Natare Terminology

American Wire Gauge (AWG)

standard system in the United States for designating wire size (diameter of metal)

ampere (amp)

unit of measurement for the rate of electrical current flow; one ampere is the current flowing thorough one ohm of resistance at one volt potential

ampere/hour (AH)

annunciator

audible and/or visual signaling device

arc

electrical current through air or across the surface of an insulator associated with high voltage; usually occurs when a contact is opened, de-energizing an inductive load; arcing of a contact will limit its life

automatic surge

device incorporated into a stainless steel perimeter

authorized release device

device that allows authorized persons to enter or exit monitored and controlled openings without triggering an alarm; the authorized passage release may be a keyed switch, a card reader, a digital code reader

access control

means of influencing and regulating flow of persons through a door, entry and/or exit alarm

adjustable

ability to change or alter time delay or other parameter by means of adjustment, such as a potentiometer, resistor, or switch

airtraps

see interlock

alternating current (AC)

electric current that reverses its direction regularly and continually; the voltage alternates its polarity and direction of current flow negative to positive

American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)

organization that tests materials and attempts to set standards on various materials for industry

Bather Load

number of people in a pool or spa at a particular time or during a specific period of time

battery standby

means of automatically switching over to stored battery power during local primary power failure

BALANCED WATER

correct ratio of mineral content and pH level that prevents the water from being corrosive or scale forming

break

open an electrical circuit

breakdown voltage

voltage at which insulation between two conductors is destroyed

brownout

low line voltage that can cause misoperation of and possible damage to equipment

conductor

material with the ability to carry electric current; the term is also used for an electric wire

current

flow of electrons through a conductor; current is measured in amperes

continuous duty locking unit

electric lock equipped with a heavy-duty solenoid that can be energized indefinitely

continuous duty

device or control that can operate continuously with no off or rest periods

continuity check

test performed on a length of wire or cable to determine whether the electrical current flows continuously throughout the length

continuity

state of being complete and uninterrupted, like a normally closed circuit

contacts

electrically conductive points, or sets of points, used to make or break an electrical circuit mechanically

connector

any device used to provide rapid connect/disconnect service for electrical cable and wire terminations

conduit

tube or trough for protecting electrical wires or cables

coil, electric

successive turns of insulated wire that create a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through them

CHECK VALVE

mechanical device in a pipe that permits the flow of water or air in one direction only

code

see national electrical code

closure

point at which two contacts meet to complete a circuit

circuit, open

1. electrical circuit in which current does not flow until permitted by the closing of a switch or a switch-type electronic component
2. circuit or switch in which the contacts are open during normal operation

circuit, closed

1. electrical circuit in which current normally flows until interrupted by the opening of a switch or a switch-type electronic component
2. circuit or switch in which the contacts are closed during normal operation

CIRCUIT BREAKER

switch, which allows manual override of an electrical circuit. It also automatically breaks the circuit when current fluctuations are detected

circuit

path through which electrical energy flows

decibel (dB)

increment of measurement used to compare measured levels of sound energy (intensity) to the apparent level detected by the human ear; expressed as a logarithmic ratio (sound that has 10 times the energy of another sound is said to be 10 decibels louder; 100 times the energy is 20 decibels louder; 1,000 times the energy is 30 decibels louder; and so on); decibel levels are correctly expressed as the number of decibels at a measured distance from source of sound (for example,125 dB at 10 feet)

de-energize

to remove power

delay on break

mode of operation relative to timing devices; delay begins when the initiate switch is opened (delay on break of initiate switch)

delay on energization

1. mode of operation relative to timing devices; delay begins when initiate switch is closed or on application of power to input
2. also called delay on make

delay on make

see delay on energization

direct current (DC)

electrical current that travels in only one direction and has negative (-) and positive (+) polarity; it may or may not have an AC ripple component; DC sources that are unfiltered should be referred to as full-save or half-wave rectified AC

door status switch (DSS)

used to monitor whether a door is in an opened or closed position

double pole, double throw (DPDT)

1. switch or relay output contact form (2 form C) in which two separate switches are operating simultaneously, each with a normally open and normally closed contact and a common connection
2. used to make and break two separate circuits

dry contact

metallic points making (shorting) or breaking (opening) a circuit; the switched circuit must have its own source of power and is merely routed through the dry contacts

dynamic head

energize

to apply power

equalizer line

line from below the pool surface to the body of a skimmer, designed to prevent air being drawn into the filter when the water level drops below the skimmer inlet; operates automatically

face piping

piping, with all valves and fittings, used to connect the filter system together as a unit

fail safe

see fail-unlocked

fail secure

see fail-locked

feet of head

basic measurement of pressure or resistance in a hydraulic system, which is equivalent to the height of a column of water that would cause the same resistance

fire door latch

latch that has a 1/4-inch throw and an anti-friction reactor

form c contact

switch mechanism that contains three terminals (normally open, common, and normally closed)

fuse

protective device, placed in a circuit as a safeguard, that contains a strip of easily melted metal; when the current flow becomes too great, the metal melts, thus breaking the circuit

gold

very soft ductile material that is noted for its resistance to corrosive metals; it is used primarily as a coating or plating

ground

conducting connection between an electrical circuit and the earth or other large conducting body, thus making a complete electrical circuit

ground, earth

portion of a circuit that is connected to a buried metallic object such as a grounding rod or water pipe

HORSEPOWER

work done per unit of time; 1 horsepower equals 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute or approximately 746 watts; motors for pumps are rated in horsepower

input voltage

designed power source requirement needed by equipment in order to operate properly

inrush

initial surge of current through a load when power is first applied; lamp loads, inductive motors, solenoids, and capacitive load types all have inrush or surge currents higher than the normal running or steady state currents; resistive loads such as heater elements, have no inrush

Interlock

1. system of multiple doors with controlled interaction
2. also known as lighttraps, airtraps, mantraps, and sallyports

intermittent duty solenoid

solenoid designed to be energized for short periods; continuous operation may damage an intermittent duty solenoid

line drop

voltage loss occurring between any two points in a power or transmission line; such loss is due to resistance, reactance, or leakage of the line

line supervision

electrical supervision of a wire run to detect tampering (a cut or shorted wire); usually requires a terminating element at end of monitored wire loop

line voltage

voltage existing in a main cable or circuit, such as at a wall outlet

load

any device that consumes electrical power; the amount of power required for operation of a circuit or motion is obtained that moves the bolt

load rating

control specification outlining the type of load, minimum and maximum currents, and the voltage

local alarm

visual or audible signaling device located at monitored door, window, or other opening

lock status sensor (LSS)

relay type to operate the LED with an SPDT switch to indicate low voltage and tampering of the lock face locally or to a remote monitoring location

light emitting diode (LED)

diode, solid-state device that gives off virtually heatless colored light when electric current is passed through it; LEDs are very efficient, long lasting and are often used for digital readouts and annunciators; common colors include red, green, and amber

lighttrap

see interlock

line cord

cord, terminating in a plug at one end used to connect equipment or appliances to a power outlet

maintained contact switch

switch designed for applications requiring sustained contact, but with provision for resting

make

to close or establish an electrical circuit

mantrap

see interlock

maximum rating

absolute maximum condition in which a device is designed to operate; voltage, frequency, current, temperature, humidity, shock, and other parameters can be specified as maximum

milliampere

one one-thousandth (0.001) of an ampere

millisecond

one one-thousandth (0.001) of a second

mode of operation

specified operational condition of a switch, lock, door system, etc.

momentary duty lock

electric lock equipped with a solenoid that is energized only momentarily

momentary loss of power

short interruption of power to the total equipment

momentary switch

spring-loaded contact that, when pressed, closes two contacts; when pressure is removed, contacts open

monitoring loop

continuous loop of wire starting at the control panel and running through switches in a system to indicate a breach of security through an open switch or a cut wire

mother board

master printed circuit board used to interface activities of individual printed circuit boards and the devices being controlled or monitored; the mother board is usually located at the back of a control panel assembly; individual printed circuit boards plug into it

National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)

organization known for its standardization of wire and cable specifications

noise

unwanted and/or unintelligible signals picked up on a cable circuit

normally closed (NC)

normally open (NO)

National Electrical Code (NEC)

Ohms Law

In electrical systems, there is a relationship between current, voltage, and resistance. This is known as ohms law, and can be written in many different forms, but always boils down to V=IR, where V is voltage, I is current, and R is resistance.

operating voltage

1. voltage by which a system operates
2. nominal voltage with a specified tolerance applied; design voltage range necessary to remain within the operating tolerances; for example, for a system specified 120 volts +/-10 percent of nominal, 120 volts is the nominal voltage and the design voltage range is 108 to 132 volts AC

output voltage

designed power source produced by a power supply

potentiometer (pot)

variable resistor

primary

transformer winding that receives the energy from a supply circuit

printed circuit board

means of making electrical interconnections without using insulated wires; printed circuit boards provide a supporting and insulating medium for components and conductors in a form that is readily adaptable to machine assembly

rated voltage

maximum voltage at which electric component can operate for extended periods without undue degradation or safety hazard

rectifier

solid state electrical device that will allow current to flow in one direction only; it is designed to convert alternating current to direct current

recycle time

regulated power supply

power supply that provides a constant output regardless of input voltage variations

relay

electrically controlled-device that opens and closes electrical contacts to effect the operation of other devices in the same or another electrical circuit

remote alarm

visual or audible signaling device used to signal violations at locations removed from the central control station or monitored openings; for example, a remote alarm may be placed on a roof, or at guard stations outside a building

remote reset

switch located at a monitored opening; if a violation occurs, the alarm at the main control console cannot be turned off until the door is secured and the remote reset is activated; its purpose is to ensure the inspection of an opening that has been violated or left open

reset time

time required to return the output to its original condition

resistance

1. opposition to flow of an electric current (measured in ohms)
2. reciprocal of conductance

resistor

circuit element whose chief purpose is to oppose the flow of current

secondary

transformer winding that receives energy by electromagnetic induction from primary

security condition sensor (SCS)

sensitive crystal relay to operate the LED with an SPDT switch to indicate low voltage and tampering of the lock face locally or to a remote monitoring location; primarily used in higher security applications

security interlock

multidoor system in which all doors are normally closed and locked; releasing one door disables the releases for all other doors until the first door is closed and relocked

short

single pole, double throw (SPDT)

switch or relay contact form (1 form C) that has a normally open and a normally closed contact with a common connection

single pole, single throw (SPST)

switch with only one moving and one stationary contact, available either normally open (NO) or normally closed (NC)

solenoid

1. electromechanical device that operates the lockbolt
2. when electricity is applied, a mechanical device

spike

momentary increase in electrical current; spikes can damage electronic equipment

switches

devices that make or break connections in an electrical or electronic circuit; switches are usually manually operated but can also work by mechanical, thermal, electromechanical, barometric, hydraulic, or gravitational means

switch, maintained

switch that, when activated, maintains its activated position until it is inactivated

switch, momentary

see momentary switch

switch, normally closed

see normally closed

switch, normally open

see normally opened

Sally ports

see interlock

transformer

1. electric device that changes voltage in direct proportion to currents and in inverse proportion to the ratio of the number of turns of its primary and secondary windings
2. see primary and secondary

transient

any increase or decrease in the excursion of voltage, current, power, heat and so forth, above or below a nominal value that is not normal to the source

transient voltage

1. refers to several parameters of a transient

volt (V)

1. unit of electromotive force
2. the difference of potential required to make a current of one ampere flow through a resistance of one ohm

voltage

term most often used (in place of electromotive force, potential, potential difference, or voltage drop) to designate electrical pressure that exists between two points and is capable of producing a flow of current when a closed circuit is connected between the two points

voltage drop

voltage loss experienced by electrical circuits due to two principal factors

volt/amp (VA) rating

watt

common unit of electrical power; one watt is dissipated by a resistance of one ohm through which one ampere flows

wire

slender rod or filament of drawn metal

zone

1. specific area of protection
2. portion of a large protected area
3. power supply to operate equipment

Zone

1. specific area of protection
2. portion of a large protected area
3. power supply to operate equipment