Understanding Electrical Terms ® Understanding Electrical Terms In today’s computer-intensive work environments, a critical issue is clean, reliable power. Haworth is the industry leader in furniture-based power solutions. The ability to handle any power requirement is an important component in Haworth’s mission to completely satisfy customers’ needs. This booklet is designed to help you become familiar with electrical terms commonly used in the contract furniture industry. You’ll find descriptions of specific Haworth electrical products as well. Having a working knowledge of these terms and descrip- tions will help you understand Haworth’s furniture-based power capabilities. Remember, Haworth field sales engineers are also always ready and available to answer specific customer inquiries. Use this booklet to become conversant in the language of power, and as a companion to the other Haworth booklets on electrical topics: “Using the 6-Circuit Power Base,” “Complying with Electrical Standards,” and “Interfacing with Building Power.” Table of Contents Industry-Common Electrical Terms . 2-15 Access Flooring Floor Duct Power Zone Ampacity Floor Monument/Floor Access Receptacle Outlet Amperage, Ampere, Amp Ground Conductor Separate Neutral Balancing, Load Balancing Harmonic Currents, Harmonics Shared Neutral Ballast Hot Conductor Short Circuit Branch Circuit Inspector Surge Protector, Spike Protector Circuit Isolated Ground Terminal Circuit Breaker(s) Junction Box Three-Phase Power Clean Power Load 3+D Circuit Configuration Codes, Local Electrical Codes Load Balancing 2+2 Circuit Configuration Common Ground Maximum Continuous Load 6-Circuit Configuration Conductor National Electrical Code UL Listed, ULc, CSA, ETL Conduit Neutral Conductor Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Connector, Terminal Ohm Voltage, Volts Continuous Load Open Circuit Voltage Fluctuation Dedicated Circuit Outlet Voltage Spike Designated Branch Circuit Plenum, Plenum-Rated Wattage, Watts Dirty Power Poke Through Wire Gauge Electrical Test Laboratories Polarized Plug, Grounded Plug, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) 3-Prong Plug Flat Wiring Power Outage Haworth Electrical Product Terms . 16-24 Ambient Lighting Fixture Pivot-Head Task Lighting Raceway Retrofit Kit Base Feed Module Ported Panel Kit Street Light Beltline Panel Power & Communications Straight-Span Power Connector Concealed Base Feed Module Elements Task Lighting Fixture Docking Module Power Conditioning Receptacle The Power Base™ Electrical Cord and Receptacles (PCR) Top Feed Module Electronic Work Surface Power Distribution Assembly Vertical Wire Channel End Cap (PDA), Raceway Wire Basket Extended Power Connector Power Module, Smart Power Wire Management Loop Flexible Power Connector Module, Storage Module Work Surface Grommet Horizontal Wire Manager Power Receptacle Work-Surface-Height Duplex International Power Receptacle Powered Table System Receptacle Low Voltage Switching System Raceway Pass-Through Cord Raceway Trim Cover NOTE: Within each description, italicized type is used to denote terms that are described elsewhere in this booklet. 3 Industry-Common Electrical Terms Access Flooring A flooring system in which modular panels are raised above the floor slab, typically on 3”- to 12”-high supports. Electrical conduit and data cabling are routed beneath the flooring panels and connected to floor monuments (raised or flush). This type of flooring system can provide efficient access to wires and cables and can in some instances simplify reconfiguration. Ampacity Ampacity refers to the maximum current, in amperes, that a conductor can carry three hours or more without exceeding the temperature rating of the electrical insulation. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) determines the ampacity of furniture power systems through testing; ampacity is listed on the power system’s label. The National Electrical Code (NEC) does not calculate ampacity. Amperage, Ampere, Amp Amperage is the volume (or quantity) of electrical current flowing through a circuit. This volume is measured in amperes, otherwise referred to as amps. The amount of amps required by an electrical device to operate is usually listed on the equipment’s electrical nameplate. Circuit #1 Circuit #2 Circuit #3 Balancing, Load Balancing 14.5 AMPS 14.5 AMPS 14.5 AMPS A planning practice in which the total amper- age requirements of the electrical equipment in a shared-neutral installation is distributed equally among the number of available elec- trical circuits servicing the installation. For shared-neutral three-phase circuits, this refers to matching the current of circuits 1, 2, and 3 with respect to each other. Separate-neutral installations, such as those using Haworth’s Power Base, do not require