Troubleshooting and Repairing Commercial Electrical Equipment --Content and Introduction

1. Troubleshooting Techniques

Entering the Field Getting Started. Electronic Components. What's the Significance? Frequency Is All-Important Multiple Circuit Elements. Looking at Transformers What Is an Autotransformer?. Inside a Diode Testing a Diode. Transistors Have Multiple Uses Using the Diode Check Function What Is a MOSFET? Varieties of Test Equipment More Advanced Testing More PCB Repair Techniques. An Essential Skill

2. Electric Motors

Easy Motor Repairs. Two Parts of All Motors Slip in an Induction Motor. A Common Fault Going Deeper Other Motor Test Procedures. Additional Considerations. NEC and the Motor. The Relevance of Article 725 Types of Motor Controllers.

3. Residential Wiring

Problem Solving. A Hazardous Situation. A Thought Experiment. Nuisance Tripping. An Easy Job.

4. Commercial and Industrial Wiring

Using Type NM. Simple Conduit Bends Identifying Wires. PLC Anatomy.

5. Electrical Power Distribution Systems Including Transformers

Problem Solving. SCADA and Remote Monitoring Wye and Delta Code Navigation. Solar Difficulties.

6. Telephone Systems

PBX and Multiplexing Phone Diagnosis and Repair Dead Phone Syndrome. Why Use Cat 5e?

7. Audio and Video Equipment

Optimum Sound. Audio Fundamentals. TV Repair Procedures

8. Computer Troubleshooting and Repair

BIOS Start-Up. Hardware versus Software. More Mac Subsystems HTML Coding. Principle HTML Tags.

9. Understanding Ethernet and Learning to Create a Simple Network

Ethernet Terminations Mitigating Fire Hazards. Building Ethernet Cables

10. Satellite Dishes for Communication Systems Waveguide Technology.

What Is Characteristic Impedance?. Dish System Inner Workings Troubleshooting Dish Systems.

11. Elevators

Elevator Wiring Protection. Specialized Requirements The Next Step. Fire Service Mode.

12. Fire Alarm Systems

Fire Alarm System Fundamentals. Altered States. Sprinkler Varieties. Easy Remedies. Drastic Measures.

13 Troubleshooting Refrigeration Equipment

Refrigerant Circuit. Refrigeration Repairs. Compressor Fault Modes. Back to NEC

14. Healthcare Facilities

Know Your Definitions. When You Need Redundant Grounding. How Many Receptacles? Systems within Systems.

15 Solar and Wind Power

Joining the Grid. Batteries (When Needed). Mandatory Disconnects. When Output Declines. Big Machines

16 Oscilloscopes Revisited

Further Developments. Improved Scopes. Probes. Acquiring a Good Display

17 What Lies Ahead?

Probing the Universe. Leaving Earth. Coherent Light. Disorganized Light. Finding the Fault.

Index

Preface

This guide is offered up in the hope that it will provide a gateway to greater knowledge and expertise in the fascinating field of electronics, and specifically that it will provide the reader with intellectual tools needed to successfully diagnose and repair electrical equipment. Our primary focus is commercial and industrial machinery, but overlap is inevitable, so we find ourselves considering everything from three-way switches in a residence to the International Space Station in the sky above us.

A certain amount of knowledge is presupposed. It is assumed that the reader, like most people in today's wired world, knows the difference between direct and alternating current, that two conductors are (usually) required to complete a circuit, and that receptacles are wired in parallel daisy-chain style while switches are placed in series with the load. If you have no idea what I am talking about, consult some of the elementary tutorials that are available online before proceeding. Otherwise, you are good to go.

As for mathematical savvy, we presuppose a knowledge of high-school algebra. You do not need a background in trigonometry or calculus to understand what is discussed in this guide. To review some basics, refer to Stan Gibilisco's excellent Everyday Math Demystified, Second Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2013. Another helpful reference by the same author is Electricity Demystified, Second Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2012.

Before diving in, please be aware that there are tremendous moral and legal implications whenever you work on an electrical infrastructure or equipment that your co-workers or members of the public may approach. Every design detail and electrical termination has to be right; otherwise, a hazard is built into your work. The result can range from an inconvenient outage to a tragic inferno.