| Glossary - A-F |
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20-Amp Duplex Receptacle - Typical Applications: Where kitchen appliances such as
dishwashers and garbage disposals must be on separate circuits. You can plug them in to
the same receptacle if each half of the receptacle is wired to its own circuit. Break off
the tabs that connect the top and bottom terminals to create a split receptacle. 20-Amp Single Receptacle - Typical Applications: When one appliance, such as a garbage disposal, requires its own dedicated circuit. 240-Volt Circuit - Combining two 120-volt circuits provides 240-volt power for heavy-duty appliances such as electric ranges, dryers and air conditioners. The two hot wires in the circuit must connect to separate sides of the service panel or subpanel. The neutral current alternates 60 times per second between the hot wires. 30-Amp Receptacle - Purpose: Brings current to a single large appliance. 4-In-1 Screwdriver - Purpose: Driving most sizes of slotted and Phillips-head screws.
50-Amp Receptacle - Purpose: Brings current to a single large appliance. A-B-C Fire Extinguisher - Fire extinguishers are coded for fire type. The green symbol A means an extinguisher will douse paper, wood, cloth, trash, rubber, and many plastics fires. The red symbol B means it will extinguish flammable liquid fires, including kitchen grease, oil, gasoline, paints, and solvents. The blue symbol C means it will put out dry-chemical fires, including electrical fires. An A-B-C extinguisher puts out all of these types of fires. A-Lamps - Technical term for standard incandescent bulbs. ABS Pipe - Purpose: Drain and vent lines Accent Lighting - Accent lighting provides architectural flavor and sometimes does the job of ambient lighting as well. Use it to spotlight art, wash a wall, dramatize a fireplace or otherwise showcase your home's best features. Let your imagination be your guide to how much accent lighting is enough. Dimmer switches let you dial the mood up and down. Adapters - Purpose: To connect one type of pipe to another Adjustable Pliers - Other Names: Channel Locks, Tongue-and- Groove Pliers, Pump
Pliers. Adjustable Wire Stripper - Purpose: Stripping insulation from house wires. Adjustable Wrench - Other Names: Crescent Wrench Aerator - A screen assembly on the end of a faucet that mixes air with the water to reduce splashes and soften the flow. It also fools a user into accepting less water flow. Aerators are supposed to unscrew by hand. If you can't, use pliers with cloth or rubber padding to protect the finish on the aerator. Aligning Posts - Use mason's line and stakes to establish line for posts. Set the two end posts first, staking them from two directions to hold them vertical. Check two adjacent sides with a bubble level. Stretch and tension a mason's line between them, flush with the outside face. Use this as a guide for setting other posts in line. Make sure the other posts are flush to the line, but don't bow it. Alkaline - The opposite of acid; having a pH greater than 7. Allen Wrenches - Other Names: Hex Keys, Allen Keys Alligatoring -
An advanced stage of cracking when many cracks extend to bare
wood. Alligatoring results from any of the following problems: Alternating Current (AC)/Direct Current (DC) - Alternating current reverses direction at a rate of 60 cycles per second. Direct current moves in one direction only. In your home, DC is usually used in low-power devices, like electronic equipment. Electricity in cars and batteries is DC. Ambient Lighting -
Ambient lighting provides basic brightness. It usually
consists of a ceiling or wall fixture, often supplemented by a portable lamp or two. Amperage - Amperage measures the amount of current flowing through a wire at any moment. Amperage is based on the number of electrons that pass a certain point each second. Most household circuits can carry 15 or 20 amps. Amps x volts = watts. Anchor Cement - A packaged mortar designed to hold bolts or metal reinforcing bar in existing masonry. Quick-setting types are the most convenient. Angle Stop - Other Names: Angle Valve Anti-Short Bushing - A red, plastic insulator you slip under the sheathing of armored cable before connecting it to a box. The bushing keeps the sheathing's sharp edges from nicking the wires inside. Asphalt Shingles - The most common type of shingle in the U.S., often called three-tab or composition shingles. Asphalt is impregnated onto a fiberglass or organic mat backing, then coated with protective layer of mineral granules. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line - ADSL is a new technology that permits high rates of data transfer over standard telephone lines. Ballast - A transformer that steps up the voltage in a fluorescent lamp Ballasts - Fluorescent lights require built-in ballasts, a type of transformer, to step up the voltage of standard household current. Ballcock - Valve that refills a toilet tank and controls the tank's water level. Most ballcocks in newer toilets don't have float arms. Instead they have an adjustable, plastic float cup that controls water depth. Basin Wrench - Purpose: Reaching into tight places to tighten or loosen the
mounting nuts and supply tubes for faucets and drains. Batter Board - A long right triangle of wood with its hypotenuse cut at the desired pitch for the stone wall. Used to check the pitch while building. Batter Gauge - A right triangle made of wood that you make to use with a level to maintain the correct inward slope of a wall. For mortarless walls, the batter should be 2 inches for every foot of rise. Battery-Operated Detectors - Because they don't require house current, you can put battery-operated smoke detectors anywhere. Battery-powered detectors are inexpensive and easy to install. They work even during a power outage, but they provide no protection if a battery goes dead. Beam - A horizontal timber that supports the floor joists in a house. May be a single board, several larger boards nailed together, or a steel I-beam. Bearing Walls - Walls that are primary supports for floors or ceilings above. Bee Bar - A thin, flat bar with a wide, tapered end used to remove trim with little or no damage. Called a "bee bar" because bee keepers use them to open wooden hives. Heavier pry bars work better on larger boards or for jobs where you don't intend to reuse the trim. Benderboard - Long, thin, flexible wood strips--usually redwood--that are used to form curved edgings. Bi-Metal Blade - These sell for about twice the price of standard blades, but last up to 10 times longer. Hard, long-wearing teeth, mounted to a softer blade body, produce a blade that seldom shatters. The blade's malleable body can bend without shattering-and you can bend it straight again with pliers. Black-Iron Pipe - Other Names: Black I.P.S. (iron pipe size). Bolt Cutter - To cut a 6 by 6 inch reinforcing mesh for concrete slabs, bolt cutters are the best choice. Hand snips just won't cut it. You can saw through each joint with a hacksaw, but that gets old fast. Three-foot long bolt cutters can also cut 1/2-inch rebar. Bond Stones - Larger rocks used periodically to help hold the wall together. Bonding Strip - A thin strip of metal inside armored cable. The strip is meant to back up the primary ground in this system, which is the cable's metal sheathing. Bottom Plate - The horizontal member at the bottom of wall framing. Usually a 2-by-4 or a 2-by-6. Box Adapters - These solve a host of installation problems. Some help you mount lights. Others can add a little more capacity to a box when you need it, or they can allow you to alter a box opening from square to round so you can mount a light. If you add tile, paneling or a new layer of drywall to an existing wall, use a plaster ring to bring the surface of the box out to meet the new surface. Boxes -
Almost all splices and wiring devices must be enclosed
in a wiring box. But which one? The choices are dizzying. Metal or plastic? What size?
Which kind do you need for the wiring system you're using? If you're still in doubt after
browsing this section, consult your building inspector for the final answer. Brick Chisel - A wide-bladed chisel that you strike with a hand sledge to cut bricks. Brick Ties - Metal straps added between courses of masonry. They extend outward from one wall into an adjoining wall of brick or veneer to tie two together. Broom Finish - A fine-bristled push broom is drawn on the surface of damp concrete to leave a subtly ridged surface. Builder's Felt - Commonly called tarpaper, it's most frequently used between courses of wood singles. Building Paper - Asphalt-impregnated paper. Used as waterproofing between wall sheathing and siding. Built-up Roofing -
Built-up roofs, also known as tar-and-gravel roofs, have a
layer of gravel applied to the top surface to protect the roofing material from physical
damage and degradation from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Be sure the gravel is spread out
evenly. You may have to sweep the gravel back up the slope every few years.
Cable Ripper - Purpose: Slicing insulation on non-metallic cable.
Cable Staples - Purpose: Securing cables to framing. Cables -
Cable is the best choice for interior wiring. It's easy to
work with and usually less costly than conduit. Each cable type is part of a system,
including boxes and connectors. Be sure that the parts you use are compatible with your
cable. Cam - An eccentrically curved part designed to exert force when rotated against another. Cantilevered Decks - hillside decks whose top surface extends beyond the structural support. Cap Unit - A solid piece measuring 8 by 16 by 4 inches.
Caps and Plugs - Purpose: To seal pipes and fittings
Cartridge Fuse - Cartridge fuses handle higher amperages than plug fuses. Typically,
they serve as main power shutoffs and in subpanels for 240-volt appliances such as
electric dryers and air conditioners. Cartridge fuses are wrapped in paper, like shotgun
shells, and have ferrule, top, or knife-blade, bottom, contacts on each end.
Cast-Iron Pipe - Purpose: Drain and vent lines. Catalytic Converters -
The catalytic converter, located in the top of the stove or in
the flue pipe adjacent to the stove, needs to be gently brushed off or vacuumed two or
three times during the heating season to remove fly ash. How often you do this depends on
how much you use the stove, the stove's design, and the ash and moisture content of the
wood. Catch Basin - A drain for a low or wet spot, with pipe exiting the side and a pit at the bottom to collect sediment. Cells - The hollow spaces in concrete blocks. Certified Arborist - A trained specialist, often employed by a tree service, who can advise you on the health and hazards of your trees. Chalk Line - A reel of thin cord enclosed in a housing with powdered chalk. You pull the cord over the line you want to mark, then snap it against the surface to deposit chalk there. Chipper - A gas-powered machine that chops branches and tree limbs into wood chips. Circuit - A network of wiring that circulates electricity through your home. Circuit Breaker - Circuit breakers are automatic shut-off switches designed to stop the current if the wires in a circuit begin to overheat. Clay - Sticky, heavy soil made of small particles. Clay holds water but excludes air, which is needed by plant roots. Cleanout - A drain fitting, usually a wye or a tee, with a removable plug to permit inspection and access for an auger or snake. Closet Auger - Purpose: Clearing obstructions from toilet traps to the mouth of
the waste pipe. Closet Bend - A specialized, 90-degree fitting that connects a toilet to the DWV system. Sized to fit within the joist space, it doesn't have a trap, since that's already incorporated in the toilet. A slotted closet flange, or floor flange, holds the bend to the subfloor . Closet Bolt - Bolt whose head is fitted to a closet flange and that protrudes up through a toilet base. A nut is tightened around it on the toilet base. Two bolts serve one toilet. Closet Flange - Fitting screwed to the flooring under a toilet. The flange holds the toilet down to the floor and secures the closet bend from below. Coaxial Cable - You can run your own cable from room to room. You'll probably do a neater job than the average cable TV installer if you fish it through your walls or install it before new walls are covered with drywall. Install a crimp-on connector that threads onto the back of each jack. Coaxial Crimper - These inexpensive pliers squeeze the ferrule shut on coaxial fittings. More costly professional models include specialized strippers for coax. Coaxial Splitter - To branch coaxial cable, you'll need one of these threaded blocks. Mount them on any convenient surface in an attic or basement, but don't bury them inside a wall. Coaxial/Phone Wall Jack - Combine these two jacks in one location to organize your communication wires. The plates mount to single-gang boxes or to a low-voltage plate mounting bracket Attach two pairs of phone wire to the back of the phone jack, and twist on a coaxial cable for your TV. Cold-water Inlet with Valve - This pipe branches off your house supply to bring cold water to your water heater. Use the shut-off valve on this line to isolate the heater for maintenance or replacement. You can also use the valve to shut off all hot-water supplies while you work on one or more. Combination Cover - These come in many switch and receptacle configurations, up to one receptacle with five switches. Combination Stripper - Purpose: What doesn't this tool do? It cuts non-metallic cable
and wire, bends wire to wrap on terminals, strips wire and squeezes with pliers tips. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) - There are two ways to cram lots of fluorescent tubing into a tighter package. The circular fluorescent and the compact fluorescent both screw into a standard light base. Each has its own electronic ballast to boost household voltage. The ballast lasts about four times longer than the tubes, so look for models like these in which you can replace the tubes. Composting - Letting garden and kitchen waste decay into an odorless brown soil amendment. Buy composting containers or build your own from wood or chicken wire. Compression Fitting - Rain-tight fittings used with EMT conduit outdoors, above ground. Tighten couplings and connectors with a pair of wrenches to compress the split ring in the fitting. Concave - Rounded inwards, grooved. Concrete Cap - A top layer of concrete that adds a finished, decorative look to a pilaster. It also covers the center core of mortar. Concrete Grout - A mixture of 3/8-inch pea gravel, sand, cement and water that you pour into the cells of concrete-block walls to reinforce them. Buy it in bags or ready-mixed from a concrete supplier. Condensation - When warm air from the interior meets colder (exterior) air, the water vapor turns back to liquid. Attics, walls and crawl spaces below floors are common sites for condensation. Conductor - Technical term for anything capable of carrying electricity. Wires are conductors. So are terminals and the prongs of a plug. Conduit - Metal or plastic tubing used to protect wires. Conduit Bender - Other Names: Hickey. Construction Adhesive - Thick-bodied adhesive, suited to a wide range of repair and construction tasks. Packaged in convenient cartridges for caulking guns. Continuity Tester - Purpose: Confirming a completed circuit. This tester has a
battery so it can test wires even with the main power shut off. Convection - Air naturally circulated by differences in temperature. Colder, denser air falls and displaces the lighter, warm air. Convex - Rounded outwards, smooth. Cool White (CW) - A standard Cool White lamp approximates natural light, but imparts a ghoulish cast to skin tones, which makes it anything but a cool choice for home lighting. A Cool White tube has a color temperature of 4,100 degrees and renders colors poorly. Cool White Deluxe (CWX) - Though cooler in color temperature than WW or WWX lamps, Cool White Deluxe tubes have a CRI close to that for incandescents. CWX lamps simulate natural daylight. Copper Pipe - Purpose: To carry water to fixtures and appliances. Used less
often for DWV systems. Couplings - Fittings used to join lengths of conduit. Covenants - Restrictions on how you can use or modify your property, intended to preserve the character of the community. Cowbell Wrench - Purpose: Installing and removing valve stems set below a
surface. Crimping Pliers - Purpose: Crimping connecting hardware. Cripple Walls - In a wood-frame house, the section of wall under the house between the concrete foundation and the floor joists. Also called crawl space walls. Crosscutting - Cutting across the wood grain; to crosscut a board is to cut across its width. Crown Molding - A decorative trim that runs along the top of the wall, against the ceiling. Curing - A chemical reaction in cement-based materials. The longer these materials stay damp, the stronger they get. Curing is not the same as drying, which implies evaporation. Damp Proofing - Tar-like coatings brushed or sprayed on the exterior of a foundation wall. Deciduous - A plant that loses its leaves in winter. Decorator Receptacle - Other Names: Decora Receptacle. Decorator Switch - Other Names: Decora Switch. Decorator/GFCI Cover - These come in more than the standard three colors because they fit all decorator style receptacles and switches, as well as GFCI receptacles. Dedicated Circuit - Any circuit that has only one receptacle or appliance connected to it. These are typically required for large, continuous loads. Appliances such as electric clothes dryers, ranges, kilns, central air conditioners and any others that require 240-volt power must have their own circuits. Some 120-volt appliances, such as heaters and air conditioners, may require a dedicated circuit as well. Deep Shade - No direct or filtered sun. Device Boxes - Other Names: Remodel Box, Cut-In Box.
