Electrical Installation Designs Fourth Edition

Most basic electrical installations may be completed by a competent person, with appropriate guidance to avoid serious problems and hazards. Project chapters illustrate methods that could be used for particular types of installation ranging from a house to an industrial workshop. The ideas are by no means exclusive. Alternative solutions are always possible. In many instances carrying out detailed calculations and utilising different circuitry will be more profitable. 

By their very nature, simplified examples of fictional projects can only produce generalised results. The book contains special chapters on earthing, isolation and switching and overcurrent protection, which give a down to earth interpretation of the regulations.

Electrical installation students and non-electrical associates in the construction industry will appreciate the user-friendly approach. Nevertheless, this is not a do-it-yourself book for the untrained person. Warnings are therefore given where more specialized study is necessary. For example, readers are advised not to embark on installations in hazardous areas (such as petrol filling stations) without further training. Apart from moral implications and contractual risks, statutory requirements are such that incompetent work may carry criminal penalties.

Although the emphasis is on tried and tested methods, some new techniques are introduced. The most significant is the option for tree circuitry as an alternative to the ring final circuit. This is the first book to give designers the opportunity to compare the advantages of the tree system for both domestic and commercial installations. In recent years, consumer requirements have changed. It is essential that the industry keeps an open mind on changes in traditional wiring practice. 

Introduced in this fourth edition are new chapters on Residual Current Devices and, for those readers who require a basic understanding of circuit design, a chapter explaining the process for carrying out simple cable design calculations.