the inf rmer - code-electrical.com informer 09.pdf · session, passed the texas electrical safety...

1 The Informer

The Inf rmerThe Inf rmera newsletter for the electrician

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VOLUME XII, NO. 4 July - August 2009

Become a Solar Photovoltaic System Installer

Wal-Mart to double solar initiative

I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewablesources of energy, wind power and solar power and the next generation ofbiofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million newjobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. President Barack Obama

Skilled solar photovoltaic contractors are in high demand.Join the rapidly growing network of trained solar professionalsmeeting the needs of the new green economy.

For months, Wal-Mart has defied the economicslump by posting relatively healthy earnings even as otherretailers got pummeled.

Now it's offering a bright spot in a wobbly re-newable energy market.

Wal-Mart announced that it will double the sizeof it's solar-power initiative in the next 18 months byputting rooftop solar arrays on 20 stores and distributioncenters in California. The retail giant recently finishedinstalling solar setups at 18 Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubstores and two warehouses in California and Hawaii.

All of Wal-Mart's solar projects will generateenough clean energy to power the equivalent of 2,600homes and avoid 22,500 metric tons of carbon-dioxideemissions each year, equivalent to taking 4,000 cars offthe road.

The project is part of an agressive environmen-tal campaign Wal-Mart unveiled in 2005. The chain isamong a bevy of retailers that announced solar projectsthe last two years, including Target, Macy's, and WholeFoods.

Wal-Mart recognizes electricity rates are boundto rise in coming years as fossil fuel costs rebound, whilesolar prices are stable as there are no fuel costs.

Solar prices have fallen 15% to 20% in recentmonths. Meanwhile, Congress beefed up and extendedfederal tax breaks last fall, while states such as Califor-nia and New Jersey continue to offer generous incen-tives.

Significant for CaliforniaFor California, projects such as Wal-Mart's are

key to helping the state reach its target of getting 33% ofits power from renewable resources by 2020.

Meanwhile, first-quarter solar installations inCalifornia and New Jersey, which includes half the mar-ket, totaled 103 megawatts vs. 151 megawatts for all oflast year.

(continued page 8)

2 The Informer

DISCLAIMER

The Informer staff and publisher of thisnewsletter are not responsible for theinterpretation or application of any elec-trical work in buildings by any person,company, agency, or organization.

The views expressed in this newsletterare personal views, and shall not be con-sidered as a “formal interpretation”.

The National Electrical Code® andNEC® are Registered Trademarks of theNational Fire Protection Association,Quincy, MA.

WATT’S IN THIS ISSUEBob Williamson 10Bob Williamson 11Walk through the Code 12Electrical History 13Letters •Tom Henry 14Solar Now with Tom Henry 15Learn to be an Electrician 16Ultimate Code book 17Journal & Giving Back (cont.) 18Informer Subscription Form 19

Photovoltaic System Installer CoverMisc. 2Building Official •Paul Ward 3Inspector’s Journal •Alan Nadon 4UL Corner 5Giving Back •Tim Chinchor 6Overtighten • Tim Henry 7New Products • Caitlin Henry 7Photovoltaic System Installer 8Photovoltaic System Installer 9

Reader’s CommentsTom Henry would like to hear from you.

Please send your comments and suggestions to:The Informer, 7449 Citrus Ave., Winter Park, FL 32792.or E-mail [email protected]

EDITOR - Tom Henry

CONSULTING EDITORS:

Paul Ward-Building DepartmentSouthlake, Texas

Alan Nadon-InspectionElkhart, Indiana

Tom Henry - History Winter Park, FloridaBrian McPartland-Engineering

Tappan, New YorkTim Henry-The Exam

Oviedo, FloridaRobert Williamson - Maintenance

Mill Spring, North CarolinaTim Chinchor - Contractor

Orange City, FloridaCaitlin Henry - New Products

Oviedo, FLEric Matos - General

Deltona, Florida

Subscription: The Informer 7449 Citrus Ave. Winter Park, FL 32792 Phone: (407) 671-0020 Fax: (407) 671-6497 Website: http://www.code-electrical.com E-mail: [email protected] Subscription Rate - $16.00 six issues a year

I purchased your DVD's and books and attended your seminar in Octo-ber of 2007 in preparation for my Journeyman's exam and would like to extenda "Thank You" for your products. By studying the material and attending theseminar, I was able to score 92% on my exam. The exam was for OsceolaCounty, FL. I look forward to attending your Master's seminar in a year inpreparation for my ER license.

Thank you,Greg Merrill

Dear Mr. Henry,I received your course, "Learn to be an Electrician" a few days ago and

I am really excited about going through the course. I am enclosing the answersheets to module E-1. Just a little background for your notes, I have an Associ-ate Degree in Electronics and have worked in residential remodeling and elec-tric for 16 years. I never needed to be licensed to do residential wiring inHamilton County, Ohio. But I want a license to learn what I don't know and toexpand my options of work. I have been self employed since 1989. Thanks forwhat you are doing!

Sincerely,Daniel Hibbard

Mr. Henry,I wanted to express my thanks for your outstanding products. My com-

pany recently asked me to take the Master Electrician test. We ordered theDVD and book set along with the Ultimate code book. I just wanted to let youknow that I believe Tom Henry is one of the best instructors that I have en-countered. If all our high school and college instructors were more like Mr.Henry I believe our educational system would be a much better place to learn.I am not an electrician by trade. I work in our Controls Design group. I havebeen inspired to take the "Learn to be an Electrician" program on my own. Ionly wish I had heard about this program in high school. I can't imagine whereI would be today. Thank you Mr. Henry, for your dedication to the professionand to educating people around the world.

Mark AndersonElkhart, Indiana

3 The Informer

From the Building Official

Paul Ward South Lake, Texas

In 2003, the 78th Texas Legislature, RegularSession, passed the Texas Electrical Safety and LicensingAct.� As a statewide act, it provided enforceable standardsfor electrical work. It also required most electriciansworking in the electrical trade to be properly trained andlicensed.�

Under the 2003 law, there were six licensingcategories for electricians: master electrician, journeymanelectrician, apprentice electrician, master sign electrician,journeyman sign electrician, and apprentice signelectrician.� With the exception of apprentice electricians,the act required licensed electricians in all categories toobtain a certain number of training and continuingeducation hours each year.

