3 TECHNICAL SYSTEMS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Answer these questions. a. Are there any safety measures in your home? b. What kind of heating system is there in the flat or house where you live? c. Have you ever seen a solar panel? If so, where did you see it? d. Do you know how your home plumbing system works? e. Do you have any electrical appliances at home which can be connected to the Internet? A home electrical system includes the incoming power lines, an electric meter, service panels, household wiring, electrical boxes, switches and plugs, and, of course, appliances and lights. Other electrical systems in a house include wiring for home entertainment, such as cable television, home theatre and audio systems and wiring for home communications, such as telephones and internet, security systems, and in the most recent houses also wiring for home automation systems. Electricity arrives at your house from your local utility company by a power line or underground through a conduit. Generally, an electric meter, monitored by your electric utility company, is mounted where the electricity enters your house. Electricity runs through the hot wires and the neutral one. They take power to conventional 220-volt1 lights and appliances. The main panel is the central distribution point for the electrical circuits. It consists of hot wires that go from the main panel to a series of lights, plugs and appliances, and a neutral wire that returns to the main panel. In addition to the neutral wire, a grounding wire also returns to the main panel and, from there, to the earth. The purpose of the grounding wire is to divert electricity from any short-circuiting hot wires into the earth, preventing electric shock. Some safety measures are required to protect the occupants of the building: they include circuit breakers to prevent fires by cutting off electricity, ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) in high-moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, smoke alarms and gas detectors to alert occupants of a fire or gas fallout, and security systems to protect the house from potential intrusion. Electrical systems are regulated by international and local building codes. The installation must be checked when the home is finished to ensure all codes have been followed and the electrical system is safe for the people that live in it. Electrical wires 1. In other countries there may be a different voltage, i.e. in the USA the domestic voltage is 110 V. appliance: apparecchiatura to cut off: interrompere to divert: deviare fallout: fuoriuscita high-moisture: alto livello di umidità household: elettrodomestico incoming: entrante to mount: montare, sistemare safety: sicurezza short circuit: corto circuito utility company: azienda di fornitura (elettrica, gas, acqua) wiring: insieme di fili e cavi Close-up of electrical fusebox 124 Module 4 FOUNDATIONS Electricity pylo n