to stop spinning earlier and with less moving action than other brands resulting in safer operation for the user. Among other new advances, they have also drastically improved the lighting for the cordless impact drills improving efficiency and safety. Fluke has been making outstanding meters for years. But they refuse to stay stagnant and are developing new meters constantly. As we step more into renewable power sources, Fluke has designed new meters to assist the electrician in installing them. They have a meter specifically to help with the installation of solar panels allowing for ground checks and polarity testing or the panels themselves as well as being able to test to see the DC outputs of the system as well. A meter specifically for EV car chargers is also available allowing the electrician to really fine tune those systems as well. Fluke is also continuing to improve existing meters. One of them has a visible continuity function that allows the user to SEE the level of continuity in a noisy environment in lieu of the standard audible only!! But the tech we see isn’t just limited to tools and materials. A company called Simplycount has developed a new software refines the ESTIMATING portion of the trade. This new software allows the user count devices by SYMBOL not just the text. Traditional estimating software uses text to search, but not ALL the devices on a drawing have text attached to them. It also allows the user to generate several different types of reports for verification, coding, review, etc. The software also can add color to any symbol and will save the marked-up version of the PDF to be able to be passed along to the field staff for easier, more efficient installation! There were also companies represented at NECA that were showcasing new Aluminum EMT (which will drastically improve performance due to lighter weight and easier bending) as well as new ways to package wire for easier/more efficient pulling. Keep your eyes and ears open for new tech as we head into the new year shortly!! We hope this has been insightful to some of the new things that are being designed for the future as well as some new items that are already available. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.

The electrical trade isn’t just strictly wiring things for a living. There are many facets and levels to it. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin speaks to Master Electrician Chad German from Utah and Residential Wireman Matt Bergman from Texas about the different directions an electrician can go in the trade and where their careers have taken them. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Let’s face it. Electricians aren’t going to train themselves! Sure, there are pieces and parts one will excel at only by doing. But there are also many aspects of the trade that one must be shown how to do. As with many of us, Chad happened to be in the right place at the right time to step into training electricians. But honestly, Each and Every one of us who have been in the trade for any length of time, is at least a part time instructor. Whether its on the journey level (where you are showing the younger apprentices under you HOW things work and WHAT to do) to company/divisional leaders (where you may be showing seasoned trade veterans the nuances of higher-level leadership). One of the things to remember when teaching others is that we are all different individuals. We take things in at different speeds and levels of complexity. So, our teaching style should account for those differences. In other words, we need to learn our crowd and teach to those levels. Some are perfectly fine with just doing the work, but there are MANY individuals out there that want to excel to the highest levels of the trade and must be challenged! Repetition is how the bulk of the learning and refining of skills should be taught. But more than just showing the apprentice HOW to do the task, we should let THEM do, with the guidance of a more seasoned veteran. If someone is just a gopher (hey, go get this or go get that), they are not able to put their hands on the tools/materials/processes to really learn. Nothing wrong with showing them once, twice, or several times HOW to do, but then they should be allowed to DO the task! Licensing is another huge part of our beloved trade. By being able to demonstrate the skills you have learned at different stages of your career, and the ability to study and take an exam to prove it, is something that employers look for in their employees. It also shows that you are looking at the trade as a career, as opposed to just a job and willing to put the time and effort into yourself to become better. Whether it’s a residential wireman’s license, journeyman’s license, or a masters license, they are all steppingstones to bettering yourself! Having said that, licenses take time and aren’t handed out in some haphazard fashion. Each requires different time frames, but during that time you should keep your mind open, study hard, and listen to the veteran electrician’s advice and trade knowledge! Another thing to keep in mind is that the electrical trade is MUCH more than just wiring receptacles and switches. There are MANY different avenues one can take within the trade itself. Maybe you have a knack for researching, quantifying, and being super-efficient. Then maybe estimation is the right place for you. Or maybe you are good with figuring out what jobs need what manpower and moving people/tools around like chess pieces to make several project schedules. Then maybe a superintendent is the right answer for you. Linemen, residential wiremen, service technicians, controls technicians; the list goes on and on. Our trade is so vast, there is certainly a spot for almost anyone; you just have to look for it and find out what is best for you!! We hope this has been an insightful look into the different aspects of learning within the trade and where it can take you! Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comment section and let us know. Pleas continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.

At some point, most of us electricians have received a shock from touching a hot conductor and something that is grounded. Some of us have also been shocked by touching 2 different hot conductors! But what about a neutral conductor? Is it possible to get shocked by the neutral? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin talks about this phenomenon and clears a few things up. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com As we have discussed in previous episode of Electrician U, in order for electricity to work as we intend it to, it must travel in loops. In a 120v circuit, for example, current leaves on the hot conductor, travels THRU the load, and returns on the neutral conductor. In this way, the loop is closed and current can flow. Break either the hot or the neutral, and current will no longer flow and whatever load you have in the circuit will not operate. The same process is true for a multi hot (240v with 2 hots for example) circuit. Current will travel out on one hot, THRU the load, and back on the other hot completing the circuit and allowing the current to flow. To receive a shock, you must be touching something that is energized AND something else that allows the loop to be completed and current to flow. So, the hot wire and the ground wire or the hot wire and a neutral or the hot wire and another hot wire. Any of those scenarios will allow current to flow and you will receive a nasty shock! So, with neutrals, the same rules apply. You must be touching the neutral conductor AND something else for it to SHOCK you! Imagine if you were touching the side of the lamp screw shell with one hand and something grounded with the other, you will receive a shock (in addition to having the lamp come ON!). But if you were to touch the side of that lamp screw shell and NOTHING ELSE, then the loop will NOT be closed and current CANNOT flow. You could potentially receive a shock from a neutral conductor if it is not bonded to ground at the service point. But again, to get shocked by the neutral conductor, you would have to be touching it AND something else so current can flow. It is possible to get shocked by touching two neutrals. If you were to touch the neutral coming from the side of a screw shell from a light bulb and the neutral GOING TO the panel, you will most definitely (if the circuit is energized) receive a shock. But this is only because you are completing the loop! At the point of the screw shell, the neutral conductor touching it is essentially the same wire as the hot as things will be travelling thru the filament of the light bulb. So, again, you are just completing the loop and allowing current to flow. As a good rule of thumb, when working on something that is energized, don’t touch 2 things at once! Some older electricians keep one hand in a pocket, so it forces them to not touch anything with it. Check your boots and make sure they are solid and make sure you are not standing or kneeling in water. Best option is to turn the circuit off, but if necessary to work with something energized (yes there are reasons why we NEED to have it on), take the necessary steps to protect yourself. We hope this has been helpful in understanding the phenomenon of receiving a shock from a neutral conductor. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.