balancing within each furniture cluster. Load Balancing in a Shared-Neutral Office Installation 4 Ballast A device in fluorescent lamps that regulates the level (amps) of electrical current and voltage flowing through the fluorescent lamp tube. Ballasts may be magnetic or electronic, with electronic being slightly more energy efficient. Branch Circuit A single circuit carrying electrical current (usually limited to 20 amps) to office fur- niture and equipment. It consists of conductors (wires) connected between the building’s electrical service panel (circuit breakers) and the electrical outlets (power receptacles). Circuit A complete path for electrical current flowing from the building power source to the equipment being powered and back to the power source. The “hot” conductor of a circuit carries 120-volt power to the equipment; the “neutral” conductor carries it back to the source. The “ground” Building Power Equipment conductor provides a safe escape Source route for power in the event of short circuits or other problems. Hot Conductor Circuits are rated according to the number of amps they can accom- Electrical Current Flow modate. The total number of amps Neutral Conductor required by all of the equipment in a Ground Conductor furniture installation will dictate the (Ground) Circuit number of circuits required. Circuit Breaker(s) A safety device designed to automatically stop the flow of electricity whenever a circuit becomes overloaded, i.e. exceeds the number of amps that the wiring can accommodate. Branch circuits usually have 20-amp breakers (15-amp breakers in Canada). The maximum continuous load on a circuit breaker is permitted to be 80% (16 amps) of the rating, which prevents unnecessary power interruptions caused by operation too close to 100% capacity. 5 Industry-Common Electrical Terms Clean Power Smooth Waveform Power which has a smooth waveform with no spikes, notches or other irregularities; clean power also has a voltage within a range 10% above or below the 60 Cycles Voltage or Current Voltage Per Second standard 120 volts. Computers and peripheral equip- ment operate most reliably with clean power, which Clean Power is free from electrical noise (spikes, drop-outs, surges, sags, etc.) and voltage varia- tions generated by operating equipment. Dedicated circuits and/or an isolated ground are often specified in order to obtain clean power for sensitive electronic equipment. (See Dirty Power.) Codes, Local Electrical Codes Various government bodies have adopted minimum safety standards, or “codes,” for the electrical wiring of furniture installations. The National Electrical Code (NEC) is the most widely recognized code, and it applies to most installations. Some municipalities, e.g. Chicago, New York, Miami, have their own codes. Since local codes are often more restrictive than the NEC, it’s always important to check their requirements as well. Common Ground An electrical circuit that uses a variety of conductors for a ground path. Ground conductors include wire, conduit, the metal of a building, or water pipes. Because so much of a building’s structure is grounded this way, a common ground is often elec- trically “noisy.” Therefore, an isolated ground is more suitable for computers. Conductor In branch circuits and in furniture-based power systems, the conductor is more than just wire. It includes the electrical conductors (power infeed, flexible power connec- tors, etc.), circuit breaker, and wire nuts. All elements in a conductor should be UL tested, listed, and labeled for safety. 6 Conduit Metal or non-metallic tubing — available in either rigid or flexible varieties — used to route and protect electrical wires and communication cables. Connector, Terminal Devices used to terminate or join two conductors. Connectors must be tested and labeled for safety. The amp rating of a power system is dictated by its connector or terminal ampacity, not the gauge of conductors within the system. Continuous Load See Maximum Continuous Load. Hot Conductor Dedicated Circuit A circuit with three conductors — Computer Computer consisting of hot, neutral, and ground — between the circuit breaker Neutral Conductor protecting the branch circuit and the Isolated Ground outlet that is dedicated only for use Dedicated Circuit with specific equipment. (Dedicated circuits are sometimes incorrectly Circuit #1 Hot Conductor referred to as isolated circuits.) Circuit #2 Hot Conductor Lights Lights Designated Branch Circuit Circuit #3 Hot Conductor A branch circuit with three conduc- Printer tors — consisting of hot, neutral, and Computer Computer ground — that is designated by the user for use with specific equipment. #1 Neutral Either the neutral and ground, or #2 Neutral both, may be shared with another #3 Neutral branch circuit. Ground Conductor