During the 81st, 2009 Texas Legislature, RegularSession, Senate Bill 470 was signed into law. This lawrequires electrical apprentices not enrolled in arecognized apprenticeship training program to completefour hours of continuing education each year.� The billrequires that continuing education courses for all classes

S.B. 470 amended the Occupations Code toinclude safety in the topics required for continuingeducation courses for license renewal. The bill requiresan electrical apprentice license holder who is not enrolledin an apprenticeship training program to complete fourhours of continuing education annually to renew thelicense and requires the courses offered to address safety,the National Electrical Code, and state laws and rulesregulating electricians.� The bill authorizes the TexasDepartment of Licensing and Regulation to adopt rulesregarding the registration of apprenticeship trainingprograms and to require a process to report the names ofpersons enrolled in the programs.

Sections from Senate Bill 470:

SECTION�1.��"Apprenticeship training program" meansan electrical training program that is:

(A)��Recognized by the Texas Workforce Commissionor the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;(B)��registered with the United States Department ofLabor; or(C)��a competency-based standardized craft trainingprogram that meets the training program standards ofthe United States Department of Labor Office ofApprenticeship.

SECTION�2.� ��The commission may adopt rulesregarding the registration of apprenticeship trainingprograms and to require registered programs to reportthe names of persons enrolled in the programs.

SECTION�3.��: Continuing education courses that satisfythe requirements of Subsection (a) must address safety,the National Electrical Code, as adopted under Section1305.101, and state laws and rules that regulate theconduct of license holders under this chapter.(b-1)��To renew an electrical apprentice license, a licenseholder who is not enrolled in an apprenticeship trainingprogram must complete four hours of continuingeducation annually. Continuing education courses thatsatisfy the requirements of this subsection must addresssafety, the National Electrical Code, as adopted underSection 1305.101, and state laws and rules that regulatethe conduct of license holders under this chapter.The law goes into effect on September 1, 2009.

Law Requires Training for Apprentice Electricians

4 The Informer

Excerpts from an Inspector'sJournal

CertifiedElectricalInspector

Alan Nadon CEI-M #138

I can't say things are getting better, but it seemslike they are becoming less bad. There have even beensome indications of future relief. One company is work-ing on opening a hybrid truck manufacturing plant in anarea that could employ over a thousand workers. Whilethe deal appears to be moving forward it will be at leasta year before hiring begins. If we don't starve waiting,things should get better.

For inspections it is still as slow as molasses inJanuary. This is what I had for a five day period.

Day one: One hundred amp rewire, overhead ser-vice. This was an older home, built before indoor plumb-ing. We noticed this because the part of the house thathad water was set out from the main structure by threefeet where they ran the water and sewer line from thestreet to the house. No problems, no defects.

Next, was a reconnect for a fire repair. The ser-vice itself was in good condition since it was rewiredonly two years ago.

Day two: Upgrade the service for a store on Mainstreet. The old service was a fused disconnect with twotwelve circuit fuse panels for distribution. It was beingupgraded for sale. The old service had been held on thewall by duct tape because termites had eaten out themounting board. The new circuit breaker panel was sol-idly mounted so it was approved for reconnect.

Next, was an inspection of a four unit dormitory,building. The only thing I noticed was that the lightingin the bathrooms was not very bright. They were using afixture with six, Edison base, compact florescent bulbs(CFL) that had a slow warm up period, and even afterwarm up weren't very bright. I suggested that they re-place it with a two tube 40 watt florescent fixture.

Day three: Rough in inspection for the office sec-tion of a new commercial building. Office area 40 X 60steel stud construction wired in EMT and armored cable.Took longer to drive to the job site than it took to in-spect.

Next stop, 100 amp service for a well. Existingservice inspected last year needed re-inspection so theutility company could bring the overhead service dropin from a different pole. The extent of the change was toturn the weather-head 90 degrees. (I said inspections wereslow.)

Day four: Office remodel. Four rooms, steel studconstruction EMT and armored cable. Located on thesecond floor and the elevator locked out so it wouldn'tgo to the second floor, because of the construction. Don'tlike climbing stairs anymore, just glad it was only thesecond floor.

Next stop, new extended stay motel. Wood studconstruction, sprinkled NM wiring with two hour ratingfor the hallways. Rough in for the guest rooms on thefirst floor. I've already done the other three floors. Andno the elevator isn't working yet.

Day five: Check an above ground pool referredfrom the Zoning department. No overhead wires aboveit and the supply was GFI protected. Explained to theowner the new requirements in 680.26 about creating anequal-potential plain around the pool. The owner under-stood the concept faster than some electricians. The onlyquestion was, if this was a problem why wasn't it appar-ent years ago? (That stumped the inspector. When I don'tknow I admit it.)

Next stop, another house that had been rewiredonly four years ago, but needed reconnecting. Someonehad stolen the service entrance cable. The owner in thefour years had also built a privacy fence around the backyard so the meter was not accessible to the utility com-pany. The existing meter socket and disconnect were re-located to the side of the house. No other changes had tobe made.

Then, it was off to church. Some vandals hadstolen the meter socket cover, and because it was an olderstyle, no replacement was available. Result, replace thesocket so it could be reconnected. The building had beenrewired in 1992 and was still in good condition. The util-ity had already made their connections so I was able toturn on the power while I was there. I had them go aroundand turn off the unnecessary lights while I checked tomake sure the exit lighting worked.

Then, another rough in inspection. This time theentry foyer on an expensive older home that was beingremodeled. Three recessed cans, two wall sconces, fourreceptacles and the outside entry light.

(continued on page 18)

5 The Informer

UL®

UL CORNERUL 153 requires a wall-mounted unit that has

accessible metal parts to be provided with a groundingattachment plug. However, there are exceptions to thegrounding requirement for products that employ non-permanent means (removal without the use of tools) tomount them to the surface. These include units that in-clude a separable bracket for mounting that does not re-quire tools for attachment to the luminaire, and lumi-naires with ring hangers, keyhole slots, or notches in theluminaire that permit removal from the mounting hard-ware without the use of a tool.

Answer: Actually, there is a requirement for per-manently mounted portable luminaires to be grounded.The requirement for grounding permanently mountedportable luminaires became effective on February 18,2006, so it may have taken some time for stock to clearon products manufactured to the previous requirementsprior to the effective date.

UL lists portable luminaires under the productcategory "Luminaires, Portable, (QOWZ)." Guide Infor-mation for this category can be found in UL's OnlineCertifications Directory at www.UL.co/database and onpage 273 in the 2008 UL White Book. UL listed por-table luminaires are evaluated to the Standard for Safetyfor Portable Electric Luminaires, ANSI/UL 153.

Question: I received a UL White Book at anIAEI meeting. It seems to contain a wealth ofinformation for electricians and inspectors; how-ever, I do not know how to use it. Does UL havean online presentation that can show me how touse the White Book?Answer: Yes, in addition to UL providing WhiteBook instructional presentations at IAEI meetings as wellas selected electrical apprenticeship programs, UL hasrecently added a virtual training program to UL's educa-tional arm, UL University. Now you can learn the WhiteBook at your own pace, on your schedule in the privacyof your own home, and best of all it is free. Just go di-rectly to www.uluniversity.com/ULWB select your coun-try, then courses for Code Officials, and then scroll downto Understanding and Using the 2008 UL White Bookprogram. Then follow the instructions to start your web-based training course on how to use this valuable supple-ment to the NEC.

Once the 2009 UL White Book is published, wewill create a virtual training program for the 2009 WhiteBook as well.

Question: Are permanently mounted portableluminaires required to be grounded? I have seensome wall-mounted portable luminaires that arecord connected with a polarized plug, eventhough these products often have quite a bit ofexposed metal.

Question: Are the luminaire disconnect con-nectors that are used to comply with NEC410.130(G) evaluated for other uses such as adisconnect means for a motor?Answer: No, luminaire disconnects are multi-polesplicing wire connectors and are not intended for use onmotor circuits. Additionally, these types of wire connec-tors do not have a horsepower rating and would not com-ply with the requirements of NEC 430.109 and 430.110.

UL lists these luminaire disconnects under theproducts category "Multi-Pole Splicing Wire Connec-tors, (ZMNA)." Guide Information for this category canbe found in UL's Online Certifications Directory atwww.ul.com/data base and on page 388 in the 2008 ULWhite Book. UL listed multi-pole splicing wire connec-tors are evaluated for compliance with Standard for In-sulated Multi-Pole Splicing Wire Connectors, UL 2459.

Multi-pole splicing wire connectors are intendedfor factory wiring and/or field wiring. Multi-pole splic-ing wire connectors are intended to facilitate the con-nection of hard-wired utilization equipment (e.g., pre-fabricated wiring assemblies, ceiling fans, smoke detec-tors, lighting products) to the branch-circuit conductorsof buildings. They are multi-polarity devices used toconnect to two or more branch-circuit conductors.

This category also covers luminaire disconnectswhich are intended to facilitate replacement of the bal-last within a luminaire. Luminaire disconnects have notbeen investigated for termination directly to branch cir-cuit conductors.

•Reprinted from The Code Authority by permission.

*Note: Do you have copies of the UL WHITE andgreen book “Electrical Construction Directory”?Every electrical contractor should have access to theseinformative books.

6 The Informer

From the contractor

Tim Chinchor

These are lean financial times, high unemploy-ment, children are in sacrificial times when food is moreimportant than play and mortgages are higher on the listthan many recreational activities. I thought I would re-flect on how important it is to participate in voluntaryactivities and extend to you my fellow electricians andcontractors just a few of the avenues I have used to giveback over the last 27 years.

First let me state that 27 years ago I was 21 yearsold. I had a lot more muscle then brains and as the yearspassed those two tended to meet in the middle and soonenough I had more brains then muscle. But the truth ismuscle and brains are both in bad need when times aretimes like these. Regardless of your age or physical abil-ity you can contribute to a better world for the neighbor-hood kids to live in.

Let's look at your resources and reasoning. Yousee a fence at the local ball park that needs repair, grabyour Klein's and some tie wire and put the fix on it. Donot wait for someone to ask. It's not easy for people toask for help with repairs when they have no money tooffer but it isn't going to kill you to just get it done. Itwill pay forward and the less you brag up on your gooddeed the more it gets talked about. Shut up and just godo something nice. It is easier to be a doer to do then abeggar to beg.

The Importance of giving back

to the community

Over the passed 27 years I have used my own(yes me at first but a little less me now that I am older)labor and equipment to repair pony league and littleleague baseball fields, dig and stand field lighting poles,install lighting in batting cages, wire in pitching ma-chines, lay sod, weld football blocking sleds, wire com-plete field houses, wire concession stands, light up Hal-loween parties for churches, hang banners to advertiseevents, replace basketball hoops and nets, light up flagpoles for the veterans, light up memorial gardens at theveterans park.

My huge collection of orange cones have laid outparade routes, closed lanes for opening day parking ofevents. I have used my bucket trucks accessibility to cutaway dangerous tree limbs from Masonic hall parkinglots; the Masons do a lot of nice things for people so Ilike to do nice things for them.

I have gone to elder care facilities and went toeach room of the assisted living center and asked theoccupant if they needed some handy man work like fix-ing a lamp or programming a remote for the television.

See there are just a few memories that came tome in the last five minutes, didn't cost much but it wasvery rewarding in the depth of my soul. I never askedfor anything in return and didn't want anything. I didreceive a few plaques with a thank you that hang in myoffice and one or two nice groups of people have myname on a bronze plaque on or near a building. I wishthey would have saved the money, no offense, honestly Inever wanted the recognition I just wanted the folks tohave a nice place to live, work or play. I didn't do it forme, I did it for the beneficiary.

I don't care where you go there is always somekind of need, could just be some good honest advice thatgoes a long way. Or referrals for someone else like aplumber with an open heart that can solve the problem.We all know a plumber with an open heart.

In times like these even if you can't hire an ap-prentice you can still sponsor one into your local ap-prenticeship, check the local high school for a top stu-dent that is unable to afford college and there is yourchance to make a difference. Apprentices do not have tohave a job now they can get the on the job training whenthere is a job to be had. It will not cost as much as youthink, maybe 200 bucks per semester. Most people spendmore on beer in three months.

(continued page 18)

7 The Informer

Tim HenryVice-President

Code Electrical Classes Inc.

New ProductsWith Caitlin Henry

The fine-stranded wire is easier to work with butposes some additional requirements for system installa-tion and maintenance. Mechanical lugs can damage orbreak the fine strands resulting in a weak connection andreduced ampacity.

Overtighten or Retighten?

Quality wiring connections are critical to the safeand reliable operation of electrical systems. Poor con-nections add circuit resistance, increasing voltage dropand power loss. In the worst cases, loose or corrodedconnections cause hot spots and thermal expansion atthe connection, leading to failure of the connection orentire system. To minimize the chances of wiring fail-ure, installers should use high quality connectors and becareful to install them properly. It is important to use asfew connections as possible.

Some installers over-tighten or retighten a con-nection to a fine stranded cable to hold in screw-typeterminals. UL standards for connectors require that theterminal be tightened once to the specified torque andthere is NO retightening specified. Tightening the termi-nal beyond the specified torque value may cause bind-ing of the threads thereby giving a false torque reading.Both overtightening and retightening of listed connec-tors and terminals on overcurrent devices and other equip-ment would violate the provisions of the listing per NEC110.3(B).

STRANDED WIRE

690.31(F) Flexible, Fine-Stranded Cables. Flexible,fine-stranded cables shall be terminated only with ter-minals, lugs, devices, or connectors that are identifiedand listed for such use.

Force is not torque!

UL suggests two problems, both of which havebeen experienced in PV systems. First, the tighteningcrew tends to break the fine wire strands, reducing theamount of copper available to meet the listed ampacity.Second, the initial torque setting does NOT hold and thefine strands continue to compress (creep) after initialtightening. Even after subsequent retorquing, the con-nection may still loosen. The loosening connection cre-ates a higher-than-normal resistance connection thatheats, loosens even further, and may eventually fail.

•Note: UL Standard 486 A & B requires that connectorsand terminals that are intended for use with flexible, fine-stranded cables be marked for use with such cables. Veryfew connectors and terminals have been listed for suchuse and are so marked. The vast majority of connectorsand terminals are unsuitable for use with fine-stranded,flexible cables. Failures in several widely different in-dustries have been reported.

Flag and Tee ConnectorsColor-Keyed KubeFlag and Tee Connectors feature amodular design that enables installers to build multiplecircuit configurations. Designed for use with standardColor-Keyed lugs and splices through 4/0 AWG, the con-nectors include insulated housings, tin-plated connectorsfor corrosion resistance, and 99.9% pure wrought cop-per construction for electrical conductivity with low con-nection resistance, according to the company. In addi-tion, they are color-coded to facilitate selection of cor-rect crimping.Thomas & Betts www.tnb.com901-252-8000

8 The Informer

Solar Photovoltaic(from page 1)

Florida(The Sunshine State)

Solar-energy activity has exploded in Florida thisyear, with nearly a dozen projects completed, started, orannounced totaling 246 megawatts of solar electricity.

NASA and Florida Power & LightCo. took a big step toward building a pair ofclean-electricity plants at Kennedy SpaceCenter.

Others hope the space agency andenergy giant are taking even bigger stridestoward creating new, green jobs for thou-sands of KSC workers who will be out ofwork when the space shuttles stop flying assoon as next year.

The $80 million venture is part of a trio of FPLsolar projects in Florida that will cost about $700 mil-lion and generate about 110 megawatts of electricity. Thatamounts to roughly the output of a small coal-fired powerplant, but it's also enough to vault Florida into secondplace only behind California for solar energy output.

The larger of the two KSC solar installations willcover former citrus groves and generate 10 megawattsfor utility customers. The smaller plant will provide KSCwith one megawatt of power. The combined solar instal-lations will take up 50 acres of land and will be coveredwith 36,000 solar panels.

Florida Power and Light is alreadylooking at installing more panels at KSC andelsewhere in the state. If they build a solar-panel manufacturing facility in Florida theycould easily do another 300 megawatts.

Orlando was formally inducted as a SolarAmerica City in May when the switch was turned on tothe one megawatt of solar electricity on the roof of theOrange County Convention Center.

While the solar panels will not cover the entireoperational power requirements of the convention cen-ter, this installation currently only covers about half ofthe roof, creating the opportunity for expansion in thefuture.

Orlando as a Solar City

The Orange County Convention Center's 5,808solar panels worth $7 million can't provide even 10% ofthe electricity consumed .

The panels cover about 200,000 square feet. Visi-tors to the center will be able to monitor the system'soutput at an on-site education center. The education cen-ter also promotes the environmental and economic ben-efits of solar and other renewable-energy technologies.

The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Author-ity has outfitted its center with 13,486 solar panels thatcan pump out 2.4 megawatts. That system went into ser-vice last December.

Florida Power and Lightsaid bringing on nearly 110 mega-watts of solar power means utilitycustomers will see their monthlybills go up an average of 31 centseach. But the next round ofprojects, which includes a 75megawatt solar plant in SouthwestFlorida, would likely add an addi-tional monthly increase of 20 centsor less.

Solar proponents say the acceleration of solar ac-tivity in Florida is already leading to competition, lowerprices and better products.

Solar makes especially good sense in Florida,when the sun is most productive during the same peakhours when air conditioners strain energy supplies.

The solar panels have proven to last at least 40years and more, and the upfront costs could be recoupedin less than half that time. It's a winning economic propo-sition.

(continued next page 9)

9 The Informer

The stock-marketvalue of solar-energy com-panies has jumped globallyfrom $4 billion in 2003 to$190 billion in 2007.

Led by the state's electric utilities, the rush toinstall solar photovoltaic panels and concentrating mir-rors has put Florida on a path out of the backwoods ofsolar energy to the #2 ranking among U.S. states behindonly solar-crazed California.

Utilities partly justify their solar activities assearching for affordable responses to a coming era ofgovernment regulations that will be aimed at reducingpower plants' contributions to global warming.

Whether Florida stays into second place amongU.S. states for solar activity depends on a large part ofstate lawmakers' setting a standard for the amount ofgreen energy utilities must use.

The silence before the storm

When DOE has the solar application for the in-centives the demand for systems will boom.

In Florida when the State started the $4/watt re-bate nothing happened for 6 months. The public didn'tunderstand it, the industry didn't know how to apply itand those writing requirements for qualifying were likeone hand fighting the other because regulators were ei-ther understaffed and/or unfamiliar and underpaid. Ex-pect this with the Federal plan. But, once they finally getit together the cost of solar modules will start to increaserapidly from their historic low.

It will be similar to what happened to Germanyand Spain where the approximate .60¢ per Kwh feed intariff created ten's of thousands of jobs and thousands ofnew companies. It also made millionaires out of peopleovernight and made these two countries the largest forPV in the world overtaking the U.S.

The promotion or residential and small commer-cial solar systems will squeeze a lot more exposure andpublic education out of any government subsidy program.Take a 1,000 systems on homes. Those satisfiedhomeowners would be solar's best salespeople. Nothingpromotes or educates people on solar than a happyhomeowner who is proud to have spent their hard earnedmoney. They will show it off to their family, friends,neighbors, etc. You won't find that kind of promotioninherent in huge rooftops on big box stores or utilities.

Solar is shovel ready. If the Stimulus Bill passesas described here, hiring will begin immediately for so-lar salespeople, electricians and assistant installers, man-agers, office support, shipping and warehousing not tomention manufacturing personnel.

The train has left the station, it's time to jumpaboard!

Tom Henry's Latest book:The Solar Photovoltaic Workbook

ITEM # 810 The Photovoltaic Workbook

As I write today it is becoming difficult to find a qualifiedPV solar system installer in some areas of the country, as their in-stallation may be hindred by limited knowledge of PV systems andthe requirements among local utilities and the electrical inspector'senforcement of Article 690 of the National Electrical Code.

The PV environment is tough with wide ranging outdoortemperatures and moisture. Equipment must be listed for the appli-cation.

The expected long life of the PV system is over 40 years inthe heat and cold points to the need for durable hardware and highlevels of quality workmanship.

The PV installer needs to devote significant attention tothe weather-related (wind, sleet, snow, ice and rain) requirementsfor PV systems to help ensure long-lived, hazard-free electrical in-stallations.

This workbook will take you from start to finish in design-ing and calculating the equipment and wire sizes. The book includesa 60 question installers exam with answers. Several states now re-quire this exam.

In Gainesville, Florida anew feed-in tariff of approxi-mately .32¢ kwh offers an ex-ample to State Law Makers howto get support for solar jobsgrowth without another appro-priation or tax. Hopefully legis-lation will be enacted statewide.

10 The Informer

Robert WilliamsonMill Spring, North Carolina

Robert is an author, work-place educa-tor, and consultant with more than 28years experience in improving the peopleside of manufacturing and maintenancewith many Fortune 500 companies.www.swspitcrew.com

Maintenance

Pay-for-Applied Skills: The Time is Now

Having trouble retaining top-skilled maintenancetechnicians? Motivating your technicians to master newskills a problem? Is recruiting promising maintenanceemployees difficult? Are most of your maintenance em-ployees topped out in pay? Is your maintenance com-pensation program keeping highly skilled prospects fromapplying for job openings?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questionsplaguing many maintenance organizations today, thereis a workable solution you should seriously consider. It’scalled a pay-for-applied-skills compensation plan. In sucha pay plan, an employee’s pay is based on the skills andknowledge he applies on the job rather than the pay rateof the job classification he holds. The difference? Youare paying for what the maintenance employee actuallyaccomplishes on the job. Higher-skilled employees earnmore per hour than those who perform at the minimalexpected levels.Pay-for-Skills is a Win-Win Program

In a recent manufacturing plant example, manyof the 165 maintenance employees were “high senior-ity” and at top pay in their traditional pay plan. They hadbeen topped out for years. Regardless of the skills or thejob classification, most maintenance employees werepaid the same hourly rate: Lubricators and truck mechan-ics were paid the same as instrumentation and controltechnicians and journeyman-level millwrights thanks toa four-year time-in grade pay plan. In this plant, the I&Ctechnicians and millwrights clearly added more value toequipment reliability and plant performance than truckmechanics and lubricators. Truck mechanics and lubri-cators were essential to the operation but were in plenti-ful supply and easily trained. I&C mechanics and mill-wrights were a scarce resource, and it took years to de-velop the skills.

A second problem was motivation. How couldyou possibly encourage people to learn and apply newskills for improving reliability if they felt that there was

“nothing in it for me”? And new employers in the areawere recruiting those top-skilled technicians and mill-wrights by higher pay and opportunities for advancement.What encouragement did they have to stay around?

A third problem was a difficulty of recruiting new,higher-skilled maintenance technicians. They struggledwith minimal chances for advancement and no provi-sions for starting out at higher than entry-level pay.

So, how was the pay-for-applied-skills programdeveloped in this case? It began with a comprehensivedefinition of the skills and knowledge required to per-form the maintenance jobs in the plant. This listing of“job-performance requirements” was developed using aduty/task analysis process. (Beware not to take a shortcut with this step as it is prescribed in the federal Uni-form Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures.) Theduty/task analysis also provided a valid and fair way toassess employees’ skills and knowledge, structure on-job training and classroom training programs, and as-sess the skills and knowledge of prospective employees.The next step determined the advancement requirements,or criteria, and dollar value of each pay level in the newpay plan. The emphasis here - making pay rates com-petitive in the area and a fair pay increment for the ap-plied skills and knowledge.

Another important consideration here was not todevelop a “general skills advancement plan” where ev-erybody had to have the same skills and knowledge toadvance. Here was an opportunity to structure the newpay plan to emphasize the skills and knowledge neces-sary to improve and sustain new levels of equipment per-formance and reliability for today and into the future.Here was a chance to develop a “multi-skilled” mainte-nance workforce. And here was an opportunity to tapthe talents and interests of the maintenance employees.This was a true “win-win”: The business wins throughtraining and qualification of maintenance employees toperform the tasks that truly make a difference, and theemployees win by learning to do what they are inter-ested in doing.

One of the proven principles of learning is this:“Adults learn what they can use and are interested in.”One of the principles of business is to “reward what youvalue.” A pay-for-applied- skills plan addresses both ofthese principles.

(continued page 11)

11 The Informer

So, what about maintenance employees who didnot want to learn and apply new skills? (And you willalways have some….) If they are good employees, per-forming needed tasks on the job, they can fit into theplan at a level that either matches their current pay orthat matches the skills and knowledge they have. Thereis no pressure to learn and apply more skills on the job.But, in the future, if they wish to participate in learningnew and/or higher-level skills, they can advance in payby meeting the requirements of the next levels in thepay-for-applied-skills plan.

Three Elements Needed for Successful ProgramThe downside of a pay-for-applied-skills plan,

and probably the biggest barrier to this effective com-pensation system, is two-fold: It is different, and it takesa bit more time to administer than the old time-in gradejob classification systems. Over the years, we havelearned that changing a compensation system is likechanging organizational behavior. It requires three ele-ments:

• There must be a business reason to change.

• There must be a sense of urgency.

• People who can influence the changes required mustlead it.

Labor leaders must be involved early in theconceptualization process in plants and facilities wherethe workforce is represented by a labor union.

Today, much has changed – more competition,reduced operating costs, newer technologies, demandsfor higher levels of equipment reliability and perfor-mance, and shortages of skilled and qualified mainte-nance technicians throughout America. A maintenancepay-for-applied-skills plan could be just what your or-ganization needs to breathe new life into a pay and pro-gression process that was based on skills and knowledgeof the last century.

Power thefts surge in bad times

As the dismal economy spawns desperate mea-sures, some Americans are resorting to a hazardous prac-tice: stealing electricity.

Many utilities say energy theft has risen sharplyduring the economic downturn. Culprits include residen-tial customers whose power is turned off when they fallbehind on their bills and small businesses struggling tokeep their doors open.

They're using a wide array of tactics. Some runwires from the utility lines directly into a circuit-breakerpanel, bypassing the electric meter. Others attach cableson either side of a meter, swipe meters from vacant houseswhen theirs are removed or tamper with meters to lowertheir electric bills.

American Electric Power has investigated 3,196cases of theft in January and February, A 27% jump overa year ago.

In Philadelphia, of 14,000 customers whose ser-vice was turned off in early 2008, 30% were illegallyusing electricity last year.