Most of us know Dustin as the witty, smart, and funny master electrician that shows us how things work in the electrical world. But what was Dustin like as an apprentice and how did he get his start. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin talks about his early years as an electrician/apprentice. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Like many of us, Dustin’s career did not start off in the trades. He actually was working in the corporate world, but it just didn’t seem like the right fit. He started doing odd jobs with his dad as a handyman and was working at one of his dad’s friend’s house who happened to be an electrician. Questions were asked and an interview conducted, and Dustin was on his way to being an electrician! The same as this author, Dustin was intrigued by the enormity of the construction world and how raw it looked. Seeing huge homes and building sites and working in places that the normal population doesn’t really get to go into! And being paid to learn while you are working at something was a huge plus! He immediately fell in love with the trade and was hooked! His eager attitude to get things done showed up early, much to the chagrin of his journeymen, and he was forced to slow down and learn the way he was shown how to do the things he was being tasked with. Not in a bad way but just eager and full of gusto! Knowing Dustin, he is still full of gusto for the things that interest him! The company he was working for also did a fair amount of light commercial work, and over time Dustin added those commercial wiring skills to his repertoire. As for tools, just like the rest of us, he started off with a humble set of tools and worked his way up. Putting aside a small amount of each check and buying the tools he needed when he had saved up enough! Honestly, this is a great way for all apprentices to get the tools needed to perform their jobs. It teaches respect for your tools as its YOUR money being poured out! At some point he transitioned into commercial/light industrial service work. This is where Dustin really blossomed as an electrician. In lieu of showing up at a job site and pulling wire & making up boxes, this type of work actually forces one to use their brain and job knowledge. Most of service work is due to something not working when you are called out but must be working by the time you leave! You see many different ways of doing things because it could have been anyone who initially wired it! Electrical Code and Theory come into play as well to diagnose problems or plan for different situations. A person in the service end of the trade also must have a go getter type attitude as you generally are working alone (or in pairs at most) and must be willing to figure things out with minimal interaction from others. If there was one thing Dustin could go back and tell himself to do different, it would be to slow down and play the long game! Not saying physically but learn the fine line between speed and quality of installation. No one is ever the best right at the start. But you can learn to be the best by focusing on doing things the correct way, but also be willing to shift gears if needed to suit the job. Some jobs require flat out speed, while others require a slow and steady but meticulous installation. Knowing when to apply each one will make one a solid electrician. We hope this little jaunt down memory lane has been insightful into what it looks like to be an electrical apprentice and what it takes to be a great electrician. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.

In case you weren’t aware, the NECA show was in Austin Tx this year. Right in Dustin’s backyard! In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin is at the NECA show and talks with the guys from the Modern Electrician Podcast. Follow Modern Electrician here!! @modernelectricianpodcast2479 https://youtube.com/channel/UCnaJWV2QLYRnsIsaXcCK-Dw 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Doug Powell and Josh Wright are the creators of the Modern Electrician Podcast; a trade-based podcast that discusses why us tradesmen (& women) do what we do and HOW we do what we do! While there are many trade-based/electrical podcasts available, the Modern Electrician podcast focuses on the culture of being a tradesperson and how we do our day to day lives. If you are looking for a departure from the standard trade podcast, take a listen to these guys! Definitely worth it!! The NECA show is chock full of vendors wanting to show off the newest gadgets, materials, processes, and advice. Something that those that are passionate about the trade and want to keep on the cutting edge should attend. Almost all the more popular vendors are present like Klein, Greenlee, Milwaukee, and others, but also some that maybe you have not heard of before but have been producing items for the electrical industry for years. If someone were to have the opportunity to go to a NECA show, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed! New products are constantly being pumped into the market to make our lives, as tradespeople, easier. Milwaukee was showing off a new cordless stapler for NM cable. This tool targets the residential electrical contractors and provides not only an improved production capacity, but a safer one as well by eliminating the need to swing a hammer as much. Greenlee also had many tools available to look at including some larger hydraulic benders. Schneider Electric was showcasing a new battery back up systems for larger facilities that should cut down on lost time due to outages. Something to keep an eye on for sure! There was even a conduit manufacturer that has introduced a coating to their aluminum conduit. As those of us whom have installed aluminum conduit before are well aware, just pulling wire can be difficult due to the aluminum material itself. This new coating, however, makes the inside of the conduit very slick which cuts down on the drag, making pulling wire much easier! There was even a vendor that was talking about VR and the construction industry. Imagine having training in a virtual environment, where a new tradesperson can get repetitions in safely, before transitioning into the field. Products like these should help close the skills gap by roping in our younger generation using technology, which most young people do on a daily basis. Still in its infancy, I would definitely keep an eye on this type of technology as it will surely become more prominent in the near future. Dustin and his guests also talked about getting their masters licenses and some of the benefits and pitfalls about being an online creator. From a practical standpoint, you are going to get both good and bad reviews/comments from viewers. Not every action will work for each individual in every situation. But even bad criticism can be a learning tool on what NOT to do in the future. We hope this was an interesting view into the lives of different electricians from different venues meeting in a common place for the trades. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.

