WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Allbrite can help you to better understand heating systems and the available products and solutions in the market.

Adapter
A cord or block style device with different ends that allows different devices to connect.

AC
Alternating Current. Electric current that rises from zero to a maximum in one direction, falls to zero and then rises to a maximum in the opposite direction, and then repeats another cycle.

Amp (A) = a unit of electric current
An amp is the measurement of current flowing in an electrical circuit. Its full name is an ‘ampere’.

Amperage
Amps/Amperes/Ampacity/Rated Amperage -measurement of the flow rate of electricity. If you think in terms of water through a hose, amperage would be a measure of water volume flowing through the hose.

Cable
A cable is a set of wires, usually encased in an outer protective jacket. A “cord” would be a cable by this definition so far, but a cable is part of a permanent installation; a cord is more flexible and often has a plug end for a portable appliance or lamp.

CE
Conformite Europeene. A European standard of safety. The CE marking on end products indicates compliance with all applicable directives.

Conductor
The internal material of a cord that conducts electricity. Copper is the most common material used for electrical wiring. Silver is the best conductor, but is expensive. Because it does not corrode, gold is used for high-quality surface-to-surface contacts.

Connector
A female cord mounted wiring device with the conducting elements recessed behind the mating

surface. This type of device is normally wired to be live when nothing is plugged in to it. Therefore, connectors are wired to the source of power.

Current
The rate of flow of electrical energy through a conductor or wire, comparable to the amount of water flowing in a pipe. Electric current is measured in amperes or “amps”.

Dielectric
Any insulating medium, which intervenes between two conductors and permits electrostatic attraction and repulsion to take place across it.

DC
Direct Current. Current which moves in a single direction in a steady flow. Normal household electricity is alternating current (AC) which repeatedly reverses its direction. However, many electronics devices require DC, and therefore must convert the current into DC before using it.

Ferrite
Ferrimagnetic ceramic non-conductive compound material used to prevent high frequency electrical noise from entering or exiting the equipment.

Fuse
A safety device consisting of a strip of wire that melts and breaks an electric circuit if the current exceeds a safe level

Ground
A connection between an electrical device and the Earth or at the voltage defined as zero (in the U.S., called ground; in the UK, called earth).

Harmonized Code
An international coding system for specifying the attributes of cord voltages, jackets, diameters, etc.

Hertz
Measurement of frequency, equaling one cycle per second, U.S. devices are typically 60 Hertz and international devices are typically 60 hertz.

ICC
International Color Code. Standard for wire jacket colors; Hot=Brown, Neutral=Blue, Ground=Green/ Yellow.

IEC
International Electrotechnical Commission, an international organization that sets standards for electrical products

IEC320
IEC standard of thirteen 2 or 3 wire plugs, connectors, inlets or outlets usually used in the computer industry.

Inlet
A male flange mounted wiring device with the conducting pins protruding and exposed. This typedevice should never be wired to make the exposed pins live while the mating device is unplugged.

Insulation
The material that encases a conductor preventing leakage of current from a conductor.

IP Rating
Ingress Protection Rating, a two digit code, and an optional letter, specifying the level of protection from foreign objects with the first digit referring to protection from solids and the second digit referring to protection from liquids. The optional letter can be appended to classify only the level of protection against access to hazardous parts by persons or to provide additional information related to the protection of the device.

Kilowatt (kW) = 1000 watts(W)
A kW is the term normally used for ‘active/real’ electric power, sometimes referred to as ‘Demand’ or ‘Load’.
Electric power is made up of two components:

> Active/real power (kW)
> Reactive/wattless power (kVAr)
When these are combined they are referred to as the ‘apparent’ power (kVA).

MPRN = Meter Point Reference Number
The MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number) number identifies your connection to the ESB Network and is unique to your home.

Pigtail
A very short patch cable or wiring adapter. Primarily used in the automotive industries where a longer cable assembly is not needed.

Pin and Sleeve
Common term in reference to an IEC60309 device.

Plug
A male cord mounted wiring device with the conducting pins protruding and exposed. This type device should never be wired to make the exposed pins live while unplugged. Therefore, plugs are always dead until they are plugged into a power source such as a wall outlet or generator outlet.

Polarized
A plug and connector formed in a way that only allows proper connection.

RoHS
Restriction of Hazardous Substances, a European directive dictating materials that may not be used in the manufacture of certain products. Materials restricted include: Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated Byphenyls, and Plybrominated Diphenyl Ether.

Stripping
The designation of the removal of the insulation or jacket from a conductor/wire.

Temperature Rating
The maximum temperature at which insulation will maintain its integrity.

Terminal
A terminal is the point at which a conductor from an electrical component, device or network comes to an end and provides a point of connection to external circuits. A terminal may simply be the end of a wire or it may be fitted with a connector or fastener. The connection may be temporary, as for portable equipment, or may require a tool for assembly and removal, or may be a permanent electrical joint between two wires or devices.

Twist-Locking
Refers to a NEMA device with circular prongs that locks the connection in place. Locking connectors use curved blades. Once pushed into the receptacle, the plug is twisted and its now-rotated blades latch into the receptacle. To unlatch the plug, the rotation is reversed. The locking coupling makes for a more reliable connection in commercial and industrial settings, where vibration or incidental impact could disconnect a non-locking connector.

Volt (V) = a unit of electrical voltage
A volt is the electrical force required to push current through an electrical circuit. Most domestic homes in Ireland are supplied at a nominal voltage of 230V (single phase). Most businesses are supplied at a nominal voltage of 400V (three phase), which is frequently referred to as ‘Low Voltage’.

Voltage
The force or “push” driving electrical energy through a conductor or wire that can be compared to the pressure of water in a pipe.

Watt
A unit of power, defined as one joule per second. Wattage is calculated as Voltage x Amperage. Watt (W) = a unit of electric power. A watt is the unit of measurement of ‘active/real’ power. The power used in a basic electrical circuit is the volts multiplied by the amps.

1 volt passing a current of 1 amp through a basic circuit means that 1 watt of electric power is consumed.