Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Technology for Electricians

I admit that I am no expert in electricity, but I have learned a lot from reading certain trade magazines in an effort to keep up with what is going on in the industry. One magazine that I just discovered, that most of you are already aware of, is EC&M. In case you don’t know, it is the technical authority for 140,000+ electrical professionals.

In this month’s issue I was particularly interested in how much technology was featured. With the record gains in sales due to new construction, the workforce has been spread pretty thin. It is not so surprising then that companies are looking towards new technologies that will help to make employees more efficient and save time and money. In the article “Record Gains Bring Labor Pains,” the author speaks of how automation is helping companies keep up with the new demand. Technology has helped them to remotely monitor their sites and to track maintenance. In “The Changing Face of CPM,” the author wrote about software tools that help relieve contractors of the tedious tasks like bookkeeping, taxes, and estimating.

So it seems to me that all of the technology mentioned in this month’s issue points to ways to make life easier for the electrical contractor. This is how I see 360institute fitting in. With online Electrician CE, we make it easy for electricians and contractors to get their CE when it is most convenient to them. This helps to decrease time taken off of work, which helps productivity.

How has technology helped you in your working life? Have you found that technology saves you time, which helps you to be more efficient? If it does, how do you spend your free time? More work or play?

Saturday, October 13, 2007

2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) News

I found an interesting article on the Electrical Wholesaling website about new rules in the 2008 NEC promoting the use of arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs). Industry standards bodies have been promoting the use of AFCIs because they reduce the risk of fire caused by electrical sources. NEMA has even launched a whole website devoted to the use of AFCIs www.AFCISafety.org.

There has been some resistance to the use of AFCIs mainly because of the added cost and the potential for nuisance tripping. But NEMA is arguing that the extra cost is minimal especially compared to the potential loss of life and property using a GFCI. I agree with NEMA. With AFCIs only adding $15 to $20 to the cost of a standard circuit breaker, it seems completely worth the extra expense to have a safer home.

As for the problem with nuisance tripping, AFCI technology has vastly improved since they were first introduced in the late 1990s. Potential nuisance tripping isn’t a good enough reason to not use AFCIs anymore. What are your thoughts on AFCIs? Do you feel it is worth the added expense? And have you visited the AFCISafety site yet?