Circuiting

The Circuiting command is used to manage all of the devices and loads connected to circuits on your distribution equipment.

The Circuiting dialog box is divided into two main sections. The left section displays information about and circuits associated with the active distribution equipment. Select the circuit you want to configure from the list. The Circuit Information section on the right that allows you to modify the selected circuit.

Distribution Equipment: The active distribution equipment. The circuits listed are associated with the distribution equipment displayed. Changing the equipment will display new circuits in the circuit lists.
Information about the active distribution equipment is displayed below this field. The size, voltage, total connected and calculated load in kVA, and connected load in amps on each phase are all displayed.

Recalculate Panel Load Total: Press this button to recalculate the load total on the active distribution equipment. The total connected and calculated load in kVA and connected load in amps on each phase will be updated to match the current loads connected to the equipment and any distribution equipment connected to it.

Move Circuits: Press this button to open the Move Circuits dialog box with the currently selected circuit active. See the Move Circuits section for more information.

Insert Circuit: Press this button to insert a new circuit in the active distribution equipment. A single-pole circuit will be inserted in the circuit list at the location of the active circuit. The active circuit and all of the circuits below it will be shifted down.
If there are no spaces available below the active circuit, no circuit will be inserted.

Remove Circuit: Press this button to remove an unused circuit from the active distribution equipment. All of the circuits below the selected circuit will be shifted up in the circuit list. A new unused circuit will be inserted at the bottom of the circuit list. This button cannot be used if the circuit has any devices connected to it or any fixed loads set in it.

Create Tandem Breaker: Press this button to convert the selected circuit to a tandem breaker.

Remove Tandem Breaker: Press this button to convert a tandem breaker to a circuit.

Circuit Lists: There are two lists of circuits in the Circuiting dialog box. Panels will display odd circuits in the list on the left and even circuits in the list on the right. All other distribution equipment types will display their circuits in the list on the left. Only one circuit in the two lists can be selected at the same time. The selected circuit is used in the rest of the dialog box.

Circuit Devices: Press this button to connect devices on the drawing to the currently selected circuit. See the Circuit Devices section for more information.

Circuit to Phase: Press this button to connect devices on the drawing to a specific phase of the currently selected circuit. See the Circuit to Phase section for more information.

Draw Homerun and Loops: Press this button to draw a homerun and loops on devices on the drawing. See the Draw Homerun and Loops section for more information.

Draw Homerun: Press this button to draw a homerun on a device on the drawing. See the Draw Homerun Only section for more information.

Circuit Information: Displays information about the selected circuit. Includes the circuit callout, circuit description, connected and calculated loads in kVA and amps, and the size of the wire.

Change # of Poles: Press this button to change the number of poles for the currently selected circuit. See the Change # of Poles section for more information.

Breaker Size: The size of the breaker for the selected circuit. The list of breaker sizes available can be customized. See the Wire Sizing section for more information.

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Size Automatically: The breaker size is chosen automatically based upon the load connected to the circuit. The size is based upon 125% of the continuous load, and 100% or 125% of the noncontinuous load, depending upon the setting of the Size breakers to 100% of noncontinuous load option. See the Circuits, Load Types, and Wire Sizes options section for more information.

•	None: The circuit does not have a breaker. The breaker column in the distribution equipment schedule will display a slash and the number of poles (/1 or /2 or /3). No breaker size will be displayed.

•	Size Automatically: The hot wires are sized based upon the Breaker Size.

•	None: The circuit does not have a conductor wire. The wire callout for the circuit will be blank.

•	Specific Breaker Size: The hot wires are sized to match the breaker size chosen from the list.

Neutral: Sets the size of the neutral wire for the selected circuit. If the distribution equipment does not have a neutral, this field is disabled and set to None.

•	Size Automatically: The neutral wire is the same size as the phase wires as specified in the Conductor Amps field.

•	None: No neutral wire is included in the circuit. If the devices on the circuit require a neutral wire, this option is not available.

