Blueprints Deciphered: How to Read Commercial Plans (For Electricians)

Great skills and knowledge

The documentation here is often weak in terms of the information provided. If you compare it with countries like Germany or even Russia, you'll notice a significant difference. Their documentation is much more comprehensive and detailed. It includes all the necessary dimensions, bills of materials, and highly detailed single-line diagrams. This level of detail means you’ll spend far less time trying to understand what needs to be done.

Could honestly do a separate video on wiring methods of commercial kitchens. PVC boxes for disposals, commercial dishwashers, contractors for ventilations

Thank you for this, I'm an apprentice at Intel and reading prints are the only thing I'm struggling with. i know my bends , everything you would see in key notes , just needed to know where to put it, it was holding me back till i seen this Video not long ago .Thank you for this sir!!!!

the NEC changed

I'm starting my apprentice ship with a master electrician and this is gold for me . I'm literally reading and watching as many things to help me grow and progress for the future. Thank you for the insight .

Amazing video! Very educational! Thank you!

2.5 years apprentice now this videos help me alot thank you

Videos too long

Half the time the architects don't give you enough information or they give you inaccurate information. They usually leave it up to the contractor to figure out what goes where.

Good

Great video! Where can I get that super cool whiteboard??

Shouldn’t the 3 phase panels take 4 4/0 not 3..

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

The reflected ceiling plan also show with shades of black/white or dots if the ceiling is hard lid or drop tile or concrete. This is important for rough-in of back boxes and mounting of devices, the RCP will help giving and idea to know what type of hardware is needed for mounting devices, lighting,fans, etc.

So are the conduit runs not pre planned? Meaning these need to be drawn in by the electricians as the job goes on?

As a beginner is this the right video to start with?

Get to the point

Do a oilfield prints please

im like 6/7 months in and this made no sense

Noob here. Your videos have helped me so much when it comes to knowing how and why and when it comes to tools what to use when and where. I work with a buddy of mine who has been an electrician for 4 years and I’m a noob but he said he is surprised I know as much as I do because he has had some guys who are just ignorant when it comes to the process but I credit you for a lot of the things I’ve learned

How do you figure the actual layout of Panels,conduits, wire inside the conduits to the different loads?

As a 3rd year Electrical Engineering Student, I always wanted to learn how I can do what electrician do like practical not just by solving theory. I love solving thats why I enter i electrical engineering course but I thought it is more good if I have a knowledge about what electrician do so that we have a good understanding about what will to do.

Red, Black, Blue is insane! What about your BOY 277v?

Wow. This was really helpful

I think what your doing is great to attract people into the trade. Let me however help you out with a couple things.

For L1-51, L1-53, L1-55
The prints are showing you those three receptacles to pull together. 3 hots, three neutrals, and one ground. They are all 120v single phase, not three phase. You could normally get away with a old school full boat (3 hots and one neutral, using breaker ties of course), except obviously its speced out here for separate neutrals. It looks like someone changed that up by the scribbling out of the original ciruit for whatever reason so that may not still apply. That part is irrelevant. Shit changes as thats fine as long as the panel schedule reflects this. The 42" on the print for that receptacle is 42" AFF (above finsihed floor) for that kitchen receptacle.

On the riser disagram 4 and 5 are disconnects, not panels. Obviously from the CT cabinet they leave and then hit disconnects before feeding the low voltage panels.

The other "prints" your referring to on the details of the equip to be installed those are called submittals. They are your friend and very nice especially now with the modern technology. Good prints go a long way

so you had 3 phase voltage coming in, as that 208v? how did the engineers get 240v panels without a transformer?

What state are you located at? I need to work for someone like you

Keep it up bro I've learned so much from you! Getting my License down here in South Tampa Florida!

The content is great but The music sounds like you are in a funeral home.

Need an in-depth course for us premium members

My brother my prayers have been answered thank you

Most contractors keep their prints on an Ipad so if you dont know how to use an IPad you’re stuck like chuck!

How go about running coduits?

When do you find the time on site to read the plans in detail? It would take hours to go over the whole electrical section let alone the mechanical etc

Im a woman looking to get into the trades. Im excited as I want to work as an electrician. I love the highlighting idea, I cannot wait to use my highlighters.

Really loving your vids bro thanks

Great overview of a set of commercial plans! - as a commercial electrical engineer who has been on the other side of these prints for decades, I appreciate seeing this overview from your position as the installing electrician. Kudo's for reviewing ALL of the prints, including Architectural, Mechanical and Plumbing - a great point to make for new electricians (and on larger projects you will even have Civil and Landscaping and even Structural plans to review). Buildings are a lot of interconnected/intertwined systems from many trades, so it's great that you emphasize getting that overall feel for the whole building. I would also add that these types of projects are many times designed to what is called a "basis of design" - a term meaning that much of the equipment is just selected as a "placeholder" for the final equipment, which could be from a number of different manufacturers, so the plans end up being a bit generic. And you nicely showed how you take this "diagrammatic" set of plans and carefully add your installation details such as the j-boxes, actual routing, etc. to allow you to build it, and present an accurate set of as-built or "record" drawings for the building owner. Finally, I do appreciate your comment about engineers making mistakes - I'm the first to admit that I have never produced a "perfect" set of prints, and have always felt that building buildings takes close teamwork between designers and installers. Well done sir!

I wish 3 things:

1. That all prints had comprehensive legends.
2. That people would remember it's a 2D representation of a 3D space.
3. That it be illegal for anyone to use BIM without at least a year bending conduit, installing water/sewer/gas/HVAC, and reading paper prints. Punishable by 30 days of watching The View on a continual 24-hr loop.

3rd year apprentice for an electric company. Most don't really take the time to let you even LOOK at the prints, this video does so much help for someone like myself. Thank you!

Love that Junction box layout. Always thought something like that would make sense.

Thank you 2 years in commercial and still working on blue print familiarty. some foreman try to help out and want us to use blue prints but the two foreman ive worked with the most hate it when guys look at the blueprints they want it done how they say which I get. and also with rfi's and updated plans they keep on their ipads and you never see those. But trying to get more familiar and be able to read and interpret plans thanks for the help!

interesting take. I was curious about the low voltage systems. In my state, the electrician provides pathways for the low voltage systems (data, cameras, fire alarm, etc). The low voltage tech installs the wires and devices. Did your plans not include any of these systems or you are not responsible for them?

Ever do any stage theatres? I feel like I'm always helping the electricians learn the unique stuff of Theatrical lighting systems.

السلام عليكم أنا اختكم صاحبه قناه طبخ ومفيش عندى تفاعل ومشاهده ممكن تنصحوني ب حل المشكلة ازى وشكرا لحضرتك

Great info. well explained, Thank you Dustin. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

The JM Electricians shouldn't be looking at the plan alot. That is the supervisor or leads job. Usually they have people team up in the morning and give the Journeyman a smaller copy of the plan if he really needs to look at them.

Would you recommend, as an apprentice, obtaining a set of plans to review/study while at home?

I know some businesses are moving to planning stuff in things like Autodesk Revit in 3D to make visualizing easier. Have you see any of this in your trade yet?

I was the design engineer of record on a manufacturing plant before I retired. Electrical plans had 250 sheets. Good presentation.