Customers have stolen power for decades, cost-ing utilities 1% to 3% of revenue - or about $6 billionindustry wide - each year. Losses are borne by othercustomers. Many thieves operate home-based marijuanafarms that use a lot of power for lighting.

But the problem is mushrooming. In Pennsylva-nia, theft rose 16% last year. Power shut offs across theUSA doubled last year to 4% of home accounts.

The practice is dangerous. Touching a power linecan burn or even kill an untrained person. In Philadel-phia recently, an illegal electricity hookup in a row housesparked a fire that killed a 30-year-old woman and her8-year-old daughter.

Utilities often learn of thefts from meter readers,neighbors, or abnormal use patterns. They expect to de-tect fraud earlier as they roll out smart meters that canremotely monitor electricity use.

"I started out with nothing,and I still have most of it!"

12 The Informer

ITEM # 806. 13 CD's - 5 Book combo $269.00

ITEM # 805. 12 DVD's - 5 Book combo $499.00

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ITEM # 520. The 2008 “Ultimate” hi-lited and tabbed Code bookis recommended to follow along with the videos or CD's. $199.00

ITEM # 456. Five Book Combo with 1721 questions and answers inpictures. $125.00

ITEM # 802. The 13 volume CD program "A Walk Thru the Code" comes inaudio format. Over 13 hours total. $169.00

the 1993 natuibak ekekcturtrucak cide book is for people to learn





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ITEM # 677. The 12 volume video program "A Walk Thru the Code" comes in

DVD format. Each video is 70 minutes or longer. $399.00

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“A WALK THROUGH THEELECTRICAL CODE”DVD's CD's

13 The Informer

History For The Informer ELECTRICAL HISTORY

with Tom Henry

Elihu Thomson(1852-1937) developed the firstelectric welding transformer in1886.

Thomson held over 700 patents, the thirdlargest held by any man. He demonstrated his firstdynamo in 1878. He also held a patent for the electricmeter.

He was awarded 17 medals, decorations, anddozens of honorary degrees, held over 700 patents,was a contemporary of Edison, Tesla, Brush, Steimetzand other world reknown scientists, was President ofM.I.T. and played a vital role in the formation ofGeneral Electric, but few are aware of his contribu-tions or have ever heard of Elihu Thomson.

He was born in the industrial town of Manches-ter, England on March 29, 1852. Due to financialproblems caused by the Panic of 1857, the familyemigrated to America and settled in the Richmond areaof Philadelphia. At six Elihu was enrolled in a local“alphabet school” but, having been taught at home,could already read and was given the task of coachinghis less talented classmates. Skipping from class toclass he finished grammer school at 11 and passed theexamination for high school, but as 13 was the mini-mum age for admission spent two years of “homestudy”. His favorite “textbook” was The Magiciansown Handbook, which was filled with tricks andexperiments using electricity, chemistry, magnetism,optics and other esoteric subjects. Using it as a guide,he built among other things, a static machine andleyden jar that developed enough power to knock hisfather down! In 1866 he, along with 160 other boys,entered Central High School (comparable to a collegetoday) and four years later was one of 18 students tosurvive the rigid curriculum and graduate.

A few months later he was made the school’s “Adjunctto the Department of Chemistry”, at 19 was madeassistant Professor of Chemistry and Mechanics.Through the 1870s he, along with the colleague (Pro-fessor E.J. Houston) published many scientific papers,built an improved transformer, arc lamps, a continuouscream separator and improved versions of the Grammedynamo. Being familiar with Maxwell’s theories, hebuilt the equipment that was able to send and receivewireless waves at a distance of about 100 feet, butseeing no practical use for it abandoned that project.

In 1880 he moved to New Britain, Connecticutand was employed by a group which became theAmeri-can Electric Company. (Three years laterbecame Thomson-Houston) where his patents wereused to manufacture dynamos (generators), arc light-ing systems and one of his major inventions: The“magnetic blowout” used in lightning arresters andswitching heavy loads. Other inventions during the1880s were the transformer “grounded secondary”, therepulsion/induction motor, a recording wattmeter,power and control systems for trolley cars, and theresistance welder (the only patent which he retained inhis own name). During the “War of the currents”, healong with Tesla and Westinghouse, favored the A.C.system. In 1884 he married Mary Louise Peck andfathered four talented sons.

In 1892 the Edison General Electric Companyand Thomson-Houston became the major componentsof J.P. Morgan’s creation: The giant General ElectricCompany. Except for Westinghouse and his assistantNikola Tesla, General Electric possessed practically allof the brains in the industry and Professor Thomsonbecame the leading technical expert for the company.

(continued in the next Informer issue)

Training less to save money is

like stopping a clock to save time.

14 The Informer

Just wanted to tell both Tom and Tim thanks somuch for your time in sharing your instruction and knowl-edge of the National Electrical Code.

I just attended the class in Columbia, S.C.Thanks again, Troy Easler

Mr. Henry,I want to thank you for the outstanding educa-

tion and effort you have put in over the years helping somany young (and older) people become licensed electri-cians, feel good about themselves, and making a living.I personally took your material, taught 8 others at thesame time while I was learning (was just one-step aheadof them), and we all passed the Experior examination onthe first time. It was your simplified training material ...and the wonderful KEY WORD INDEX you developed.The index was absolutely necessary to take the speedtest, but you have to know the material first. Your train-ing material accomplished that!!

Mike Falkner, Kansas

Hi Mr. Henry,I was reading the info on overcurrent protection

devices, current limiting devices, etc. in your Informernewsletter and I was wondering whether I could get adesk copy of the Electrician's Workbook and Trouble-shooting Workbook as I want to show them to my de-partment chair at San Diego City College where I in-struct in our electricity program.

I very much appreciate your dedication and amquite sure you are leaving our profession better than howyou found it (as you hope to)! I hope to convince mychair to also purchase some more recent videos of yoursas our collection is becoming outdated.

Blessings,Bob Hickman, San Diego, CA

P.S. I appreciated the poem about saving a life in theMarch-April issue of The Informer as I stress to my stu-dents that they are saving lives prospectively by pains-takingly ensuring a safe, proper installation and insist-ing on religiously safe work habits.

Over a month ago, I attended the course in Co-lumbia, SC. Tim Henry was the instructor. Today I tookthe real exam and I passed. I'm really glad I made myselftake the next step. I wanted to tell you that Tim Henryhad a lot of influence on me. He really is a great teacherand motivator. I couldn't have done it without his in-struction on working the book and knowing what thequestions were asking. Thank you. Now I have to passthe Business-Law exam and I'll soon look to buy the DVDyou offer for that, unless you want to send it for free.No, seriously you are the leader in electrical education.

Douglas Lee Williams, Greenwood, SC

Sir,I'm taking a moment to thank you sincerely from

the bottom of my heart for contributing so much to ourtrade. I would have real trouble trying to put in wordshow grateful I am to have access to the resources youmake available to all electricians. I hope you are doingwell and some day, perhaps I'll have the honor of meet-ing you in person.Kindest regards,

Damian Clarke,President Vessel Electric Inc. Bothell, WA

I purchased several of your books and enjoy themvery much. Have you ever considered writing an instruc-tion book on solar voltaic installations? The books I'vebeen able to find on the subject are on a technical engi-neering level. You have the ability to take a very techni-cal information and explain it in understandable terms. Iknow I would appreciate a book on the subject and I'msure other electricians would also. I believe this will be-come an increasing area of electrical work.Thank you,

Dale Fessenden, Dundee, Oregon

•Note: I remember after reading this letter of how it in-fluenced my mind to do one more book. I know exactlywhat Dale is saying, that's why I've always stated mybooks are books for an electrician, written by an electri-cian.

I've always enjoyed trying to make it understand-able for the electrician. I remember when I was the firstto come out with the Exact K factor for the voltage dropresistance calculation, the 6-step motor format, the cal-culation steps in tabs, the format for household cookingequipment demands, the format for the confusing delta-wye three-phase questions, etc. When using "big" words,I always figured if I can't pronounce them, then find an-other word an electrician would understand.

15 The Informer

SOLAR NOWWith Tom Henry

•This starts a new bi-monthlycolumn series in the Informer.I will be using excerpts frommy latest book "The SolarVoltaic Workbook" to help theelectrician pass the PV install-ers exam.

The process of calculating wire sizes for PV sys-tems is somewhat complex with the weather and tem-perature factors involved.

The electrical equipment used and the workman-ship on most residential PV systems will in general re-semble the electrical equipment and wiring methods usedon a commercial installation as generally there will besurface mounted equipment and exposed conduits. Theexperienced electrician has the best qualifications forinstalling a solar PV system.

The system should be installed using only thehighest quality system components that are listed for theapplication with the highest standards of workmanship,typically commercial electrical system levels ofcraftmanship.

PV systems are a mature, but evolving technol-ogy. While seasoned PV installers are meeting Code re-quirements, there is a continual influx of new equipmentand new, inexperienced installers. Installers must keepup with the new equipment installation requirementswhile remaining vigilant for the mistakes that will inevi-tably continue to plague future installations.

Photovoltaic systems require wiring methods notnormally found in residential or commercial electricalsystems. Installers should not only be familar with theCode rules to PV systems but also the Code rules to elec-trical systems in general and a solid working knowledgeof electrical systems.

The Photovoltaic System

This means that a conduit in an outdoor ambienttemperature of 104°F should actually be based on a 164°Foperating temperature with the conduit laying on theroof or above the roof 1/2" or exposed to sunlight.

In almost all cases, wiring behind modules willbe exposed to elevated temperatures. The 2008 NEC rec-ognizes that conductors installed in conduit exposed todirect sunlight, as common in PV systems, can operateat temperatures that are 60°F above the ambient tem-perature if the conduit is 1/2" or less above the roofsurface per Table 310.15(B2c).

Photo's showing the one week class I recentlyattended on the Installating of Photovoltaic Systems atthe Florida Solar Energy Center Cocoa Beach, Florida.

The latest member of the Code Electrical Inc. staff is mygrandson Tim Jr. Shown with my son Tim and myself.

16 The Informer

OR LEARN TO BE A BETTER ELECTRICIAN!As the president of CEC I look for-

ward to welcoming you as a future electricianand I’m excited to be a part of your excitingfuture. As of June 23 we have 1384 studentsenrolled with 239 graduates from 50 dif-ferent states and one from Turks, Cacos, Vir-gin Islands, England and Iraq.

I’m sharing over 45 years of electrical knowledge withyou in these 10 modules so you don’t have to go through what I didto learn the trade. If I would have had these modules 45 years ago,I can’t imagine where I would be today!

In 1990 more than 15 million men and women earned theirliving in the electrical industry, a 20% increase in jobs in just onedecade.

A shortage of skilled workers predicted for early in the21st century means that employers will have to compete for them.

Now with CEC training you can forget about having toread 200 pages of technical information using all the confusingwords that you’d have to look up in the dictionary. CEC starts thestudent by viewing a 75-120 minute video covering the subject.Next a Module of text with approximately 50 pages with easy tounderstand pictures is to be read. Following the viewing of the videoand the reading of the Module, an exam covering the subject is tobe answered and mailed to CEC when completed for personalizedgrading.

Starting with theory and advancing to Ohm’s Law, mag-netism, safety and tools, wiring methods, services, motors, inspec-tion, maintenance, troubleshooting, etc. Tom Henry will teach thestudent through his own personally designed modules and animatedvideos from point zero to an electrician that will not only knowhow, but why!

FREEVIDEO

GET STARTED TODAYFOR AS LITTLE AS $95 BYORDERING MODULE E-1

CALL 1-800-642-2633 today!

11 ACTION PACKEDVIDEOS and TEXT BOOKS

•E-1 ELECTRON THEORY•E-2 OHMS LAW•E-3 MAGNETISM•E-4 SAFETY and TOOLS•E-5 WIRING METHODS-RESIDENTIAL•E-6 WIRING METHODS-COMMERCIAL•CONDUIT BENDING PROGRAM•E-7 THE SERVICE•E-8 GROUNDING•E-9 MOTORS-BOX and CONDUIT FILL•E-10 INSPECTION-MAINTENANCE-METERS

Also included in the training program the student will receivethe following as the availability allows:•Dictionary for the electrician with formulas•Big number calculator•Build a motor kit•Book on the proper use of hand tools•Looseleaf National Electrical Code Book (tabbed)personalized with your name in gold letters.•Guide book on wiring devices•CONDUIT BENDING PROGRAM - VIDEO AND WORKBOOK•Etc.

For more information call today andask for training director Tim Henry. Mr. Henryis the Vice-President of Code Electrical Classes.

Now you can order a FREE 20 minute promotionalvideo that previews each of the 10 modules so you can SEEwhat you’ll be learning! Send $5 for shipping and handlingcharges. An excellent training program for schools to supple-ment their present program. Discount pricing for contractortraining programs and schools.

Enroll an employee, relative, friend and givethem a gift that lasts a lifetime! EDUCATION!!

Tom Henry's "Learn to be an Electrician"program is reaching throughout the world.Expanding to other countries Turks,Cacos, Virgin Islands. England and Iraq.

Learn To Be AnElectrician Graduates

Tom Henry’s CodeElectrical Classes Inc. isproud to announce the

following individuals havesuccessfully completed

the “Learn To Be AnElectrician” program

238. Sandra M. MarshForsyth, Missouri

239. Herman SpellBaxley, Georgia

CONGRATULATIONS!

®

17 The Informer

The “ULTIMATE” Looseleaf Code book also includes Tom Henry’sBIG SELLER the “KEY WORD INDEX”, REMINDER BOOK, 68“CODE TABS” (installed for you) and the popular “FORMULAINSERT PAGES”. Our biggest seller!

It took over 4 1/2 hours to personallyhi-lite over 1800 answers to exam ques-tions that have been asked on previouselectrical examinations.



























Over 1800 of the most fre-quent referenced areas ofthe Code are hi-lited forquick reference!

68 TABS AREINSTALLEDFOR YOU!

KEYWORDINDEX

2005

PERSONALLYHI-LITED!

ER

WE

WR

WR

E I

I R

WI

W

I2

ER

2

2EW

I R2

W I

E R EI

WYE CONNECTED

PHASE AMPS = LINE AMPS

PHASE VOLTS x 1.732 = LINE VOLTS

LINE VOLTS = PHASE VOLTS

1.732

OR

DELTA CONNECTED

PHASE AMPS x 1.732 = LINE AMPS

LINE AMPS = PHASE AMPS

PHASE VOLTS = LINE VOLTS

1.732

OR

1

RATIO OF TRANSFORMATION

2

3

4

1 2

3 4

secondary line secondary phase

primary phase primary line

REMINDERSfor the Electrician

By Tom Henry

The 68 tabs include the most fre-quent referenced areas of the Code

ITEM #620 - The "ULTIMATE" Code package includes theLOOSELEAF Code Book, Tom Henry 68 TABS (installed), KEYWORD INDEX, REMINDER BOOK, 14 pages of FORMULAINSERTS, plus over 1800 KEY Code references HI-LITED!$199.00 + shipping

®

A GREAT GIFT FORTHE ELECTRICIAN

Tom Henry's 2005 or 2008 ULTIMATE CODE BOOK

[ ] ITEM #620 - 2005 “ULTIMATE” Code $199.00 + shipping[ ] ITEM #520 - 2008 “ULTIMATE” Code $199.00 + shipping

WE DIDN'T INVENTELECTRICAL TRAINING.... WE PERFECTED IT.

INSTALLED ON THEFRONT COVER FREE!

PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW!Call 1-800-642-2633 today

ON LINE SHOPPING AT

http://www.code-electrical.com

Aren't you tired of hunting, digging, and scratchingto find something in the Code Book? Stop spending all thattime when you can find it in seconds using the ULTIMATECode book. Ask the thousands of electricians, contractors,designers, inspectors, etc. that have one if it works.

18 The Informer

Excerpts from an Inspector'sJournal

Alan Nadon CEI-M #138

(continued from page 4)

My final inspection was a left over from fiveyears ago. While I was on vacation five years ago therewas a problem with a house where the service waschanged, but the electrician did not install GFI protec-tion where needed and had not installed smoke detec-tors. The owner didn't know he had to have these thingsat the time and was upset. The electrician had failed tolet the customer know so everyone was angry with ev-eryone else. When I got back from vacation I knew Ican't make anyone do anything I can only make themunderstand that eventually they will have to make thechanges. Here it was five years later and I was talking tothe owner who explained he wasn't opposed to addingthe GFI 's etc. just that he didn't have the money backthen. He also offered up that when the electrician wasmaking the corrections they found where the previousowner had installed a GFCI receptacle and damaged thewires resulting in a overheating condition that had fortu-nately remained contained in the junction box. The owneradmitted he could have easily had a fire in the wiringthat hadn't been corrected and even more worrisome wasknowing he didn't have all the smoke detectors in place.

From being upset with all the things we were re-quiring five years ago to being glad he had made thecorrections was a big change. The reason for the changewas because he saw how close to danger he had put hisfamily. You can do it now or you can do it later as longas it gets done before we have to come back with the bigred trucks.

Understand the reason I feel so passionately aboutthe "pay it forward" philosophy may have to do with thefact that 30 some odd years ago, somebody took a chanceon me. I never knew growing up as a teen in Pennsylva-nia, wandering from dumpster to dumpster to find din-ner that the guy at the bakery shop who left his leftoverson the dock for me so I wouldn't have to crawl indumpster to eat was teaching me to be a humanitarian.Who knew the guy who lived in the basement of an aban-doned house with no utilities was being taught the pre-cious lesson of taking care of one another. Not just now,because times are bad, everyday because you care andsomeone cared about you. I have been rewarded count-less times with a smile on face a thank you and somehome grown loyalty, that is what "it" is all about, "it"meant something to someone.

Oh by the way if you are looking for somethingfor nothing don't call me. I know how to differentiatebetween want and need and it's my call that I will an-swer. I also know when to say no; after all I have tostick around in business to smile another day. But ifeveryone pays it forward there is a better world eachday.

From the contractorTim Chinchor

(continued from page 6)

The Importance of giving back to the community

You think about that.

EVER WONDER ........ If a word is misspelled inthe dictionary, how would

we ever know?

19 The Informer

THE INFORMER THE ELECTRICIAN’S NEWSLETTER

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Instructors are always looking for extra material to teach the Code.Now the “Pictorial Workbook of the Code” is available in a 5 book comboto teach the Code with pictures, exams, and final exams.

1,721 Code questions with answers!165 quizzes or exams, 9 final exams

all with answers and Code references

“THE BEST OF TOM HENRY COMBO”Order yours today by calling 1-800-642-2633

or order online at:www.code-electrical.com

ITEM # 456 - $125 + shipping.READ THE BOOKS THEELECTRICIAN'S READ

®

20 The Informer

The Inf rmerThe Inf rmerThe Electricians Newsletter

PRESORTED STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDPERMIT NO. # 301

ORLANDO, FL

...If you want continuing education, subscribe to theINFORMER and keep abreast with the electricalindustry as it growsThe Informer’s staff of Consulting Editors ........

Robert WilliamsonMill Spring, North Carolina

Paul WardSouthlake, Texas

Tom HenryWinter Park, Florida

Alan NadonElkhart, Indiana

Brian McPartlandTappan, New York

Tim HenryOviedo, Florida

Tim ChinchorOrange City Florida

Caitlin HenryOviedo, Florida

Eric MatosDeltona, Florida

the inf rmer - code-electrical.com informer 09.pdf · session, passed the texas electrical safety...

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