While not every business needs to have its own electrical sign, it is always helpful to know how to design yours! Creating your own signage can be fun and educational, especially if you are looking to improve your hand-drawing skills or just want to create something unique.
There are many ways to learn how to draw electric signs, but one of the most effective methods is by studying examples. Looking at lots of different designs will help you develop your eye for color and pattern as well as learn some basic rules about letter form and placement.
This article contains several example drawings that show various styles of electrical signage with detailed descriptions.
Examples of circuit breakers
Circuit breakers are one of the most important parts of any electrical system. They serve to protect your home or business by shutting off power when there is an unexpected outage.
A basic switch does not use much energy, but a more advanced circuit breaker can save you money in electricity bills!
Circuit breakers work by having movable contacts that separate into two different positions. In the first position, the contact does not connect to the other side so no power gets transferred.
In the second position, part of the connection is still made, but not all of it which cuts down on current flow. Only enough current flows to make the device working, but enough for what it needs to be.
The devices trip or turn off at the very last minute before being used due to these contacts becoming too hot to touch. This is why they are called thermal cut-off switches.
Examples of fuse panels
Fuse panel or breaker panel, as it is more commonly known, comes in several sizes depending on what kind of electrical equipment you have.
Most large buildings will contain an adequate amount of space for wall breakers to go into place. These are typically placed at the end of a circuit away from where the device being protected lives.
For example, if there’s a power tool plugged into a supply line that has a shorted wire, a breaker can be used to cut off the electricity before it reaches the tool. A fuse does not work well when it gets hot because that would damage the fuse itself.
A good number of breaks per board length equals better performance in terms of current flow.
Examples of switch panels
Switching or toggle panel layouts are another way to organize switches in your home. These panels typically have several switches that can be grouped together depending on what function they perform- for example, one switch may turn off all lights in a room, while another turns off only a few lamps.
The most common type of switching is called parallel circuit control. In this case, each switch performs separate functions but not individually- for instance, both switches must be pressed for the light to work. By having two switches in a row, you get an additional safety feature in which if either switch is touched, the light will still work!
These types of panels require more advanced electrical knowledge as well as being able to match the appropriate parts (panels, switches, etc.).
Examples of electrical panels
The next two pictures show an example of a basic switch setup. These are called switches, but they are not very practical nor useful in homes.
The first thing to note about this panel is that it does not have any cover markings or labels. This makes it hard for you to tell what each part of the circuit does!
Also notice there are no protective covers over any parts of the circuits. If something was accidentally touched, then disease could potentially be spread due to exposure to dirty electricity.
Examples of wiring diagrams
Wiring diagram or electrical schematic is an important tool to know when working with electricity. They are very helpful in understanding how different circuits work, and what components go into them.
Mostly used for educational purposes, these drawings show all of the parts of a circuit as well as which wires connect to each part. The professionals who make these tools have lots of tricks up their sleeves to make it easy to identify connected components.
These tools help you learn more about electronics by looking at the individual parts of a device. For example, if you want to understand why your cell phone will not turn on, you can look at the wiring diagram to see where the power comes from and goes.
Examples of circuit diagrams
Circuit diagrams are one of the most important parts of electrical engineering. They help us make sense of how electricity moves around our devices.
By illustrating the flow of electrons, we can determine what components do to contribute to this flow and how much they influence it.
Circuit diagrams typically include five major elements: voltage source, resistance element (or channel), capacitor, switch, and current sensor or terminal.
The voltage source is commonly referred to as a power supply and produces a constant direct current (DC) level that must be connected to another component.
A resistance element uses up some of the electric charge by absorbing some of the current flowing through it, creating an opposing force in the opposite direction. A resistor takes away less energy from the power source than a channel does, so it acts like a limiting factor for the amount of current that can flow.
A capacitor stores electro-magnetic charges in its plates, giving off little to no current until it is charged. Once it gets enough charge, it gives off a powerful current.
A switching device either connects or disconnects two channels of current together. For example, if there’s a channel between a battery and a lightbulb, you could turn the bulb on with a button, but if the power runs out, it would still remain dark because there is not enough juice left to turn it on.
Examples of switch diagrams
Switching power using switches is one of the most fundamental electrical concepts that many people learn in high school or even earlier. A switch comes in either a toggle, contact, or push-button style. It goes into the off position not connected to any circuit, and once put onto a circuit it must be able to connect to both terminals of the device it controls.
The two most common types are dry-contact and wet-contact switches. With a dry-contact switch, when you turn the knob or pull the handle away from the other side of the switch, there is no connection. You have to add moisture (dirt, saliva) to create a conductive bridge and activate the switch.
With a wet-contact switch, as it name implies, you need to apply some liquid to make the connections. This is usually done with your finger or by using a lollipop stick or toothpick.
Both types of switches work well if used properly but can become frustrating for beginners because they may accidentally use the switch in an off position or remove the needed element too quickly.
Examples of fuse diagrams
Fuse diagrams are one of the most important electrical components you will learn as an electronics technician. They describe how electricity is transferred in your home or workplace via power sources such as sockets, switches, and circuits.
Power comes from two main sources: direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). DC power is typically supplied by wall outlets that use batteries to store energy. AC power is what makes appliances work, like those connected to a house socket.
Most homes have at least one lamp that uses light bulbs which contain small amounts of DC current. These types of bulb use a little bit of power but they remain idle for long periods of time so they do not need to be included in the fuse diagram with very low priority.
Switches used for lighting or equipment functions usually rely only on AC power and thus have a higher risk of burn-out if left unchecked. Because these devices can take power away immediately, their corresponding fuses tend to be more reliable than lamps.
Electrical engineers design fuse diagrams to make sure that any device can never short out completely due to run down capacitance or lack of charge. This happens when there is no connection between the electrons and the metal parts of the device, creating an infinite resistance. A normal person would probably say this sounds scary!
Luckily, professional technicians develop mathematical equations to deal with all possible scenarios, making sure every part of the circuit works properly.
