The document provides guidance on wiring basics for technicians, including conduit and junction box materials, wire and cable types, color and numbering conventions, termination methods, organization and protection techniques, wiring diagrams for pumps, motors, valves, and instructions for wiring on/off sensors, analog sensors, and data communication cables. Key points covered include common conduit types like PVC and EMT, using stranded copper THHN wire, adhering to color standards like green for ground and numbering wires at each end, and separating data cables from power/signal cables.

1. Technician Training: Wiring Basics

2. o Conduit – Materials & Junction Boxes
o Wire & Cable – Material & Types
o Color Conventions
o Number Conventions
o Termination – Methods
o Organization & Protection – Reasoning & Methods
o Pumps, Motors & Valves – Instructions
o Sensors & Data Communication – Standards & Instructions
Wiring Basics

3. Wiring Basics – Conduit
o Common Conduit Types:
 PVC - Plastic for underground use
 EMT - Metal tube conduit for standard commercial use
 RGS - Rigid Conduit for industrial, exterior, & hazardous area use
 FMC - Flexible metal conduit typically with plastic waterproof jacket (seal
tight), usually maximum of 3-5 feet runs
o Conduit accessories and junction boxes may be plastic, light duty metal, or cast
aluminum
 May be standard/waterproof or UL listed for hazardous area
o Jobsite project standards determine conduit/box type

4. Wiring Basics – Wire & Cable
o Power & Signal wires are standard THHN stranded copper wire rated at
600VAC
 THHN is oil and gasoline resistant and the stranded is important for
terminating in panel terminal blocks
o Cable should also consist of stranded copper conductors within an oil and gas
resistant jacket (Kynar)
o Ethernet cables for data communication should be CAT 5/6 with a PVC jacket
suitable for industrial use

5. Wiring Basics – Color Conventions
o Color standards for wiring:
 Green Ground
 White Neutral
 Black/Red 120 VAC Power and Signal
 Blue 24 VDC Power and Signal
 Brown/Yellow/Orange 480 VAC Power
 Other Colors Signal Wires

6. o Wires within a conduit should be numbered consecutively at each end –
Temporary wire markers are commonly used for this purpose
o Wires should be permanently labeled with adhesive labels at each end –
The numbering convention is the number of the terminal block in the panel
Wiring Basics – Number Conventions

7. Wiring Basics – Terminations
o Wires should be stripped and secured in the panel terminal blocks with no
exposed copper conductors
 Ground conductors may be exposed at lug connection
o Wire termination fittings are not typically needed for panel terminations
 Crimp style spade and ring terminals are often needed for wire
terminations at sensors and devices
o Standard wire nuts are used at motors and other devices as needed
 Waterproof connectors or gel packs should be considered where wires
could be exposed to water

8. o Wire installation should be inspected to assure protection at conduit entries
with plastic bushings
o Wires within panels and junction boxes should be secured in logical bundles
with tie wraps, while removing all electrical tape
o Install wiring within plastic wiring ducts where provided
o Cable troughs are used at a series of control panels
 These are used for separate instrumentation and communication wiring
from power wiring
Wiring Basics – Organization & Protection

9. o Pump motors wiring schematic
 Attached to the body of the motor and indicate the termination of the power
wires (ground wires attached to a bolt secured to the motor body)
o Motors for positive displacement and centrifugal pumps are usually supplied as dual
voltage
 1 Phase motors can be wired as: 120VAC (low voltage) or 208-230 VAC (high
voltage)
 3 Phase motors can be wired as: 240VAC (low voltage) or 480 VAC (high voltage)
o Motor / Pump Rotation
 Our std. motors allow for rotation in either direction to suit the pump req.
 For 1 Phase interchange wires 5 & 8, for 3 Phase interchange any 2 power
leads
Wiring Basics – Pump Motors

10. Wiring Basics – Actuated Valves
o Wiring includes: 6 Wires plus ground & #14 AWG wire
o Wiring schematic inside the housing of the actuator
 Important to check this schematic because it may differ from generic
valve data sheets
o Limit Switch Feedback Wiring
 1 Neutral
 2 120 or other power to close
 3 120 or other power to open
 4 COM wire for limit switches unless internal line power used
 5 Close limit switch signal
 6 Open limit switch signal
 GGround

11. Wiring Basics – Solenoid Valves
o Basics – Normally Open or Close, require 2 wires and sometimes a
ground (for 120VAC the wires are 120VAC power and neutral)
o Mechanics – Panel operates a relay to send power to the panel to
energize the valve and change state
 When De-energized the valve return to its normal position
 Continuous operation is advised against due to the
vibration and heat generated during usage
o Relays isolate the solenoid from the PLC
 Power to solenoid is typically fused, so shorts will not effect
the PLC

12. Wiring Basics – On/Off Sensors
o Example of On/Off Sensors:
 Level Switches, Leak Sensors, Flow Switches, Pressure Switches,
Current Sensors, & Low-High Outputs from other panels
o Mechanics – The control panel sends out voltage to the sensor, the sensor
changes states, which changes the status of the PLC input (used in logic)
o Many On/Off sensors (level-leak-flow) are reed switches
 Thin metal elements which are drawn into contact with a magnet to
complete a circuit
 Reed switches are sensitive to over-current damage
 Ground fault because of wire damage/bad connections/water

13. o Analog Sensors: transmitters for level, pressure, temperature & flow
 0-10VDC or 4-20mA output, input is typically 24VDC
o Loop Power
 2 wires (+ and -) power the device and provide a signal
 Other sensors require 3 wires for power( +,-,signal)
o Wired with stranded THHN or more commonly jacketed cable
 Twisted wires and shielding increase signal integrity
Wiring Basics – Analog Sensors

14. o RS-232 & RS-485
 Circuit require twisted and shielded cables, 18-22 AWG conductors
o Ethernet
 CAT5 or CAT6 with industrial outer jacket
 Ethernet cables require special RJ-45 connectors on each end
 1 Orange/White
 2 Orange
 3 Green/White
 4 Blue
 5 Blue/White
 6 Green
 7 Brown/White
 8 Brown
o Data Cables should be in a separate conduit than power/signal
Wiring Basics – Data Communications