The Original Official MONEY OVER INCHES video (without reactions): https://youtu.be/ZU2yFVFXcrw Have you ever wondered what a conductive horse is? Or the difference between a balaclava and Baclava? Us too!! In the latest episode of Electrician U, things get a little crazy as the crew blows off a little steam and has generated a bloopers reel for your viewing pleasure! I mean, every now and again, you have to laugh a little and be silly! There is certainly more to life than just being serious, as you will see!! Click on the link above to watch without the crew reactions. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com A conductive horse? Never knew there was such a thing! I mean do you have to plug it in to recharge for the next ride? And how long does the battery really last?! And speaking of plugging it in, where on earth does that cord and plug get stored in the horse body?? These are the questions we should be asking ourselves!! But why not a horse? We have electric cars, planes, and boats so why not a horse! Now, just have to figure out a few small minor details!! I’m totally sure the horses won’t mind!! Who knew Dustin was capable of moving the camera back and forth without actually touching it just using his mind and hand gestures?? If you ask me, it is nothing short of miraculous! Sort of like the Vulcan Mind Meld! At this point, I am just lucky I wasn’t standing there when it was being viewed as Dustin almost launched his IPA all over everyone as he was laughing so hard! Let’s discuss the term Bleheaf-Ferhick. This is a super important term for anyone in the electrical trade to understand, but one that is rarely talked about (in fact, this is MOST ASSUREDLEY the ONLY place where you will hear it!) This strange phenomenon occurs when we deplete all the ohms out of the extension cord we are using. This effect can also happen when we use up all the blinker fluid out of the service van and must refill it. Strange things folks, strange things!! There are many facets to electrical safety. But none are more delicious than the electrical Baclava! I mean this delicious Greek/Turkish pastry should be on the top of everyone’s list of things to try! Flaky dough, nuts, and super sugary syrup make it an absolute delight for electricians young and old. I think this desert took Dustin, and the whole Electrician U crew, by complete disguise! And trust me, it tastes MUCH better than eating that old nasty balaclava that we have in our arc flash kits!! Who wants to eat something that has been on someone’s sweaty head anyways?? Not this guy!! Who knew that Dustin was considering running for office in 2024? It doesn’t appear as if Dustin knew?! Heck, I’ll vote for him! It seems that he has also been busy being on the SpongeBob Square Pants show. If I am not mistaken, he was called as an electrical expert to turn the lights on and off to simulate an eerie scene! Congratulations Dustin, movie star!! Philosopher Dustin also lets us know the one thing he ALWAYS does in bathrooms. There are a few things that I do in bathrooms, but according to Dustin, he prefers to install dimmers, so the bright lights don’t hurt his eyes! Who knew?! Does he install them in EVERY bathroom he visits? Perhaps, he should let us know this in an upcoming video. Wondering if he carries a bunch of dimmers in his pockets for just this purpose? We may never know!! To provide the long-awaited answer to “would you rather have a billion dollars or a 36” penis?”, we turn to our rockstar apprentice Josh! According to him, he would rather have the billion dollars, as a 36” penis would just tend to get in the way! Not to mention, a billion dollars could probably buy you whatever size penis you wanted!! Excellent choice Josh, excellent choice! To end the episode, Dustin shows off his high-flying piloting skills in an epic fire breathing dragon vs. F16 battle! Although wrecking an 80-million-dollar jet fighter is strongly discouraged, it does provide an awesome look into just what our friend Dustin is capable of doing!! We hope this has been as funny for you to watch as it was for us to make! Just goes to show that while the electrical industry is a serious place, we all should take a step back every now and again to laugh and actually enjoy what we do! #electrician #electrical #electricity #bloopers #outtakes #reaction #money #over #inches

As electricians, it is important for us to understand the fundamentals of electrical theory. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin walks us through Volts, Amps, Watts & Ohms. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Let’s start off with Volts. In an electrical circuit, voltage equals pressure. Low pressure = lower voltage and high pressure = higher voltage. A good analogy to use to try to wrap your head around things is water. Voltage is the same as how hard the water is coming out of the water hose. It can also be called a difference in potential. So, when measuring voltage with your meter you may be able to read 120v or 240v in residential applications or up to 480v in commercial or industrial applications. In electrical calculations, Voltage is written as V or E. The next term we should cover is Amperage. While voltage is pressure, amperage is current flow. Again, this term is directly proportional. Lower amperage = lower current flow and higher amperage = higher current flow. Going back to our water analogy, amperage could be thought of as how much water is flowing, not necessarily how HARD. In electrical terminology, amperage is written as A or I. Resistance is the next term to discuss. Resistance is opposition to current flow. Everything electrically that we use has some form of resistance in it. From a light bulb to a vacuum to a television and so on. The interesting thing about resistance is that it slows down current flow to a rate that is usable. Without some form of resistance, the current flow would be so high that we would short our circuit out (this is what happens when we take our load out of a circuit and hook the hot wire straight up to our neutral. BANG!) in electrical calculations resistance is written as R or the omega symbol and is measured in Ohms. Lastly, we will talk about Watts. Wattage is how much power is being consumed/expended. The lower the wattage the smaller the load is. Take a light bulb for instance. A 60w lamp is not as bright as a 100w lamp. But it’s not just confined to lamps. Every piece of equipment has a wattage rating; toasters, vacuums, tv’s etc. These simple terms can also be used in conjunction with one another to find one that is missing. Basic Ohm’s law. So, for example, if you knew what voltage your equipment was operating at and how many amps it drew, you could use the Ohms law formula of voltage x amperage = wattage. We hope this has been helpful in understanding some of the basic but most common terms of electrical theory. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed here on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.

Most of us know what a motor is. But what about capacitors? And why would we need them to be on a motor? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin answers discusses why we would need to have capacitors on our motors. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Capacitors for the most part are an energy storage device. They will charge up and store energy and then discharge when its needed. But why would we need that for a motor? To answer that, we need to understand how a motor starts when power is applied to it. If we had the leads for the motor connected and the motor poles are in line, the motor will turn until those points are no longer in line. But the power points are now out of sequence (in a sense) and the motor can no longer spin. What a capacitor does is provide a charge to bump those points so they are back in line and the applied voltage can cause them to spin again. There are also a couple of terms that we need to know when discussing capacitors. Those are inductive reactance and capacitive reactance. Inductive reactance is where the voltage is leading, and current is lagging. In capacitive reactance is where Current leads and Voltage lags. In essence, in an inductive circuit, the amount of magnetic energy keeps things so bound up that it slows down the current flow. However, the voltage is still churning away, but the current is lagging. In a capacitor, when discharged, the positive and negative are just randomly kind of hanging out together. But when charged, those positive charges group together, as do the negatives, in a much more orderly fashion, ready to be discharged to do their work. But with them being so far apart now, current cannot get thru, hence the current LAG in capacitive reactance! In essence, inductive and capacitive are just polar opposites of one another. In many motors there are actually 2 capacitors. A start capacitor and a run capacitor. The start capacitor is used to get the motor spinning as this usually requires a much larger push. Once the motor has taken off and churning along, then the run capacitor takes over. The run capacitor still provides the same function in keeping the motor shaft spinning when its not inline with the motor leads, just not as much is needed as the force of the shaft moving helps it along. Capacitors are also used to keep things from being so lopsided. They smooth the process out a bit. In lieu of there being such a large Voltage draw every other cycle, and none on the opposing, capacitors smooth that up and down action. This tends to make the process much smoother and less jerky! There are also other flavors of capacitors that provide both start AND run functions as well as capacitors that can provide either the Start or Run functions for multiple motors. We hope this has been an insightful look into inductive/capacitive reactance and why we need capacitors on motors. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be!

