Electrical Drafting Course

Lesson 1 • Scales, Dimensions, and Units

Introduces drawing scales, dimensioning rules, and unit conventions for electrical plans. Correct scaling prevents costly field errors during installation.

Lesson 2 • Electrical Symbols and Notation

Teaches standardized symbols for outlets, switches, panels, and conductors. Accurate symbol use is the core language of every electrical blueprint.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to Electrical Drawings

Covers the purpose, types, and hierarchy of electrical drawings used in construction. Establishes context for all subsequent blueprint design work.

Lesson 1 • Overcurrent Protection Fundamentals

Covers fuse and breaker ratings, interrupting capacity, and coordination basics. These values must be accurately documented on panel schedules and one-line diagrams.

Lesson 2 • Grounding and Bonding Principles

Explains grounding system types, bonding requirements, and their blueprint representation. Proper grounding notation is mandatory for safety-compliant electrical drawings.

Lesson 3 • Load Calculations and Demand Factors

Teaches methods for calculating connected loads and applying demand factors. Accurate load data determines panel sizing and feeder conductor selection on blueprints.

Lesson 4 • Basic Circuit Concepts

Covers voltage, current, resistance, and Ohm's Law as applied to design. Understanding these relationships drives correct conductor and device sizing on blueprints.

Lesson 1 • Wiring Methods and Conductor Requirements

Covers approved wiring methods, insulation types, and conductor ampacity tables. Correct specification of wiring methods on blueprints ensures field compliance.

Lesson 2 • Branch Circuit and Feeder Design Rules

Teaches minimum circuit requirements, spacing rules, and feeder sizing criteria. These rules directly determine circuit layout and panel schedule content on blueprints.

Lesson 3 • Accessibility and Clearance Standards

Covers working clearance rules, equipment accessibility, and mounting height requirements. These dimensions must be reflected accurately in elevation and plan views.

Lesson 4 • Navigating Electrical Safety Codes

Introduces the structure of electrical safety codes and how they govern design decisions. Designers must reference code articles to justify every element shown on a blueprint.

Lesson 1 • Service Entrance and Meter Design

Covers service entrance conductor sizing, meter base placement, and main disconnect notation. Service design establishes the power source for the entire residential system.

Lesson 2 • Residential Panel Schedule Design

Teaches construction of a residential panel schedule including breaker sizing and circuit descriptions. The panel schedule is the central reference document for all branch circuits.

Lesson 3 • Residential Drawing Set Compilation

Guides assembly of a complete residential drawing set including plans, schedules, and details. A complete set enables permit submission and field installation without ambiguity.

Lesson 4 • Receptacle and Circuit Planning

Covers general-purpose, GFCI, and AFCI receptacle placement with circuit assignments. Proper circuit planning prevents overloads and ensures code-compliant coverage.

Lesson 1 • Emergency and Standby Power Systems

Covers generator, transfer switch, and emergency panel representation on one-line diagrams. Emergency system documentation must clearly separate normal and emergency power paths.

Lesson 2 • Fault Current and Short-Circuit Notation

Teaches documenting available fault current, interrupting ratings, and coordination notes on one-lines. Fault current data is required for equipment selection and safety compliance.

Lesson 3 • Designing the Main One-Line Diagram

Teaches construction of a complete one-line from utility source through final distribution panels. The main one-line diagram drives all downstream panel and feeder design decisions.

Lesson 4 • Riser Diagram Construction

Covers vertical riser diagrams showing floor-by-floor panel and feeder relationships. Riser drawings are essential for multi-story buildings and permit reviewers.

Lesson 1 • Commercial Panel and Switchboard Schedules

Teaches multi-panel schedule design, bus ratings, and fault current documentation. Accurate schedules are essential for procurement, installation, and inspection approval.

Lesson 2 • Commercial Lighting Design

Teaches fixture scheduling, emergency lighting, and exit sign placement for commercial spaces. Commercial lighting plans must satisfy both functional and life-safety requirements.

Lesson 3 • Mechanical and HVAC Electrical Coordination

Addresses power connections, disconnect requirements, and control wiring for HVAC equipment. Electrical designers must coordinate with mechanical drawings to avoid conflicts.

Lesson 4 • Site and Exterior Electrical Plans

Covers parking lot lighting, site power, and underground conduit routing on site plans. Site electrical drawings must integrate with civil and landscape drawings.

Lesson 1 • CAD Environment Setup for Electrical Work

Covers layer naming conventions, template creation, and linetype standards for electrical CAD files. Proper setup ensures consistency across all drawings in a project set.

Lesson 2 • Producing Construction Documents from BIM

Teaches sheet setup, view creation, and schedule extraction from a BIM model. Construction documents produced from BIM maintain automatic consistency across all sheets.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to BIM for Electrical Design

Introduces BIM concepts, model-based design, and electrical family creation. BIM enables clash detection and quantity takeoff directly from the electrical model.

Lesson 4 • Clash Detection and Model Coordination

Covers running clash detection between electrical, mechanical, and structural models. Resolving clashes in the model prevents costly field conflicts during construction.

Lesson 1 • Specification Writing for Electrical Systems

Introduces writing Division 26 specifications that complement electrical drawings. Specifications define quality, materials, and installation standards not fully conveyed by drawings alone.

Lesson 2 • Value Engineering and Design Optimization

Teaches identifying cost-reduction opportunities without compromising safety or performance. Value engineering skills make designers valuable partners in project budget management.

Lesson 3 • Coordination with Other Disciplines

Covers electrical coordination with structural, mechanical, plumbing, and architectural drawings. Unresolved interdisciplinary conflicts are a leading cause of construction change orders.

Lesson 4 • As-Built and Record Drawing Production

Covers updating construction drawings to reflect field changes and producing final record documents. As-built drawings are required for facility maintenance and future renovation projects.