Chapter 12 Further Reading
Books
1. Wiring a House (For Pros By Pros) — Rex Cauldwell One of the most complete and practical guides to residential electrical work available. Cauldwell writes with decades of experience and doesn't talk down to readers. While some chapters go beyond homeowner-level work, the foundational sections on how electricity works, how circuits are designed, and how to think about load are excellent. A staple on every electrician's bookshelf. Taunton Press, 5th edition.
2. The Complete Guide to Wiring — Black & Decker A highly visual, step-by-step guide oriented toward homeowners. Heavier on the "how to do" side than the "why" side, but the color photographs of actual wiring configurations are extremely helpful for visualizing what you're reading in this chapter. Good companion reference for Chapters 13 and 14 as well. Cool Springs Press, regularly updated editions.
3. Electrical Wiring Residential — Ray Mullin & Phil Simmons This is the textbook used in many electrician apprenticeship programs. It's technical and thorough — more than most homeowners need — but if you want to understand residential electrical at the level electricians learn it, this is the book. The chapters on service entrances, load calculations, and grounding are particularly well-developed. Cengage Learning, updated to current NEC editions.
Online Resources
4. NFPA 70: National Electrical Code (NEC) — National Fire Protection Association nfpa.org/NEC
The NEC is the foundational electrical code adopted (with local amendments) by most US jurisdictions. The full code is dense and technical, but NFPA makes the current edition freely readable online. For homeowners, the most relevant sections for this chapter are Article 200 (grounding), Article 250 (grounding and bonding), and Article 230 (services). Warning: the NEC is not casual reading, but it's the authoritative source for "what the code actually says." Free to read online with registration.
5. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — Residential Electricity Data eia.gov/electricity/sales_revenue_price
The EIA publishes detailed data on electricity rates, consumption, and trends by state and region. If you want to know how your home's consumption compares to your state's average, or what electricity costs in different parts of the country, this is the authoritative source. Their monthly Electric Power Monthly publication includes residential average retail prices for every state. Free, updated regularly.
6. ENERGY STAR Appliance Comparison Tool — US EPA energystar.gov
ENERGY STAR is the federal program that certifies energy-efficient appliances and products. The website includes a comparison tool for refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and other appliances that calculates estimated annual energy costs and payback periods for efficient upgrades. Directly applicable to the bill analysis in section 12.7. Free.
Tools and Technology
7. Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor — P3 International Available at most hardware stores and online retailers, $20–$30.
The Kill A Watt is a plug-in energy monitor that measures actual power consumption of any device you plug into it. It displays watts, kWh over time, amps, and other electrical metrics. Referenced in Case Study 12-1 for exactly the kind of appliance-by-appliance energy audit described in this chapter. Strongly recommended as a homeowner tool. Every homeowner should own one.
8. Sense Home Energy Monitor — Sense Labs sense.com
A whole-home energy monitor that installs at your electrical panel (installation by an electrician is recommended) and uses current transformers to monitor your home's total consumption in near-real time. Sense's software learns to identify individual appliances by their electrical "fingerprint" and shows you consumption by device. Useful for identifying phantom loads, understanding which appliances dominate your bill, and seeing real-time consumption. Hardware cost approximately $299; requires WiFi. Professional installation recommended for most homeowners.
Educational Resources
9. "How Electricity Works" — Khan Academy khanacademy.org (search "Electric charge, electric force, and voltage")
Khan Academy's physics curriculum includes excellent free video explanations of voltage, current, resistance, and Ohm's Law. The presentation is more mathematically rigorous than this chapter's, but the visual approach and worked examples complement the text well. Particularly recommended if you want to solidify the math of electrical calculations. Free.
10. "Home Electrical Safety" — Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) esfi.org
ESFI is a non-profit organization that publishes residential electrical safety resources. Their Electrical Safety at Home guide covers the major hazards in plain language and includes statistics on electrical fires, electrocution, and arc fault incidents. A good supplement to the safety discussion in section 12.6 for anyone who wants more context on the scale of the problem. Free.
11. US Energy Information Administration: "How much electricity does an American home use?" eia.gov/tools/faqs
This frequently-updated FAQ from the EIA provides national and state-by-state averages for residential electricity consumption. As of 2024, the average US home used approximately 10,500 kWh per year. This gives useful benchmarks for the electric bill analysis in section 12.7 and for exercises 4 and 12. Free, updated annually.
12. "What's Watt: An Illustrated History of Electrification" — Various authors; archived content at the Smithsonian Institution americanhistory.si.edu (search "electricity")
The Smithsonian's collection includes historical materials on the electrification of American homes — the transition from gas lighting to electric lights, the "current wars" between AC and DC proponents, and the development of the electrical standards we use today. Not a practical reference, but an engaging historical perspective on why our systems are designed the way they are. The AC vs. DC section of this chapter has deeper historical roots than most homeowners realize. Free.