Device-Mounting Cover - Other Names: Raised Cover. Diagonal Cutters - Other Names: Dikes. Dielectric Union - Purpose: Prevents galvanic corrosion between copper and steel
pipes. Digital/Analog -
Analog signals move in continuous waves that fluctuate
according to intensity. Digital signals move in pulses that are either on or off --1 or
0-called binary. Present-day telephone systems carry analog signals from your home to the
phone company. The company then converts the signals to digital, transmits them over fiber
optic lines, and converts them back to analog signals that go to the number you are
calling. Dimmer Switch - Purpose: Controls the intensity of a light from bright to dim. Dobies - Small concrete blocks with embedded tie wire, used to support rebar or metal mesh in concrete work. Door Stop - Wooden strip, nailed to the door jamb, that the door closes against. Double Glazing - Two panes of glass with a sealed air space between. Also called insulated glass. Double Switch - Other Names: Stack Switch. Double-Hung Windows - Windows with two operable sashes that slide in vertical channels. Drain Rock - Clean rock, in graded sizes, that remains uncompacted so that water can pass through. Drain Valve -
This valve lets you drain your tank to perform routine
maintenance such as clearing sediment from the tank or replacing the T & P relief
valve. Connect a garden hose to the valve to carry away the drain water. Drainage Behind a Retaining Wall - To move water from behind a retaining wall, lay perforated drain pipe along the back of it. Line a trench behind the wall with soil-filter fabric, lay pipe along cloth, and backfill with drain rock to within 6-12 inches of the top. Wrap the ends of the cloth over the top of the rock layer and fill the remainder of the trench with gravel or soil. Drainageways - The areas where runoff converges from different slopes. Draining the Expansion Tank -
Dripline - An imaginary line extending from the tree's outermost branches to the ground. Drought Tolerant - Needs watering monthly (or less often) until established, then little extra watering. In arid regions, no extra watering at all. Dry Creek Bed - A rock-lined artificial creek bed for channeling excess rainwater. Dry Well - A gravel-filled vertical pipe or hole where excess water collects and percolates slowly into the ground. Drying Time -
(paint) Moderate: Dries to touch within two hours. Can be recoated the same day. Fast: Dries to touch within an hour. Can be recoated within four hours. Drywall - Drywall, the most common kind of interior wallcovering, is also called wallboard, gypsum board, Sheetrock (a brand name), and rock. It comes in various thicknesses and in lengths from 8 feet to 12 feet, but the most common size is 4-by-8-by-1/2-inch thick panels. In addition to standard panels, you can buy fire-resistant and moisture-resistant drywall. The moisture-resistant panels have green paper. Drywall Saw - Purpose: Making cutouts in drywall. Drywall Tape -
Two-inch-wide paper tape that covers drywall seams and plaster
cracks. It is not coated with adhesive as the word "tape" seems to imply.
Instead it is embedded in joint compound. Most paper tape is perforated to improve its
bonding strength and pre-creased to make it easy to fold for inside corners. Drywell - An underground drywell collects water until it can percolate into the soil. The "well" is an excavated hole lined with filter fabric and filled with small stones or gravel. The size of the well depends on the volume of water it's expected to handle and the porosity of the surrounding soil. Duplex Receptacle -
Electricians prefer the term receptacle for devices that
supply power to plug-in lamps and appliances. They are so called because they receive the
plug. DWV System - The system of drain-, waste- and vent-lines that carries away liquid and solid wastes and protects your home from sewer odors and bacteria. Easement - A portion of your property another party may use for utilities, maintenance of nearby roads, or access to nearby property. Eaves - The portion of the roof that extends beyond a wall. Edger - A trowel with a rounded, or radiused, edge. Edging Tool - A steel hand tool that rounds edges of concrete with 1/2-inch radius.
Elbows - Other Names: Ell, L Electrical Tape - Purpose: Repairing wire and cable insulation. Electrician's Pliers - Other Names: Lineman's Pliers End Grain - The end of a piece of wood or lumber that reveals the wood fibers in cross section. Epoxy Bolt - Bolts designed to be held in place with epoxy, rather than with mechanical means such as expansion. Ergonomics - The science of designing with human factors in mind. Escutcheon Plate - These decorative plates hide the rough opening where a pipe enters a finished wall. When the pipe end is accessible, as it is when you're installing fixtures, one-piece friction plates work best. When you can't get to the end of a pipe, use a split-flange plate. Its two halves come apart so you can slip them around the pipe. Evapotranspiration - occurs when plants transpire water through pores in their leaves. The water draws heat as it evaporates, cooling the air. Excessive Chalking -
A fine film of paint powder constantly forms on the surface of
many paints. It happens on purpose. The reason: it makes your paint job somewhat
self-cleaning. Chalking becomes a problem when it stains siding or unpainted brick or
stone below. Excessive chalking is caused by several factors: Expansion Joint - A divider made of wood, felt or other material. It allows movement where a concrete slab abuts a house or another concrete slab. Extension Rings - Purpose: Adds volume to existing boxes. Exterior Conduit Systems - All conduit systems are rated by internal diameter (ID). These are common sizes for residential circuits: 1/2-, 3/4- and 1-inch ID conduit. Check with your local building department to get the right size conduit for the number and gauge of wires you intend to run. Each system requires its own type of fitting. Exterior Cover Plates - Never use an interior cover outdoors. All boxes and covers for wet locations require a waterproof gasket to make a seal. Exterior boxes are made of aluminum with threaded holes. External Cable Clamps - Fittings that provide strain relief for non-metallic or armored cable. Many metal boxes come with internal clamps.
Feeder Circuit - Cable that brings power from a main service panel to a subpanel that serves two or more branch circuits. Ferrous Metals - Metals containing iron. Ferrule - A sleeve crimped over a coaxial fitting to secure the connection. Finish Nails - Narrow gauge nails with tiny heads that you can set below the surface of wood trim. Fish -
Electricians refer to the process of pulling wires through
finished walls as fishing. A fish tape is a coiled, springy wire used to "angle"
for a path from attic or basement to the box cutout. Fitting Rails -
To make a rail fit tightly, don't measure. Instead, hold it in
place and mark where it meets the post. Use a combination square to draw the line, then
cut the rail. Flagstones - Hard stones that have been split into thin pieces for paving. Flapper - Flexible rubber stopper that closes the flush valve in a toilet. Often used as a replacement for a stopper ball. Flashings - Sheet-metal or rubber material used to seal breaks, bends and creases in roofs. Areas where flashing is used include pipe openings, skylights and the area around chimneys. Flexible Metal Conduit - Other Names: Flex, Greenfield.
Flexible Tubing - Purpose: Fast, easy connections between pipes and fixtures. Float - A flat trowel used to finish concrete. Floats may be wood, rubber or magnesium. Float Arm - The flexible rod that connects the float ball and flush valve in a toilet tank. Bend it to adjust the level of water in the tank. Float Ball - A copper or plastic ball at the end of the float arm. As water rises in the tank, the ball floats up and shuts off the ballcock. Float Cup - The black plastic cup on a Fluidmaster fill valve that rises with toilet tank water. When it reaches a preset level, the valve closes. Floodlights - When you want strong lighting around your home, these most basic of outdoor fixtures are the least expensive to buy. You'll need a weatherproof wiring box and a cover with 1/2-inch threaded holes to accept the lamp bases. ALWAYS use bulbs rated for outdoor exposure unless you mount the fixture under a roof. Fluorescent Fixtures |
Comment: All 20-amp
receptacles have a horizontal slot off one of the vertical slots. Make sure the receptacle
you buy matches the appliance plug.