As electricians, we know that panels are where we source our power for devices, fixtures, and equipment. But how do they really work? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin explores this topic in the hopes of helping us understand. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com To start, lets explain the basic components that are in electrical panels. We have incoming lugs. This is where you would land the wires from the SOURCE feeding the panel itself. You will have one for each phase (or hot) conductor, one for the neutral, and one for the ground. Next, we will have the panel interior itself. This contains the buss for each of the phases and is where the load side breakers will attach. It also contains a few pieces of insulating material that keep the phase busses isolated from the metal current carrying pieces within the panel that it shouldn’t touch. Finally, we have a main breaker. This allows us to shut the entire panel off with one throw of a single switch. It also provided overcurrent protection for the panelboard as a whole. There are instances where a MCB (main circuit breaker) are not needed, in which case you will only have the MLO (main lug only) that we discussed above. As a side note, main breaker kits are available for some panels, so you have the provisions to add that main breaker if desired or necessary. The buss bars within the panel alternate and are usually the point that many starting out electricians have confusion. Breakers in panels are generally lined up in two rows. Odd numbered circuits on the left and even numbered circuits on the right. So, the top slot usually contains circuit numbers 1 & 2. These are on the A phase (or the black incoming wire). The next slot contains circuit numbers 3 & 4. These are on the B phase (or the red incoming wire. This pattern repeats itself all the way down thru the entire panel. A, B, A, B, A, B……... This changes a little when we introduce a 3-phase panel in that the sequence goes A, B, C, A, B, C…... So, breakers across from each other are on the same phase, but the breakers provide a different circuit for each. What is important to know here is that via the breaker, the outgoing wire, your load, and the returning neutral form a complete circuit (loop) allowing current to flow. The current leaves the breaker, travels thru the load (or loads) and comes back to the panel on the neutral (or other hot if you are using a 2 or 3-pole breaker. In the panel itself, the neutral wire is attached to the neutral buss, which is attached to the neutral wire back to the transformer. The phase that you are using is also attached to the incoming phase wire from the transformer. The loop is now complete, and current is allowed to flow. The individual breakers in the panel provide protection for the conductors and the load that they are serving. They also allow us additional control of those loads by affording us the opportunity to shut them off if needed. These breakers can come in several different ampacity ratings and a few different protection types (AFCI and GFCI being among them). Breakers can also be single pole (serving one single circuit), 2 pole (serving 2 hots) or three phase (serving equipment that utilize 3 phase power like motors, other panels, transformers, etc.). We hope this has been helpful in understanding the different components of a panel and how those components work together to form loops and let current flow. Is there a topic you would like to see a video made on? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians they can be.

To be honest, each and every one of us electricians consider ourselves the best! Ok, well the bulk of us do anyway! But how do you become the best? And in 10 years? This is a question posed by one of our followers. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin digs in and offers some advice and guidance on being a great electrician. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com The short answer to this question is that no one can be the best in 10 years! There will always be someone that has been doing it longer and has more experience. And, every individual is different. However, there are pathways that you can embark upon that will set you up to be a GREAT electrician. It does start with a great attitude. If you feel that you have what it takes and are willing to do what it takes, then that is a huge chunk of what is required. The rest of the stuff are learned items. Among the first things to do is figure out the path. Union or Non-Union? Union learning/work is much more structured. Merit is recognized less and time in grade recognized more. With Merit Shop (Non-Union) it is based more on what the individual can do regardless of time. This can be a big factor in deciding your pathway. The union tends to play into the long game, a bit steadier and slower. Non-Union tends to be a bit more rapid with different opportunities being presented based upon how you perform and what responsibilities you are willing to take on. Not that there is anything wrong with either, it really is just personal preference. Both offer excellent opportunities to learn. Studying/Reading/Learning is another BIG way to become more than just average. There are MANY MANY books available on A TON of electrical topics. There are several online learning platforms (you belong to one now, Electrician U, if you are watching this video!) You MUST be willing to learn from others and the information and practices that they offer. Within the electrical trade, there are several different types of installations, and if you want to be the best, then you must know them all (or at least know how they work). Schooling ties into this as well. There are different classroom type schools available, and depending on how YOU learn, you must navigate which works best for you. The work portion will vary from person to person. A good path would start off with residential type work for a couple of years. This will allow you to learn the basics of how things operate and get you used to seeing the typical materials used. If you follow that period of time (because it may be more or less than 2 years) with a couple of years doing service type work, that tends to be beneficial. At this point, you learn how to fix things along with running into multiple types of materials and methods. You also gain the benefit of seeing how OTHERS installed their work. Teaching can also be a valuable resource to fill your brain. If you can teach to others (whether its your apprentice in the van, or to a physical classroom, or an online platform, you must first learn the material yourself before you can expect to impart that knowledge upon anyone else! So, back to the reading of books, watching videos etc.! But having to learn a new topic (or reeducate yourself on an older topic) can get the repetitions in of becoming an expert in any particular topic. Then, one day (trust me, it’ll happen!) things will just click in your head. The proverbial AH HA moment! At that point, things will just organically fall into place. We hope this has been insightful into seeing what it takes to become the best electrician! It’s a marathon, not a sprint! Is there a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians they can be.

🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com #electrician #electrical #electricity #shorts #kleintools #NECAAustin22

As electricians we must understand how electricity must travel in loops to be able to work. But what happens when we introduce ourselves into one of those loops? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin walks us through. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Electricity does not travel in straight lines. It must travel in loops. It leaves the source, travels through the load(s), and then back to the source. Without this loop, current will not flow, but will just stop at the point of breakage in the loop (circuit). Let’s talk first about those loops. First, there is a transformer. It could be pole mounted or pad mounted (in essence they are the same). A single-phase transformer is made of 2 complete loops. One on the primary side and one on the secondary side. The primary loop is comprised a wire coming from its source, wound thru the transformer itself, and a wire on the other end of the windings headed back to source. A loop! On the secondary side, its relatively the same, but with one added wire. The secondary windings of the transformer each have a wire leaving on their respective ends that travel to the panel (for a residential application lets assume 240v). There is also a neutral that is tapped onto the center point of the winding, which generates the neutral, so we can utilize 120v if needed. However, with the panel hooked up to the secondary conductors as we described above, the loop isn’t completed since the phase conductors/neutral conductor are all separate from one another. So, in order for any magic to happen, we need another loop! This would be where the individual circuits come into play. Take a lightbulb for instance. It is also an open-ended loop. To help imagine, think of one entire piece of wire, with one end connected to the screw shell, up into the lamp where its coiled together at the filament, and the other end of the wire connected to the bottom of the lamp. Once a hot conductor leaves the panel (via a breaker) touches the bottom of the lamp, travels thru the filament, and back to the panel on the neutral, the circuit (loop) is complete and current can flow! But, say we take that hot wire and cut it. We now have a complete loop but its not touching together at the point where we cut it. IF we were to grab hold of one end of the wire in one hand and the other end in our other hand, WE would become a part of the circuit and current would flow THRU us. The same could happen if we used just a finger to bridge the gap between the two cut pieces. The shock would be less as the path is only thru our finger, but a shock would be felt nonetheless! If you were to grab one end in each hand as described above, electricity would pass THRU your heart on the way to your other hand and that can cause SEVERE damage or even death! A parallel circuit shock is similar but in lieu of putting yourself inline with the current flow, you are negating the load entirely by touching each end of the loop. So, grabbing one hot wire in one hand and the other hot (or neutral) in the other, you take the load portion of the loop out and replace it with your body. And since the human body has a very low resistance, a large amount of current will be allowed to flow (as there isn’t a whole lot of resistance to slow it down). That problem is exacerbated by traveling thru your heart as you have an end of the loop in each hand! Protect yourself from electrical shock! Turn the power off and lock it out! And if you MUST work on something while it is energized, make sure you have the proper PPE available and the proper training. We hope this has been insightful into how electricity travels in loops and how introducing yourself into them can result in a shock. Do you have a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comment section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be!

You have a chance to meet Dustin in person @ NECA 2022 (National Electrical Contractors Association). It's in his backyard (not actually but close) in Austin, TX on October 15-18, 2022. The Electrician U team will be hanging out at the Klein Tools booth #2232 for part of the show. Important Klein Tools events @ Booth 2232: https://www.facebook.com/kleintools/live_videos 10/16 @ 2pm Klein Live 10/17 @ 3pm Klein Live Also don't miss Dustin on Klein Live from an undisclosed location 10/16 @ 7pm 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com #electrician #electrical #electricity #shorts #NECAAustin22 #kleintools

For Most of us Electricians, we understand WHAT a shock feels like! It hurts (pun definitely intended. Hertz/Hurts. Get it??). But how and why do we get shocked. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin answers this question. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Let’s first define a few things. An Electric Shock is “A sudden discharge of electricity through a part of the body”. This would be the standard buzzing shock most of us electricians have experienced at least a few (hundred) times over our careers! Electrocution on the other hand is defined as “Death or Severe Injury caused by electric shock from electric currents passing through the body”. So, electrocution is much more severe, and is not limited to death but can also result in severe injury. An Arc Flash is “A phenomenon where a flashover of electric current leaves its INTENDED path and travels through the air from one conductor to another, OR to ground”. In fact, an arc flash is so powerful that it can VAPORIZE metal (Copper and Steel among them) and severely injure the worker and cause massive damage to property. Remember from previous discussions that electricity needs to make a complete loop to be able to work. It must leave source on the phase conductor, travel thru the load, and return to source on the neutral (for a single phase 120- or 277-volt circuit) or return on the other phase conductor (for a single or three phase 208-, 240-, or 480-volt circuit). One of the ways to receive a SHOCK would be via series. For a series type shock, you introduce YOURSELF INTO the pathway of the circuit. That can be either on the hot OR the neutral end. Basically, if you were to take the hot conductor feeding some type of load and CUT it, and then grab on to BOTH cut ends, you are putting yourself right into the stream of the current flow. DISCLAIMER: DO NOT TRY THIS!!!!- if you were to touch one end of that hot wire and nothing else, there is no current flow, and you won’t receive a shock. This applies only if you are not touching another hot wire, a neutral wire, a ground wire (or anything grounded), your boots are proper, you are not standing in a puddle of water, or a myriad of other options that would allow that current path to make a complete loop back to source. Another option of getting shocked would be a parallel type of shock. This type of shock takes place where there is no other load, and you manage to touch the hot wire on one side and the neutral wire on the other side. This results in YOU becoming the load. And since the human body has a super low resistance, it will allow the potential for much current to flow. You can also receive a shock via touching a hot conductor and a ground wire (or something that is grounded). This type of shock is allowing the errant voltage to return to its source via an alternate path (as it is intended to), but putting YOU in the middle of the process, which will result in an electrical shock. While most electrical process can be achieved with the power OFF, there are a few that require the power to remain ON. Troubleshooting being one of them. We really need the power ON to see what is and/or is not working to be able to diagnose the issue. BUT, if you are to be working on a live circuit, you MUST have the proper training and the proper PPE to do it. Hot gloves are great but are worthless unless you have been trained in their proper usage and care and how to operate with them on (they are very bulky after all!). We hope this has been insightful in understanding HOW an electrical shock can happen. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comment section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in being the best electricians they can be.

