Services for Electrical
Hi, we have for each category of service, compiled relevant information that you may find useful.
Please note: All information contained within this section is for guidance only. It is best that you check current sources of information.
If you would like to contribute or make a suggestion, please click here.
Please note: All information contained within this section is for guidance only. It is best that you check current sources of information.
If you would like to contribute or make a suggestion, please click here.
Electrical
Services
Useful Links
Products
Jargon Buster
Areas covered under this Category are as follows:
- Ceiling Fan
- Ceiling Lights
- Emergency
- Extractor Fan
- Faults
- Floor Lights
- Fibre Optics
- Fire Alarm
- Fuse Box
- Garden Lighting
- Home Automation
- Inspection
- Inspection & Testing
- Internal Lighting
- LED
- New Sockets
- Outbuilding
- Rewire
- Security Lighting
- Smoke
- Switches
- Thermostats
- Wall Lights
- I am looking for an expert - Register to Request a Service
- I am an expert - Register to Provide a Service
NHIC membership comprises many of the most important companies and organisations operating in the home improvement sector - www.nhic.org.uk
The Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) - www.eca.co.uk - Is the trade association representing the interests of contractors who design, install, inspect, test and maintain electrical and electronic equipment and building services in England and Wales. Founded in 1901, it has over 3,000 Registered Members, ranging from local contractors to national building services organisations.
Founded in 1900, SELECT - www.select.org.uk is the trade association that represents the interests of electrical contractors operating throughout Scotland. There are now over 1200 members, from small local contractors to large UK companies, accredited in one of eight technical disciplines giving SELECT member companies proven capability across a wide range of design, manufacturing, testing and commissioning skills.
NAPIT was formed in 1992 as the National Association for Professional Inspectors and Testers - www.napit.org.uk - its members are active in the Domestic, Commercial and Industrial sectors and members can register and be assessed by NAPIT in the fields of electrical installation, plumbing, heating and ventilation (which includes air conditioning).
NICEIC - www.niceic.org.uk
CORGI - www.corgiservices.com
Electrical Safety Council (ESC) - www.esc.org.uk
SAFEcontractor - www.safecontractor.com
Scottish Joint Industry Board - www.sjib.org.uk
- Adaptaflex
- Aico Ltd
- Ansell Lighting
- Appleby Electrica
- Armorduct Systems
- ASD Lighting plc
- Aurora
- Batt Cables
- Birkett Electric
- Black Decker
- Bosch
- Brennenstuhi
- Britclips
- Britool
- BRK
- Byron
- Carl Kammerling
- CEE Norm
- Clarke
- Collingwood
- Concord
- Connexion Electrical
- Consort Equipment
- Contactum
- Cooper Lighting
- Crompton
- Dar Lighting
- Deligo
- Deta Electrical
- Dewalt
- Di-Log
- Draper
- Eglo
- Electrowind
- Elkay
- Elstead Lighting
- Endon
- Europa Components
- Facom
- Faithfull
- Falcon Trunking Systems
- Flexicon
- Gewiss
- Grasslin
- Greenbrook
- Gunson
- Hager
- Hamilton
- IBL Lighting
- Impex
- Intalite
- Irazola
- Jaylow
- Jeani Accessories
- JO-EL Electric
- K.E.S
- Kew Technik
- Kewtech
- Kidde
- Kopex
- Lawson Fuses
- Lynteck
- Maglite
- Marco Cable Management
- Marshall Tufflex
- Masterplug
- Megaman
- Metallux
- MK Electric
- Monsoon Ventilation
- Nightsearcher
- Niglon
- Olivers
- Olympic Fixing products
- Omicron
- Osmor
- Osram
- Philex
- Platino Electrical & Electronics
- Protek Electronics
- PX Manufacturing
- Robin
- Saxby
- Schneider Electric
- Scolmore International
- Sealey
- Silavent
- Silverline
- Smj
- Stanley
- Teng
- The Calibration Centre
- Thorn
- Timeguard
- Toolbank
- TP24
- Tradesafe
- Trench Ltd
- U.P.S Power Management
- Varilight
- Vysal
- Winterheat
- Zumtobel
A to B
- 1 Gang 1 Way plate switch: this is an accessory that has one switch and used for turning a light on or off in a room.
- 1 Gang 2 Way plate switch: these are used if you need to be able to turn a light on from one of 2 places as in a stair way you have 1 switch upstairs and one downstairs.