•	Specific Breaker Size: The neutral wire is sized to match the wire size chosen from the list.

•	Size Automatically: The ground wire is sized based upon the Equipment Ground setting for the larger of the two breaker sizes specified in the Breaker Size and Conductor Amps fields. The ground wire will never be larger than the conductor wires.

•	Specific Breaker Size: The ground wire is sized to match the wire size chosen from the list.

Conduit Size: The size of the conduit for the selected circuit. The conduit fill percentage is displayed next to the Conduit Size field. Changing the conduit size will update the fill percentage.

•	Size Automatically: The conduit is sized automatically based upon the wires in the circuit. All conduits are sized using a 40% conduit fill (NEC Table 1).

•	Specific Breaker Size: The conduit is sized to match the conduit size chosen from the list.

MCC Starter Size: The motor control center starter size. The value is displayed in the motor control center schedule. Applies only to motor control centers.

MCC Description: The motor control center description. The value is displayed in the motor control center schedule. Applies only to motor control centers.

Layer System: The layer system of the selected circuit. This layer system controls the layer that is used for the circuit callouts, homerun, and loops on the plan. If the selected circuit is shown on the one-line diagram, this layer system will also control the layer of the connected feeder. See the Layer System section for more information.

•	Default: The circuit will use the default circuit layer system. You can change the default layer system using the Default circuit layer system setting in the Circuits, Load Types, and Wire Sizes options section.

Underground: Whether the circuit is underground. Different layers are used for aboveground and underground loops. The default layers for underground loops use a dashed linetype. The layers can be changed using the Layers commands.

General Lighting Circuit: Whether the circuit is considered a general lighting circuit during load calculations.

Starting Phase: Sets the starting phase of the circuit. This value can be used on single-pole and two-pole circuits to balance the loads on distribution equipment.
This field is disabled for panels. The starting phase for each circuit on a panel is fixed.

Description: An additional description for the circuit that is shown on the distribution equipment schedule. This value is added before any other descriptions on the circuit from connected devices. To change the description on the circuit from the devices, change the device definition.

Press the More button to open the More Circuit Description Settings dialog box. If the selected circuit has more than one pole, the following fields will be available for each phase:

Circuit Description Prefix: Text that is added before the circuit description in the Circuiting dialog box.

Circuit Description Suffix: Text that is added after the circuit description in the Circuiting dialog box.

Circuit Description Replacement: Text that overrides the circuit description in the Circuiting dialog box. This will also override the Circuit Description Prefix and Circuit Description Suffix.

Select Circuit from Drawing: Press this button to select a circuit based upon a device on the drawing. The dialog box will close and you will be prompted to select a device.

After you select a device, the Circuiting dialog box will be opened. The circuit the selected device is connected to will be active.

Find Circuit on Drawing: Press this button to locate devices on the selected circuit. If there are any on the current drawing, they will be highlighted. If there are devices on another drawing but not the current drawing, you will have the option to open the other drawing. This button cannot be used on circuits that do not have any devices connected to them.

Recalculate Circuit: Press this button to recalculate the selected circuit. The load on the circuit will be recalculated based upon the connected devices. The breaker and wire size will be recalculated based upon the newly calculated load.

Recalculate All Circuits on Panel: Press this button to recalculate all of the circuits on the active distribution equipment. The loads on the circuits will be recalculated based upon the connected devices. The breaker and wire sizes will be recalculated based upon the newly calculated loads.

Uncircuit Devices: Press this button to disconnect devices on the drawing from the circuit they are connected to. See the Uncircuit Devices section for more information.

Compress Circuits: Press this button to move all of the spaces in the distribution equipment to the bottom of the circuit lists. The order of all of the circuits with loads on them will be the same. Any unused circuits between circuits with loads will be moved.

Related Options

There are several options that affect default values, labels, and behaviors when circuiting devices. See the Circuits, Load Types, and Wire Sizes Options section for more information.