What is a circuit and how does it work? Even though most of us electricians think of ourselves as magicians, there is nothing really magical about electricity!! In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin explains the theories behind how a circuit actually works and the basic principles of electricity. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com On a basic level, there are 4 distinct principles that govern how a circuit and electricity actually work. Volts, Amps, Watts, and Ohm’s (or resistance). Each one plays an important role in the flow of electrons within a conductor and can change how the overall experience is perceived. First let’s discuss volts. Volts relates to pressure. This PRESSURE is what moves things along. On one end of a circuit, somewhere, there is a generator that is creating this pressure. The other end (which we will discuss momentarily) is using that pressure to be useful. Voltage can come in several different amounts. The higher the voltage the more the pressure. 12 volts is much less than 120 volts, which is much less than 480 volts. The lower the voltage the more you risk not having enough pressure to operate a higher quantity of loads or go as far in distance. One reason we use higher voltages for those situations. What we are actually pushing with that pressure is current and that is measured in AMPERES (amps). Think of amps as flow. How much is actually going thru the circuit. So, amps can be thought of as how much is flowing thru the circuit per second. The smaller the amount, the less the amperage. Some equipment requires more amps to operate (motors, large light bulbs, etc.). Water can be a good analogy to use when discussing parts of electricity (even though the two REALLY shouldn’t be put together!!). While water pressure could be used to describe VOLTS, the flow rate (or gallons/liters per minute) can be used to describe AMPERAGE. The next part of the puzzle is resistance. If we were to hook up a wire straight in between a hot and a neutral, there would be an infinite amount of current allowed to flow as there is no resistance to slow it down. This would end in a rather catastrophic event! So, resistance slows down the rate of current flow to a more manageable/useful rate. Remember, for a circuit to work, it must be a complete loop. So a resistive load completes the loop enough for current flow to slow down to a useful rate, but not great enough to create a short circuit! Take a light bulb for instance. One side of the lamp is connected to one end of a filament while the other side is connected to the other. When power is applied, the filament glows, slowing down the rate of current flow but completing the circuit. The last part to discuss is wattage. Think of wattage as power consumption. How much work is being performed. Take a toaster for example. We need wattage to toast our bread. The resistive elements get hot from current flow/resistance. That power consumption is measured in watts. The higher the watts for our toaster, the hotter it will get and faster it will toast our bread. We hope this has been insightful into how a circuit works and the different basic components of them. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comments section below and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in becoming the best they can be!

As most electricians know, there are switch loops, and there are 3-way switches. But is there such a thing as a 3-way switch loop? This was a question from one of our viewers. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin digs into this topic to explain how all these scenarios work. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com To understand the topic, lets layout standard switch wiring, switch loop wiring and standard 3-way switch wiring. Something to keep in mind, for ALL switches (or power sources for that matter) power must originate at the source, travel THRU the load, and return back to the source. For a standard switch, we bring the hot, neutral, and ground into the switch box. Then we run the hot, neutral, and ground up to the light fixture and wire. Pretty simple! For a switch loop, the incoming hot, neutral, and ground are run to the FIXTURE box first. The neutral and ground from that cable are wired to the fixture. Here is where we get a bit different. Another cable has to be installed from the fixture box to the switch box that has at least 3 wires. We need to take the incoming hot from our fixture box down to the switch on one of the wires and wire to one of the terminal screws on the switch. The other wire we would place on the other terminal screw and run it back up to our fixture box and wire to our light. Since 2 conductor NM cable and MC cable are traditionally white and black, we need to reidentify the white conductor for the purpose of carrying the current, so someone doesn’t get confused and receive a nasty shock! The last conductor would be for the ground. 3-way switches are a bit different as they are 2 separate locations being utilized to actuate a fixture (or series of fixtures) but with a single power source. The thing to remember here is you bring power IN on one of the switches and OUT to the fixture(s) on the other one. The switches look a bit different also in that there are 4 terminal screws on the switch. One for the ground (which doesn’t change from any other device switch) a common (which is either power IN or power OUT depending on which one you are using it for) and 2 travelers. So, power is brought in on one side of the 3-way where the incoming hot is connected to the common terminal. A 12-3 should be run between the 3-way switches where the incoming neutral is connected to the white of the cable and the ground to the ground. The other black and red wires are connected to the TRAVELER terminals on the switch. On the other 3-way switch, the common screw would be the switch leg going TO the light fixture, the traveler terminals would receive the traveler conductors from the other switch, and the neutral & ground conductor would go up to the fixture (with the hot) to actuate the light. A 3-way switch loop is a bit different, but the principal is the same. Much like a normal switch loop, we bring the incoming hot into the fixture box. But we need to run a 12-3 type cable down to each switch location. This quantity of conductors is important as we now have the traveler conductors to deal with. So, reidentify the white conductor for both switch locations. On the side that would receive the incoming hot, connect it to the hot from source. On the side that would be the switch leg, connect it to the fixture. In both switch locations, this reidentified white wire would be hooked to the common screw. The black and red conductors would be connected to the traveler screws on the devices and then wire nutted (color to color) in the fixture box. Incoming hot and ground conductors would be hooked up to the fixture as normal! Nothing really different except there are a few other joints that can become confusing! We hope this has been insightful! Is there a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comment section and let us know! Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers become the best they can be!!

Electrician U was created to help other electricians by providing insight to how the electrical community works and help those followers to be better at our trade. In this latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin talks about some of the things that are on the horizon and is asking his followers what they want to see from the platform as a whole. https://discord.gg/electricianu 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Electrician U has been around for over 6 years and has grown exponentially in that time. During this time of growth, Dustin has started several other platforms to promote Electrician U. There is a Discord channel, Continuing Education/Exam Prep, YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, and a website. Heck, even a line of tool belts and workwear is being designed and tested. But having said all of that, what is it that you, as followers of Electrician U, want to see from the platform as a whole? Several months ago, Dustin’s mentor was involved in a wicked wreck. Without hesitation, Dustin jumped in to help run his mentor’s company while he healed up. Which brings up a super valid point. When we have the opportunity to help someone, we should all be willing to do just that. None of us just rolled out of the womb being bad ass electricians. We all had to be mentored and taught. Its super important for each one of us to teach not only the next generation of electricians, but also just help others when we can. The world would be a better place for it, that’s for sure!! Ok, rant over!! So, what is it y’all would like to see from Electrician U? Are there different areas where the platform can improve? Are there things that we ARE doing that you do like? Do you want to see more of those things we are doing right? How do you feel about the layout of the website? Is it easy to follow or are there improvements that can make the flow of things better? Please leave some comments in the comment section of this video to give us some ideas. There have been discussions about developing an App to assist in electrical learning. Is that something that you as followers of Electrician U would like to see more development on? Also, Dustin has had some ideas about releasing some NFT to help build up the platform. Let us know if that is something that you feel would help yall to be able to get more out of all of this. In general, we are asking for your opinions on what you would like to get out of all this! Overall, as a brand, we value each and every one of you, and want you to get the most out of Electrician U. Feel free to leave some comments below and let us know what you want to see and where you would like all this to go!

