Electric System Glossary

Child Safety
Put safety covers on all electrical outlets that are within their reach. Keep appliances and cords up and out of the way.

Outlets – Don’t overload them!
Avoid overloading a receptacle or an electrical circuit. It invites trouble; fires can occur when overloaded wires become hot.

Electrical Fires –
Keep flammable objects away from heaters or light bulbs. Install smoke detectors, keep a fire extinguisher on hand and have a family fire escape plan.

Look Out For Low – Voltage Shock
In the bathroom. Never touch electrical equipment while in the tub. Keep all electrical appliances far enough away from water in tubs, showers and sinks so you cannot touch them, and they can’t fall in and discharge electricity through the water – and you. Receptacles in bathrooms also should have a ground fault circuit interrupter.

In the kitchen- Always unplug an appliance before cleaning it. Even if turned off, it can shock you. Use outlets with GFCI's for appliances near sinks.

GFCI’s – They can save your life!
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters shout off power in time to prevent serious shock. Use them in bathrooms, garages, near kitchen sinks, and outdoors.

Appliance Cords – Frayed cords are Dangerous!
Cord insulation keeps electricity in the wires, where it belongs. Check appliance power cords and connections for wear; don’t use frayed or cracked cords.

Tree Safety – Work & play safely around trees!
Climbing trees, poles, or steel towers can result in accidental contact with power lines, causing serious injury or death.

Do not attempt to remove tree limbs from power lines. Don’t do it. Instead, call your power distributor.

Kites and Model planes – Fly them Away from Power Lines!
Fly model planes and kites in open fields well away from power lines. Don’t try to retrieve a kite or plane entangled in the wires.

Overhead Power Lines – Keep your Distance!
Never install a TV or radio antenna within falling distance of a power line.

Before you move a metal ladder or scaffolding, check to see that it is clear of power lines. Look up and live.

Never up-end any kind of pipe near a power line. Carry it level and keep your eye on power lines when removing water pipes and well casings.

Equipment with booms – cranes, draglines, and trucks – should never violate the ten-foot rule when working around power lines. If the boom touches a power line, the person standing on the ground and touching any part of the equipment will be injured or killed.

Never touch, kick, pull, or attempt to pick up a fallen wire. Even a telephone wire could be deadly if tangled with a power line some distance away. Notify your electric distributor and stand guard, keeping others away until help arrives.

If you hit a Power Pole –
If your car comes in contact with a power line for any reason, try your best to break away. If the car won’t move, stay inside and wait for help to arrive. However, if you are forced to abandon the car, first scan the ground for fallen wires, then jump clear. Never touch the car and the ground at the same time. Bystanders should stay clear of the car. If they touch the car they could be injured or killed.

Underground Power Lines – Call Before You Dig!
Call your local electric distributor to locate underground utilities before digging. If you hit an underground power line you could be seriously or fatally injured.

To help maintain the reliability of your electric power, don’t plant trees near power lines. A tree that’s tiny today will be big one day. Plant wisely so that you can enjoy your trees for many years to come.

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• circuit-The path electric current takes from the power source to the device using the power and back to the source.
• circuit breaker-A protective device that opens an electric circuit when a short occurs or the system is otherwise abnormally stressed. This keeps long term outages from happening when temporary problems occur, like tree branches touching a line.
• distribution system-The poles, wire and transformers used to deliver electric energy from a bulk power supplier to the consumer. The distribution system begins at the substation and ends at the service entrance of the home or business.
• fuse-A metal device that protects electrical equipment by melting and opening the circuit when a short circuit, other fault or overload occurs.
• house knob-An insulated support on the side of the roof that provides a place for the electric company to attach incoming electric lines.
• insulator-A device that supports electric wires and prevents undesired flow of electricity; usually made of glass or porcelain.
• hot wire-The ungrounded current carrying wire in an electrical system
• journeyman lineman-An electrical lineworker who has completed apprenticeship training and has learned the trade.
• line, power line-A carrier of electricity on an electric power system.
• main circuit-A power line that serves as the backbone of the electric system. Main circuits leave the substations and branch out to taps and service wires. Another good description of main circuit is trunk line.
• meter-A device used to measure and record the amount of electricity used by a consumer.
• meter base-A metal enclosure that houses an electric meter.
• neutral wire-A grounded current carrying wire in an electrical system.
• outage-Interruption of service to an electric consumer because a power plant, transmission line, distribution line or other facility is not operating.
• recloser-A device that isolates sections of electric lines to help prevent long-term outages and system damage.
• service, service drop-The line that carries electricity from a distribution line to a home or business.
• service mast-A vertical pipe that extends above the roofline to accommodate entering electric service wires.
• single phase line-An electric distribution line that consists of one "hot" line and one neutral line.
• substation-An electrical facility containing equipment for controlling the flow of electricity from supplier to distributor.
• tap-An electric circuit with limited capacity extending from a main circuit; usually supplies a small amount of consumers (small may mean an entire subdivision) of consumers.
• three-phase line-An electric distribution line that consists of three "hot" lines and one neutral line. Used in heavily populated areas or to supply large commercial loads.
• transformer-A device used to lower or raise voltage. A distribution transformer lowers line voltage from 14,400 to 240 volts before the electricity enters a home or business.
• transmission line-The poles, towers and lines used to move bulk electricity from a generating plant to a substation.
• voltage-measurement of electrical pressure.
• weather head-An enclosure that allows wires coming into a building to pass through while keeping out water.

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