- AC: Alternating Current - the type of mains electricity used (in the UK).
- Accessory: usually mean switches, sockets, ceiling roses etc.
- Amp: also known as Ampere, a unit of electrical current.
- Breaker/ Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB): does the same job as a fuse but is a switch type device which can easily be switched on again, unless there is a fault with the circuit.
C to D
- Capping: a thin metal or plastic channel used to contain cables when fixed within a wall before plastering.
- Ceiling rose: the ceiling fitting above conventional lights.
- Circuit extensions: to add-on to or extend an existing circuit to provide an additional power source.
- Circuit: all electrical installations have wiring for its lights and power these are divided up and fed by different fuses or breakers for convenience and each one is called a circuit.
- Conductor: a conductor allows electricity to flow through it.
- Conduit box: a mounting box used to join lengths of conduit, which often contains cable joins.
- Conduit: is like trunking but comes in tubular form.
- Consumer unit: also known as a fuse box. Used to control and distribute electricity around a home. It contains the mains switch, fuses and circuit breakers and one or more RCD's.
- DC: Direct current - unlike Alternating Current, the flow of electricity does not alternate - it flows in just one direction.
E to F
- Earthing: the process by which all metal parts in a buildings are electrically connected together and then linked to a real earth.
- Fast fuse: a fuse that opens on overload and short circuits very quickly.
- FCU: Fused Connection Unit - this is used for integrated appliances, e.g. built-in dishwashers and washing machines.
- Flush mounting: this where the wall is chased and all that is seen is the accessory itself and the box is hidden. This method looks better but some plastering and redecoration is needed.
- Fuse: is a piece of wire designed to blow or melt to cut power under certain fault conditions to protect the cable and keep you safe.
- Fused switched spur: are used to control appliances such as a washing machine in a kitchen.
- Fused un-switched spur: are as a switched spur but used when you don't want equipment turned off such as a burglar alarm.
G to H
- Gauge: the measure of the size of a wire. The lower the number the thicker the wire and the higher its current-carrying capacity.
- Grommet: a small, round plastic or rubber washer with a groove in the outer edge that is used to prevent chafing of cables passing through.
- Ground: a connector that runs between a device or circuit to safely conduct current to earth.
I to J
- Inverter: an electrical device designed to convert direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC).
- Junction box: contains the terminal blocks for joining electrical cable.
K to L
- Live: electric conductors, terminals, buses or components that are exposed or un-insulated therefore an electric shock hazard.
M to N
- Megger: a testing meter used to check the resistance of electrical circuits.
O to P
- Ohm: the measure of electrical resistance
- Open circuit: a circuit in which the flow of current is interrupted due to an open breaker or fuse.
- Overcurrent: electrical current which exceeds the maximum limit of a circuit.
- PAT: Portable Appliance Testing - the testing of portable appliances to make sure that they are electrically safe to use.
- PIR: Periodic Inspection report is a report on the condition of a property's existing electrical installation.
- Prospective fault current: the value of overcurrent at a given point in a circuit resulting from a fault between live conductors.
Q to R
- RCBO: Residual Current Breaker with Overload Protection - a device that combines the functions of a RCD (Residual Current Device) and MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker) in one unit.
- RCD: Residual Current Device - a protection device that 'trips out' (switches off) to isolate a circuit if it detects current flowing to earth, reducing the risk of an electric shock.
- Resistor: a resistor in an electric circuit is a component designed to reduce the flow of current.
- Ring Main: a power circuit consisting of a ring formed from the Consumer Unit so that each socket on the loop is connected both ways around the loop back to the Consumer Unit.
S to T
- SELV: Separated Extra-Low Voltage - an extra - low voltage system, which is electrically separated from Earth and from other systems in such a way that a single fault cannot give rise to the risk of electric shock.
- Service entrance: the point where the electrical service enters a house, becoming the responsibility of an owner instead of the electric supplier.
- Socket outlet: where you plug in appliances to make them work.
- Thermostat: a low voltage electronic switching device, used to monitor temperatures inside the home and turns the heating or cooling system on and off.
- Transformer: an electrical component which changes the voltage of Alternating Current.
- Trunking: it is a way of running and protecting cables when other ways are not possible.
- Two way: the arrangement of two switches, which are linked so that either can switch a light on or off.
U to V
- Voltage (V): the value of the electrical potential between two points in a circuit.
W to X
- Wattage (W): unit of power.
Y to Z