Have you ever thought about installing your trim devices BEFORE the drywall is hung? A question came in from one of our followers asking this very question. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin discusses this topic and gives some insight on the trim out process. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com As electricians, we are usually looking for new and better ways to perform our trades to improve our efficiency and streamline the entire installation process. One of those ways would be to install your devices before the drywall gets installed. Traditionally we install those trim out devices after the drywall goes up. So, what would be possibly gain by installing them prior to the drywall getting hung. Well, it could save a trip(s) out to the jobsite. If you were already onsite, you wouldn’t have to go BACK to the project if you could trim out as soon as you had the project roughed. You could also be looking for a task for one of your crews. At a minimum, it would save the time that you would burn by rolling up all your tools/materials/etc. and then remobilizing just to put the devices in. However, there are a few issues that would certainly arise by doing things this way. First, most drywallers nowadays use some form of powered tool to cut the device openings in the drywall for our devices. For the most part, gone are the days of those tradesmen (and women) of accurately measuring the devices, marking the drywall, and then taking a sheetrock saw/razor knife to cut the drywall. They now generally roughly hang the drywall on the wall (or hold it up on the studs) and plunge the router into the box through the drywall and make the cuts that way. And if you were to install the devices prior to that process, you would have MANY devices that were damaged. It would probably cost you more TIME and materials by having to replace all the damaged ones. Something else to consider would be the tabs that hold the devices up against the sheetrock to make positive contact. These ears are larger than the box (by design) and would require the drywall installers to cut larger holes than necessary to accommodate them. You would then be forced to use something like a caterpillar to support the device. And while they aren’t awfully expensive, it is an expense, nonetheless. Another item to consider would be putting the devices in prior to drywall mudding or painting. This also may result in you having to replace an abundance of devices if they crew doing the taping/mudding happen to get a bunch of drywall mud all over your devices (and trust me they will!! That process is not super neat and tidy!). This is especially true if you are using Decora style rocker switches. If any drywall mud gets into the paddle, the switch may not work as it should, even if the devices are wiped off. The same is true for painting. The paint crews will undoubtedly paint several (if not all) of your devices forcing you to replace them. Even if the devices are taped off, someone will inevitably attempt to plug something into a device that is taped off, leaving painters tape IN the slots of the receptacle. There are device plates on the market that are available to protect against damage of devices from paint/drywall mud. Most of them look like a metal or plastic cover that entirely covers the device. But again, you would be hamstringing the drywallers by not allowing them to use their routers to cut out for your devices. Most times they will just remove those plates and throw them on the floor to get lost or damaged. And with them removed, they will now, more than likely, damage your devices and you would be stuck in the same boat! While new ways of working efficiently are certainly encouraged, this is one of them that we should probably leave just as we have been doing for years! Is there a topic you would like to see a video on? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know! Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians they can be!

Have you ever found a breaker in a panel that was physically warm to the touch? Have you ever wondered why? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin explores the reasons why any of the breakers in a panel would be warm/hot. 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com While many first reactions would be to say, “the breaker is bad”, this should usually be reserved for the LAST option. A proper diagnosis of the entire scenario is required to figure out what the problem really is. Look at the appliance first. As appliances get older/more usage, they can tend to fail and potentially draw more current than they normally would. Especially motors. When motors spin slower or have parts within them start to fail, they will draw more current. And current equates to heat. Breakers are designed to trip when they get to around 130% of their rated value. And that is built up over an elongated period of time. So, if the breaker is pulling 110% of its value, its not enough to necessarily trip the breaker, but the heat generated for the over amperage will display itself in the breaker. Again, usually reserved for the last option, the problem COULD be the breaker as they are comprised of many moving parts within the breaker itself. And any one of these pieces could have an issue; especially in an older breaker that has seen some usage. Improper torquing of the wires (both coming into the panel and the ones for the branch circuits) could lead to a buildup of heat and that heat will be transferred to the breaker itself. The current will tend to flow on the outside of the conductor strands and will only transfer at the actual point of contact with the next surface. And if you have a small contact point, you are forcing it to transfer all its current thru a small point, thus generating heat. Charring/blackening of conductors or melting of insulation at the point of improper torquing can be a visual sign of the issue. Improper balancing of the panel loads can also lead to the breaker heating up. If you have much more load installed on the A phase of the panel than the B phase, your conductors/breaker will certainly be drawing much more load than intended and will most certainly be much warmer. Same would be true of the neutral as it is designed to carry the unbalanced current between the two phases. So, try to leave the “bad breaker” statement out until all other options have been exhausted. If you get thru the above items and nothing seems awry, then perhaps test the breaker to see what is going on. If you happen to have a spare breaker, swap it out with the offending one and see if the situation replicates. If you don’t happen to have one just laying around, then you could always move the load to a known good breaker within the panel (remove the previous load first!!) and try it that way. Regardless of the situation, always get a licensed qualified electrician to do this type of troubleshooting and testing. They have the experience, tools, and knowledge. We hope this has been helpful in understanding why your breaker could be warm/hot to the touch. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comment section below and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to provide our followers with new information to help them become the best electricians they can be.

