CHAPTER ONE: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC TOOLS
INTRODUCTION
Electrical engineers and technicians are required to work in hazardous
environments near energized equipment. There are certain tools they
require to carry out their job effectively and safely without causing any
harm to themselves and those around them.
Investing in basic electrical tools is beneficial, as they help ensure long-
lasting and safe electrical connections and protect against electric shock.
A basic set includes functional tools, diagnostic tools, and safety tools.
ELECTRICAL WIRING TOOLS
The following are some of the common tools used in electrical wiring
work.
(a) Screw Driver
A screwdriver comes in various sizes and with several tip shapes. Using
a screwdriver for a particular job, the width of the screw driver tip
should match the width of the screw slot.
A screw driver is a system used to turn a screw. it is a set of shaped cavities and
protrusions on the screw head that allows torque to be applied to it.
Screwdriver tips are available in a wide variety of types and sizes. The two most
common are the simple blade-type for slotted screws, and Phillips, generically
called cross-recess.
The hex socket screw driver has a hexagonal recess and may be driven by a hex
wrench, also known as an Allen wrench or Allen key.
(b) Hammer
A hammer is a multifunctional tool also necessary for electrical work. Hammers
are used with chisels and for nailing and fitting.
A wide range of Hammers are available, varying in shape, size and weight. The
different styles reflect different uses. Examples are: Claw Hammer, Ball Pein
Hammer, Cross and Straight Pein Hammer, Sledge Hammer, etc.
(c) Pliers
Pliers are available in different types, shape, and sizes. They are also available in
both insulated and uninsulated handles. An insulated handle should be used when
working on or near live wires. It is also used for cutting big and small wires.
Pliers are are hand tool used to hold objects firmly. They are also useful for
bending and compressing a wide range of materials. The different types of pliers
are as explained below
i) Linesman or Combination Plier
Linesman pliers or combination pliers are a type of pliers used by linesmen and
other tradesmen primarily for gripping, twisting, bending and cutting wire and
cable.
(ii) Needle-nose Pliers
Needle-nose pliers (also known as pointy-nose pliers, long-nose pliers, pinch-nose
pliers or snipe-nose pliers) are both cutting and holding pliers used by artisans,
jewellery designers, electricians, network engineers and other tradesmen to bend,
re-position and snip wire.
(iii) Diagonal Pliers
Diagonal pliers (or wire cutters or diagonal cutting pliers or diagonal cutters or side
cutting pliers) are pliers intended for the cutting of wire (they are generally not
used to grab or turn anything).
(iv) Pincers
Pincers are a similar tool with a different type of head used for cutting and pulling,
rather than squeezing
(v) Locking Pliers
Locking pliers, mole grips (mole wrench) or vise-grips are pliers that can be locked
into position, using an over-center action. One side of the handle includes a bolt
that is used to adjust the spacing of the jaws, the other side of the handle
(especially in larger models) often includes a lever to push the two sides of the
handles apart to unlock the pliers
(vi) Tongue and Groove Pliers
Tongue-and-groove pliers also known as water pump pliers, adjustable pliers,
groove-joint pliers, arc-joint pliers, Multi-Grips, tap or pipe spanners, gland pliers
and Channel locks (i.e., Channel lock brand pliers) are a type of slip-joint pliers.
Tongue-and-groove pliers are commonly used for turning and holding nuts and
bolts, gripping irregularly shaped objects, and clamping materials.
(d)Wire Strippers
Wire strippers remove the electrical insulation off electrical wires without
damaging the interior wire.
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(e) Utility Knife
A utility knife cuts through many materials and thus serves as an essential tool for
any electrical work.
(f) Measuring Tools
To measure wire length and other items, the electrician finds considerable use for
measuring tools such as the extension or zigzag rule, push-pull rule and a steel tape
as shown below. When fitting new fixtures, a level perfectly complements a tape
measure.
(g) Sawing and Cutting Tools
Saws commonly used by electricians include the crosscut, keyhole, and hacksaw.
A hacksaw is a fine-toothed saw, originally and mainly made for cutting metal.
The equivalent saw for cutting wood is usually called bow saw.
(h) Drilling Equipment
Drilling equipment is needed to make holes in building structure passages of
conduits and wires. A drill is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving
tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for boring holes in various
materials or fastening various materials together. The attachment is gripped by a
chuck at one end of the drill and rotated while pressed against the target material.
The tip, and sometimes edges, of the cutting tool does the work of cutting into the
target material
(i) Soldering Equipment
In doing electric wiring, connections made to wire should be soldered, unless you
use solderless connectors. Typical equipment available for soldering ts shown
below.
(j) Wire Tester
Wire testers indicate whether the power is off or on which makes them essential
for safety reasons.
Phase or Line Tester
Phase or Line Tester is a tool which is used to identify or test the Phase/Live of a
conductor. Phase or Line Tester is also called Neon Screw Driver or Test Pin. The
following are the main parts of a typical Phase or Line Tester.
(1) Metallic Rod and Mouth: It is a cylindrical metal rod. The flat end (mouth) is
used as a screw driver to touch electrical conductors/wires to find phase or live
wires and the other end is connected to the resistance, neon bulb, element and
metallic cap screw respectively. The flat end of cylindrical metal rod is also
covered with transparent insulated plastic for insulation purposes except mouth.
(2) Body and Insulation: All these components (Resistance, Neon bulb, Element
or metallic spring, and Metallic Cap screw) are covered in a transparent insulated
body which is made of plastic.
(3) Resistor: Resistor is connected between cylindrical metal rod and Neon bulb to
prevent high current and reduces it to a safe value for Neon bulb.
(4) Neon Bulb: Neon bulb is connected between Resistance and Element (metallic
spring). It is used as phase indicator bulb. When a small current flows through it,
then it glows. Due to neon bulb, a Phase or Line tester is also called a Neon
Screw driver.
(5) Element (Metallic Spring): Element (metallic spring) is used to make
connection between neon bulb and metallic cap screw.
(6) Metallic Cap Screw and Clip: Metallic Cap screw is used to tighten all the
components inside the Phase tester slot. In addition, Metallic cap screw is
connected with spring (element) and spring (element) is connected with neon bulb.
Moreover Clip is used for holding the phase tester in pocket.
(k) Rawl Plug Jumper
A wall plug also known as an anchor or rawl plug is a fibre or plastic insert used to
enable the attachment of a screw in material that is porous or brittle or that would
otherwise not support the weight of the object attached with the screw. It is a type
of anchor that allows screws to be fitted into masonry walls.
l) Standard Wire Gauge
British Standard Wire Gauge is a set of wire sizes given by BS 3737:1964 (now
withdrawn), and is generally abbreviated to SWG. It is also known as: Imperial
Wire Gauge or British Standard Gauge. Use of SWG sizes has fallen greatly in
popularity, but is still used as a measure of thickness in guitar strings and some
electrical wire.
Suppose we want to measure the size of wire or cable, the wire should be inserted
into suitable slot and that particular number marked on the slot into which exactly
fits is its gauge number. The diameter and area of the wire can be determined from
the table.
