Articulating Electrical Behavior is Important
As a technician, it is crucial to have a fundamental understanding of how electricity works. It’s also important to articulate that information in a functionally-accurate and understandable way.
By effectively describing the electrical scenarios you come across, you can impress your customers, more readily seek assistance from and provide support to your colleagues, and convey your diagnosis accurately to subsequent tradespeople when necessary. Furthermore, you may even discourage overly involved customers from questioning your diagnosis.
For instance, when seeking assistance or offering help in social media groups, it is crucial to provide an accurate description of the electrical scenario. Simply stating “the dryer is not heating, the element has continuity, and I’m measuring 240V at the element” requires too many assumptions and interpretations on the part of the reader.
- The element may have continuity, but is the resistance 10 ohms or have the coils sagged and shorted to each other? Is there continuity from terminal to ground?
- You are getting 240v to the element with respect to what? L1? L2?
- Are you getting 240v on each side of the element with respect to your reference point or with respect to each terminal?
When you express your findings in such a manner, the responses you receive from your peers will be as useful as the clarity with which you presented the problem. Later, I will propose the appropriate method to describe this particular case accurately.
This blog aims to assist you in accurately portraying electrical behavior by explaining the proper way to articulate volts, current, impedance, and power. Additionally, it will provide real-life examples illustrating the process of converting cases into clear descriptions.
Voltage
Voltage (in volts) is a difference of electrical potential between two points. It behaves in a specific way.
Voltage: “appears, when referenced to”, “is at, compared to”, “is, with respect to”, “is sourced by”, “is, from”, “across”.
Examples: “I am reading 120v at point A with respect to point B” or “There is 240v from one terminal of the element to the other” or “the element has 240v across it”.
Current
Current (in amps) is a rate of flow (of electrons) through a conductor. Here is the correct terminology:
Current: “flows through”, “passes through a point”, “is flowing through”, “is passing through”.
Examples: “I’m reading 20 amps through the circuit” or “20 amps of current is passing through point A of the circuit” or “26 amps flows through a dryer’s heat circuit”
Impedance or Resistance
Similar to resistance, impedance (measured in ohms) represents the opposition to current flow. However, impedance is specifically used in the context of AC current, and can also incorporate the opposition offered by capacitors and inductors. Therefore, impedance is a broader term that encompasses not only the complex impedance of resistors, capacitors, and inductors in combination, but also just simple resistance. Here are some accurate terminologies to effectively convey the effects of both impedance and resistance:
Impedance or Resistance: “is exhibited”, “being exhibited”, “has”, “is of”, “is a high”, “has a high”, “is a low”, “has a low”.
Examples: “Line voltage in the home is a low impedance voltage source” or “the input of my voltmeter is of very high impedance” or “L1 is exhibiting a high impedance, so there must be an upstream loose connection” or “a 9v alkaline battery has a an internal resistance of about 2 ohms.”
Power
Power, which represents the rate at which work is performed, lies at the heart of electricity utilization. It involves the manipulation and transfer of energy to accomplish useful tasks. Power, measured in watts, signifies the rate of energy transfer within a circuit. Energy itself is conserved, meaning it is not created or destroyed, but rather transformed or relocated. Electrical power originates from existing energy sources such as coal, which is harnessed at power plants. It is then converted into electrical energy and transmitted through power lines, transformed as necessary, and made accessible to consumers.
In an electrical circuit, power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred to and released from a load, such as a heating element or motor. This energy transformation is manifested as heat, motion, light, and other forms. Here are some examples of correct usage of the term “power”:
Power: “is dissipated”, “is output”, “is released”, “is used”, “is consumed”, “is delivered”.
Examples: “The cooktop element is dissipating 2000 watts of power” or “100 watts of power is being consumed by the load” or “The motor normally uses 200 watts of power” or “the resistor dissipates 1/2 watt of power” or “the dryer circuit delivers 5760 watts of power to the element”.
How do I Say it?
Remember the heating element problem in the introduction? A more proper and understandable way to articulate the case would have been “The dryer doesn’t heat. The element reads 10 ohms. It is not grounded, and I’m getting 240v on each side of the element with respect to L1.”
This tells your group peers everything they need to know to respond to your problem. One would immediately know that for a 10 ohm load that has 240v on each side with respect to L1 – that there is no voltage “difference” across the load and thus no current is flowing through the circuit. This implies a likely open component on the L1 side of the element in that circuit.
Here’s another real-life example:
You encounter a floating neutral in the field. In conveying this fact, your diagnostic statement may vary depending on the expected comprehension level of your audience.
To your customer:
“You have a loose connection somewhere on the neutral line which is resulting in a loss of needed voltage to your dryer”.
To the follow-on Electrician:
“You have a floating neutral, which indicates an upstream loose or broken connection on the Neutral line somewhere between the receptacle and the power meter.”
To your Engineer customer:
“You have a “floating neutral”, which is too high of an impedance to provide a solid return path for the dryer’s motor circuit. Thus it’s causing a voltage drop across that upstream high impedance and robbing your appliance of its needed voltage.”
Please note that while all three statements convey a similar meaning, they are phrased to cater to different audiences. The intention behind this approach is to ensure effective communication with each group. The customer will easily comprehend the information, the Electrician will have precise instructions on what to investigate, and the Engineer might reconsider any preconceived notions about your capabilities and have a deeper appreciation for your diagnosis.
Regardless of the target audience, your ability to explain the problem accurately and in a relatable manner reassures them that they can trust you to handle the situation with expertise and confidence.
Summary
When you can effectively articulate electrical behavior, you enhance your ability to assist and request diagnostic information from your peers with greater precision. Moreover, it allows you to impress and demonstrate your expertise to customers, effectively communicate with other tradespeople, and command respect even in the presence of self-proclaimed experts. Additionally, it contributes to fostering a more accurate understanding of how electricity behaves among your peers and co-workers. TC
“Diverting 10 min/day of social media time towards learning something new, is 5 hours of newfound monthly knowledge.” – SM
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