Wire color codes are essential for safely matching electrical wires to their correct terminals, reducing errors, and recalling existing wiring setups. Color coding is crucial for distinguishing ...

The terms neutral, ground, grounded, and grounding often get confused — sometimes with tragic consequences. So what is the difference? Let’s start with the neutral conductor. It’s not just another ...

A friend who was buying an older house was concerned about electrical safety and asked for my opinion as an electrical engineer. All of the AC receptacles (also called outlets) in the house were the ...

According to IEEE/ANSI Standard C62.41-1991 (formerly IEEE Standard 587), Recommended Practice on Surge Voltages in Low-Voltage AC Power Circuits, the worst normal mode surge expected inside a ...

A pretty typical diagram for the grounding system for a house is shown here, along with a few of the current carrying conductors commonly called live and neutral. On the far left is the transformer ...