Electricians Abbreviations and Meanings Explained

gazza — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 23:00:00 +0000

gazza Mon, 17/06/2013

Do you know your CPC from your SELV? The electrical industry world and indeed electrical certificates can have us all scratching our head at times and it is useful to find a resource which can give the required information quickly and easily.
Electrical abbreviations are used heavily within the electrical industry. Regulations, circuits, specialist tools and products are always required, so it is important that anyone who is involved in the electrical industry, electrical testing and their clients understand the meaning of electrical testing abbreviations. This is to ensure the safety of everyone.
Electricians would not be expected to remember all electrical abbreviations off the top of their head, although some of them are of course very easy and self explanatory. This list of Electrical Abbreviations should help you find the top Electrical abbreviations listed in one place.
The list should also help you to manage electrical compliances by assisting with the completion of electrical certificates and electrical installation software.
An Electrical abbreviation list could never be an exhaustive list due to the ever changing would of the Electrical Industry so therefore there will always be many more. Here we have compiled some of the most common electrical abbreviations and their meanings. See how many you can spot that you know. Some are very easy and others not so.
Electricians Abbreviations and Meanings
BBC Busbar Chamber
BS3036 Rewirable Fusible Link
BS3871 Miniature Circuit Breaker
BS88/BS1361 General Purpose Cartridge Fuses
BSEN60898 Miniature Circuit Breaker
BSEN61009 Combined MCB/RCD
C/W Copper Wire
CON Concentric
CPC Circuit Protective Conductor
CS Cable Sheath
DB Distribution Board
EEBADS Earthed Equipotential Bonding and Automatic Disconnection of Supply
F Fail
FELV Functional extra low voltage
FP200 Fire Retardant Cable
INA Information Not Available
ISO Isolator Switch
L or LIM Limitation of Test
LS Lead Sheathed Cable
MCB Miniature Circuit Breaker BS3871,BSEN60898
MCCB Moulded Case Circuit Breaker
MF Metal Conduit/Trunking System Provides main C.P.C.
MI/MICC Mineral Insulated Copper Conductor Cables
N/A Not Applicable
P Pass
PELV Protective extra low voltage
PFC Prospective Fault Current
PILSWA Paper Insulated Lead Steel Wire Armour
PVC/PVC PVC Insulated PVC Sheathed Singles (tails)
RCBO Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent Protection
Residual Current Circuit Breaker
RCD Residual Current Device
S PVC Insulated Single Cable
SELV Separated extra low voltage
SL Solid Link
SP+N Single Pole and Neutral
SWA Steel Wire Armoured Cable
SWF Switched Fuse
T PVC Insulated Twin Cable
T+E PVC Insulated Twin and Earth Cable
TP+N Triple Pole and Neutral
TRS Tough Rubber Sheathed Cable
V/VIR Vulcanised Indian Rubber Insulated Cable (singles)
VOCB Voltage Operated Circuit Breaker
How did you do? The more you know the better of course. Certainly a fully fledged electrician should be familiar with a good number of these, and the more experience you have as an electrician, the more familiar with these abbreviations you will become.

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Electricians Abbreviations