Electricians


Electricity is essential for light, power, air-conditioning, and refrigeration. Electricians install, connect, test, and maintain electrical systems for a variety of purposes, including climate control, security, and communications. They also may install and maintain the electronic controls for machines in business and industry. Although most electricians specialize in construction or maintenance, a growing number do both.
Electricians work with blueprints when they install electrical systems in factories, office buildings, homes, and other structures. Blueprints indicate the locations of circuits, outlets, load centers, panel boards, and other equipment. Electricians must follow the National Electric Code and comply with State and local building codes when they install these systems. In factories and offices, they first place conduit (pipe or tubing) inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas. They also fasten to the walls small metal or plastic boxes that will house electrical switches and outlets. They then pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between these boxes. In lighter construction, such as residential, plastic-covered wire usually is used instead of conduit.
Regardless of the type of wire used, electricians connect it to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components. They join the wires in boxes with various specially designed connectors. After they finish the wiring, they use testing equipment, such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, and oscilloscopes, to check the circuits for proper connections, ensuring electrical compatibility and safety of components.
Electricians also may install low voltage wiring systems in addition to wiring a building�s electrical system. Low voltage wiring involves voice, data, and video wiring systems, such as those for telephones, computers and related equipment, intercoms, and fire alarm and security systems. Electricians also may install coaxial or fiber optic cable for computers and other telecommunications equipment and electronic controls for industrial equipment.
Maintenance work varies greatly, depending on where the electrician is employed. Electricians who specialize in residential work may rewire a home and replace an old fuse box with a new circuit breaker box to accommodate additional appliances. Those who work in large factories may repair motors, transformers, generators, and electronic controllers on machine tools and industrial robots. Those in office buildings and small plants may repair all types of electrical equipment.
Maintenance electricians spend much of their time doing preventive maintenance. They periodically inspect equipment, and locate and correct problems before breakdowns occur. Electricians may also advise management whether continued operation of equipment could be hazardous. When needed, they install new electrical equipment. When breakdowns occur, they must make the necessary repairs as quickly as possible in order to minimize inconvenience. Electricians may replace items such as circuit breakers, fuses, switches, electrical and electronic components, or wire. When working with complex electronic devices, they may work with engineers, engineering technicians, or industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers. (Statements on these occupations appear elsewhere in the Handbook.)
Electricians use handtools such as screwdrivers, pliers, knives, hacksaws, and wire strippers. They also use a variety of power tools as well as testing equipment such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, and test lamps.

Related news articles
Electrician killed at Michigan Tech - 16 Oct 2006
Daily Mining Gazette,By KAYLA GAHAGAN, DMG Writer. HOUGHTON — An employee of Northland Electric of White Pine died Saturday morning in an accident at Michigan Tech University. ...

Electrician’s death sentence upheld - 16 Oct 2006
Malaysia Star,PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court dismissed an electrician’s appeal against his death sentence for trafficking in almost 1kg of cannabis 13 years ago. ...

Brazilian's kin appeal British ruling - 16 Oct 2006
Houston Chronicle,Police killed the 27-year old electrician with seven shots to the head as he sat in a London subway station on July 22, 2005, two weeks after four suicide ...

When Will the Lights Go Back on For Everyone? - 16 Oct 2006
WIVB,...are reminding residents that the company's responsibility ends where the wires attach to house, and that home owners may need to hire an electrician if there ...

Metro Briefs - 16 Oct 2006
Washington Times,Investigators said an electrician had been working to hang a large spotlight on a stage when it came in contact with the costumes. ...

Clinton electrician dies at downtown office - Oct 12, 2006
Baltimore Sun,Officials from the Maryland Office of Safety and Health were investigating today the death of an electrician who was killed while working at a downtown office ...

Electrician devastated after thief wrecks van - Oct 11, 2006
Dorset Echo,By Martin Lea. Thieves not only took all of Lee Morris's tools - they also deliberately crashed his van and set it on fire. Father ...

Witness: Death of electrician not instant - Oct 7, 2006
Mobile Register,An electrician working on a large crane when a ship toppled it over in March survived for some time after the accident before he died, a forensic examiner ...

Electrician describes escape from crane crash - Oct 5, 2006
Mobile Register,By BRENDAN KIRBY. At first, Josh Sheffield told jurors in Mobile on Wednesday, he did not give it much thought when he felt a jolt ...

Modesto electrician earns first place - Oct 3, 2006
Modesto Bee,Jeremiah Nieman, an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers member from union Local 684 in Modesto, won top honors in the IBEW/ NECA (National ...

electrician stands in the dock accused of Omagh bombing - Sep 25, 2006
Guardian Unlimited,More than eight years after a car bomb devastated Omagh, causing the worst single atrocity of the Troubles, an electrician went on trial yesterday accused of ...

Teens charged with electrician's murder - Sep 30, 2006
Irish Independent,5. Mr Coughlan, an apprentice electrician, was on a life-support machine but never regained consciousness after the assault. At ...

Bogus electrician has police, public baffled - Sep 19, 2006
The Herald Eastern Cape,A “PHANTOM electrician�? who knocks on doors to check meters, cuts off the power supply, swears at home-owners and then leaves has left Nelson Mandela Bay ...

MAINTENANCE ELECTRICIAN - Sep 22, 2006
Wimbledon Guardian,St Anthony's Hospital is looking for a Maintenance Electrician who must have servec a recognised Electrical Apprenticeship and be qualified to City and Guilds ...

Vermilion electrician shocked, falls to his death - Sep 16, 2006
The Morning Journal,VERMILION -- A Vermilion schools electrician fell to his death yesterday after receiving an electric shock while repairing a loudspeaker at Sailorway Stadium ...

Electrician’s death was ‘a tragic accident’ - Sep 28, 2006
This Is Hertfordshire,...by TOMMY NORTON A coroner's jury has returned a verdict of accidental death in the case of a washing machine repairman from Borehamwood, who was electrocuted ...

The Ultimate Information Source for the Electrician and Electrical ... - Oct 5, 2006
Emediawire (press release),Electrician-ElectricalContractor.com has developed a one-stop shop for information on the electrical industry and specifically the electrical trade. ...






More information on Electricians from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Overview of Electricians occupation
Number of Electricians in the U.S.
Salary and earnings for Electricians
Working conditions for Electricians
Significant points for Electricians
Training requirements for Electricians




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