There are many ways to plan for your service or panel rough in depending on what sources you have available. Solar, generator backed up power, UPS power, etc. will all dictate differently HOW you will begin to rough the service installation. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin discusses Schneider Electric’s new 200a Energy Center that aims to simplify the installation by putting many of the separate parts/pieces into one enclosure! This is guaranteed to be awesome!! SPONSOR: ⚡️💡 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC 💡⚡️ https://www.se.com/us/en/home/offers/connected-home/energy-center/?utm_source=electrician_u&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=resi_central 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com Upon first inspection, this unit is a beast, but there is a reason it is large. The reason the apparatus is larger than a normal panel is that everything is in ONE enclosure. It currently is meant for NEW residential applications, but there are already works in the process developing a remodel version. The meter portion is separated from the rest of the panel by a divider and is provided with knockouts up to 3”. There is also a SEPARATE main breaker (still within the enclosure but separate from the meter and branch panel). The overall setup is completed by not one but TWO different panel interiors, giving you different options to control your power usage AND 60 breaker spaces! Each one of the interiors have their OWN main breakers also furthering your abilities to shed load or set up the branch wiring to suit the individual residence, not just have some stock panel!! Schneider Electric has also embraced the Plug On Neutral option of bussing for this panel. With the advent of most of the breakers in a residence being either Arc Fault or Ground Fault, having this option gives us the ability to use the breakers with the integral neutral in lieu of having to run those curly Q wires up to the neutral buss (although, they DO provide a large neutral buss/lugs at the top of the panel section should you require it). But our friends over at Schneider Electric did NOT stop there! In addition to the awesome features above, they have included several other things that will simplify your installations. The have included a receptacle built into the enclosure that is also protected from the weather. Also included are a set of Solar CT’s so you could incorporate a solar option to your installation (not having to go somewhere else to get individual parts). In addition, they have included a Wiser Energy Monitor module. This system controls the items we spoke about a few weeks back when Dustin reviewed the Connected Wiring Devices that allow you to monitor/control different those devices within your house from an App on your phone. You can check usage of individual devices, turn individual devices on/off, see which of your devices are using the most electricity, among a myriad of other functions! Super cool!! Continuing with the options, an SPD is included with this enclosure as well. It is also “built-in” to a point by not requiring any “wiring” on the electrician’s end. It just snaps on to the phase/neutral buss just like a breaker would! This just further enhances the efficiency of the installation, while still meeting the requirements of the NEC. And by having is snap on/off, it allows the replacement should the part fail or if a large surge does hit the panel. There is even full-size wiring in between the ground and neutral busses satisfying the requirement of the NEC to bond the ground and neutral at the service entrance point. By using wire to bond these together, Schneider Electric has ensured that not JUST the enclosure is providing that bond. All in all, our friends over at Schneider Electric have done a fantastic job with this piece of equipment! By combining so many options into one setup, they have eliminated the need to purchase several different pieces of equipment as well as cutting down on the time needed for the electrician to separately wire it all! Well done y’all, well done! Is there a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comment section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to showcase new and improved products available and to help our followers become the best electricians that they can be.

There are many different types of meters available for us electricians to use. Multimeters, Amp Clamp meters, Hot Sticks, etc. But what are the different CAT ratings for on these meters? In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin discusses what the different CAT ratings are for as well as talk about a few different Multimeters available from Klein Tools. ⚡🔨SPONSOR: KLEIN TOOLS🔨⚡ https://www.kleintools.com/ 🤘⚡️MEMBERSHIP⚡️🤘 JOIN ELECTRICIAN U - become a member and get: FREE Continuing Education every year FREE Practice Exams FREE Monthly Video Courses FREE Weekly Live Instructor-Led Classes FREE Monthly Educational Newsletter Premium Members-Only Content Private Discord Channel Monthly Members-Only Discord Chats Sign up here --- https://www.electricianu.com/electrician-u-membership/ 🎧🎹MUSIC AND VIDEO:🎹🎧 https://www.facebook.com/descantmv 🎬✍️ART AND ILLUSTRATION:✍️🎬 https://www.daverussoart.com To understand what this CAT business is all about, lets talk about a few things first. Each meter is designed to work on a specific voltage range and have a specific amount of current run thru it. If you choose the wrong meter to work on a different range other than intended, it can cause damage to the meter (although most newer meters have fuses inside to protect them from damage). Think about electrical services and available fault current. The closer you are to the source (transformer) the more available fault current there is (a higher amount of current can flow) as there is less impedance to stop it. If the service conductors are short, there is less wire to offer any impedance. Also, on the service conductors, there are no loads yet (motors, devices, etc.) to provide impedance. Meters work in much the same way. Each has a certain amount of impedance built into the meter to be able to have its functions work at a certain range of voltage and or amperage. So, the CAT rating is simply the voltage/amperage category environment it can be used in. The lower the CAT rating, the lower the voltage/amperage it can be used to test for. Something to keep in mind is that you CAN use a higher CAT rated meter to test in a lower CAT rating environment. So, you could use a CAT 4 rated meter to test in a CAT 2 environment, you just shouldn’t go the other way, or you could risk damage! CAT 1 meters are the lowest rated meter, with about 30 ohms of impedance and a low voltage range, but these probably won’t be something that you would find readily available, so let’s start with the CAT 2 rated equipment. CAT 2 meters have a bit higher impedance with around 12 ohms and able to handle a bit higher voltage. An example of this is a plug tester that is rated at 300v max. CAT 3 meters are the most common category of meter most electricians have; whether it’s a standard tester, a multimeter, or an amp clamp type of meter. These meters are rated at 600v (so its capable of working at 600v or below) and has an impedance of about 2 ohms. The lower impedance allows more current to flow thru them and at a higher voltage. These types of meters at this CAT rating should work well for most applications that most of us electricians run into daily. Three phase distribution, lighting panels, and the like are things these meters are made for. CAT 4 meters have roughly the same impedance as CAT 3 (around 2 ohms) but allows you to use them up to 1000v. Meters can also come with several different options depending on which meter you select. Some have backlit displays (so it’s easier to see the readings), some allow you to HOLD the reading, some are even auto ranging (so you don’t have to manually select what voltage/amperage range you are working on, the meter is smart enough to figure it out!!). Amperage testing is another option as is temperature readings. Always choose a quality meter and TAKE CARE OF IT as your life depends on it. Meters should be kept separate from your other tools (preferably in a good case or bag) and do NOT belong in the bottom of the toolbox or rolling around in your van! Same with the leads of the meter. They should be inspected regularly, batteries should be changed frequently, and always test on a KNOWN source before attempting to use them on what you are attempting to test. We hope this has been helpful in understanding the different CAT ratings of meters. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed? Leave a comment in the comment section below and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in being the best electricians they can be!