If you are interested in learning everything about electricity, you should start by understanding the basic components that make up any electrical design and how they work. Think about how the great pyramids of Egypt were built using just blocks of rock. The rocks themselves were nothing, but when combined with careful design they formed such grand structures!

Similarly, you need to know about the basic electrical components and how they work together to create wonderful modern electrical systems. Below you will find information about the most common electrical components:

The very first component that you should know about is the resistor. It is fairly easy to assume that a resistor, as the name suggests, will resist electricity that flows through it, and you would be correct in that assumption too! Any situation that demands the flow of current to be controlled at a desired level will require a resistor.

Here are two scenarios that better explain what a resistor does. In both cases, we will be turning on a LED:

Scenario 1 – Without Resistor

Scenario 2 – With Resistor

If a resistor is like a cushion that is used to control the flow of electricity, then capacitors are like small rechargeable batteries that store small amounts of charge in them. Capacitors do two things at the same time:

By so doing, they are able to stabilize almost any circuit. There are two types of capacitors that are primarily used:

I briefly alluded to LEDs in the scenarios that were used under “Resistors” above. LEDs are just like bulbs except that they are extremely reliable. You can find them on practically every appliance in your home that features some kind of an indicator light. A typical LED bulb can last decades with no sign of dying.

Since they are so reliable, they are used to indicate the state of current at any point in a circuit. An important task like checking the output voltage or current on a circuit becomes simpler with these light-based indicators.

The resistors, capacitors, and LEDs are the simple stuff in electrical circuits. Now, let us talk about the first complicated component – the transistor. Transistors are used to build complex electrical systems, such as amplifiers for instance. A simple way to understand transistors is to think of a switch. A basic switch has an “on” and an “off” state. These are controlled by the position of the switch, which is changed manually.

A transistor is a more advanced switch that has multiple output states. Unlike a switch, you cannot change these states manually. The only way to switch the transistor between various states is to run current through it. By controlling the current that flows through the transistor, you can control the output state to achieve the results you desire.

Recently, the Obama administration adopted a new gas mileage standard for cars made in America — 54.5 mpg by 2030. That’s a big jump. The most recent figures — 2009 — show that average gas mileage for American cars manufactured in that year was 33 mpg.

Well, the new standard is good for reducing dependence on foreign oil and good for our pocket books — it’s supposed to save us $45 billion annually at the gas pumps. It’s probably also good for American competitiveness in export sales — people in other countries seem even more concerned about gas mileage than we have become. The 2009 cars we imported got 35 mpg, 2 miles better than American-made.

Most Americans support the idea of upping gas mileage. Consumer Reports found in a recent survey that 77% of Americans feel that Detroit should produce more fuel-efficient cars and the government should increase mileage standards. So, everything’s good….

BUT wouldn’t it be better to run our cars on ZERO gasoline? Wouldn’t it be better to go electric? I’m not talking about the government telling Detroit to manufacture only electric vehicles (EVs). But when we buy our next car, if we made it electric or hybrid, we would be asking Detroit to manufacture the kind of cars that emit zero pollution and don’t eat any Middle Eastern oil.

You might be thinking — yes, but where does the electricity come from? That’s a good point, but here’s the neat thing about electricity — it can come from clean sources. In Los Angeles, 40% of the electricity supplied by the Department of Water and Power is generated from coal — not clean. But that means that 60% is generated from cleaner sources like natural gas, hydropower, nuclear, geothermal, wind, and solar. DWP expects that by 2020, 0% will be generated from coal and 40% will be generated from renewables. Those are the facts about electricity in L.A. — and, I assure you, my being an electrician doesn’t give me any bias on the subject!

My next car will be an EV. In the meantime I’m lending my support to the cause by installing EV chargers for those in L.A. who are beating me to it and have already bought their electric cars.

Click here to read more.

The rule of 3’s. They’re the triple threat of lighting design. Three types of lighting: ambient, task and accent. Three levels of design: top, middle & bottom. For today’s blog post I’ve put together a quick reference guide on what the different layers are, along with a few tips on how to use them to pull your space together.

Three Layers of Light: Ambient, Task & Accent

this interactive picture that shows the dramatic difference in a kitchen after under cabinet lights were added. (That’s next on my project list!)

3. Accent lights add depth & dimension and showcase individual items or areas. A favorite painting or photograph displayed under a picture light on the wall is a popular way to accent with lighting. One of my favorite examples of decorative outdoor accent lighting are Annie’s original post to see if you’re right.]

Three Layers of Design: Top, Middle & Bottom

There are instances where NEC and other regulators recommend dedicated circuits for certain loads. Typical loads to put on individual branch circuits include sensitive electronic equipment such as computers. In addition, water heating systems, large appliances, and other high capacity loads that zap power require a dedicated circuit.

Run cables all the way to the main service panel and avoid connecting to other existing circuits. The same conductor size should be used throughout the branch circuit.

Electric water heaters, HVAC equipment, hot tubs and other appliances should each have a nearby disconnect that is easily visible and accessible. The power disconnect can be provided by the main or sub panel breaker, a dedicated switch, or a power cord that can be unplugged.

The branch circuits should have adequate current carrying capacity, adequate and grounding.

Typical branch currents include: