CEA Tools, Equipment & Testing Procedures 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A power quality analyzer is used on a commercial installation primarily to detect:
- Grounding electrode resistance values
- Harmonics, voltage sags, swells, and transients on the electrical system (Correct answer)
- Insulation breakdown voltage of installed cables
- Phase rotation direction in three-phase motors
Correct answer: Harmonics, voltage sags, swells, and transients on the electrical system
Power quality analyzers capture waveform disturbances including harmonics, voltage sags/swells, and transients that can damage sensitive equipment.
Question 2: When using a wire stripper, selecting a hole that is too small for the conductor will most likely result in:
- Leaving too much insulation on the conductor
- Nicking or cutting the copper conductor strands (Correct answer)
- Stripping insulation too far back from the end
- Correct stripping with no negative effects
Correct answer: Nicking or cutting the copper conductor strands
Using a stripper hole smaller than the conductor diameter causes the blades to bite into the copper strands, weakening the conductor.
Question 3: Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is required when operating a powder-actuated fastening tool?
- Only safety glasses
- Hard hat and steel-toed boots only
- Safety glasses, hearing protection, and a hard hat as a minimum (Correct answer)
- A full face shield and cut-resistant gloves only
Correct answer: Safety glasses, hearing protection, and a hard hat as a minimum
Powder-actuated tools produce loud impulse noise and risk flying debris, requiring eye protection, hearing protection, and head protection at minimum.
Question 4: A thermal imaging camera used for electrical inspections identifies hot spots by detecting:
- Voltage magnitude at each connection point
- Infrared radiation emitted by objects proportional to temperature (Correct answer)
- Arcing faults through acoustic emission patterns
- Current imbalance between phases using magnetic sensors
Correct answer: Infrared radiation emitted by objects proportional to temperature
Thermal cameras detect infrared radiation, which increases with temperature, allowing electricians to find overloaded connections and failing components without contact.
Question 5: Before using a hand bender on rigid PVC conduit, the electrician should:
- Chill the PVC in cold water to increase flexibility
- Heat the area to be bent with a hot box or heat gun until pliable (Correct answer)
- Saw partially through the conduit to create a flexible hinge point
- Apply bending lubricant to the outside of the conduit
Correct answer: Heat the area to be bent with a hot box or heat gun until pliable
PVC conduit must be uniformly heated until pliable before bending to prevent cracking or kinking.
Question 6: When performing a continuity test on a multi-conductor cable to verify correct wire pairing, the technician should first:
- Apply 120V AC to each conductor and measure the output end
- De-energize the circuit completely and short the far-end conductors together (Correct answer)
- Use a clamp meter to measure current through each conductor simultaneously
- Connect the cable to the panel while testing each conductor individually
Correct answer: De-energize the circuit completely and short the far-end conductors together
Shorting conductors together at the far end allows a continuity tester at the near end to confirm which conductors form a pair or are continuous.
Question 7: A cable pulling tension calculator requires knowing the conduit fill, conduit route, and which additional factor to estimate maximum allowable pulling tension?
- The color coding of the conductors being pulled
- The coefficient of friction between the cable jacket and conduit interior (Correct answer)
- The ambient temperature of the job site
- The brand of wire-pulling lubricant being used
Correct answer: The coefficient of friction between the cable jacket and conduit interior
The coefficient of friction between cable and conduit (affected by conduit type, lubricant, and cable jacket) directly determines the tension built up during a pull.
CEA Tools, Equipment & Testing Procedures 5
A power quality analyzer is used on a commercial installation primarily to detect: