The Operator’s Guide to

Understanding
Electric Ladder Drawings -
They Only Look Like Hieroglyphics

Harry D. Harman, P.E.

Senior Water Systems Project Manager/Engineer
Baxter & Woodman, Inc.

T-CON
Midwest Water & Wastewater Technology Conference
June 4, 2015
Electrical Ladder Drawings

 A standardized way of conveying control logic.

 Used by “industry” as well as Water Treatment
and Pollution Control Facilities.
 Used anywhere different people need to know
what’s going on.
 The “common” language for control integration.
 “First” PLC programming language.
Electrical Ladder Drawings

 A “standard” set of symbols are used to represent

devices.
 International Society of Automation (ISA)
[formerly the Instrument Society of America]
adopted (created) the symbol convention.
 Prepare yourself to learn a “new language”; the
“language of automation”.
 I promise, it will be easier than learning “emoji”.
 Electrical Ladder Drawings
 Most people need a “Rosetta
Stone” to translate.
• Stone tablet written in 196 BC
and discovered in 1799.
• Contains a Decree written in
three languages including;
 Ancient Egyptian
Hieroglyphics,
 Demotic (ancient Egyptian
script),
 and Ancient Greek.
Electrical Ladder Drawings
Electrical Ladder Drawings
More Symbols

Float Switch
More Symbols
Electrical Basics - 101

 Two types of electricity:

• Direct Current (dc) – Thomas Edison
 Batteries
 Control circuits
 Computers

• Alternating Current (ac) – Nikola Tesla

 Lighting and motors
 Power
 High Voltage Transmission
Electrical Basics - 101

 Electricity flows from a source (hot) through a

“load” (light or relay) back to the source through a
return path (neutral).
 Sometimes we refer to the return path as “ground”.
 Electricity is like a car driving down the road.
 Missing “road” (cut wires) or open bridges (open
switches or contacts) stops the traffic flow and will
stop electrical flow.
Sample Terms “GROUND”
480 VAC
“NEUTRAL”
“HOT”
120 VAC
F0100

“LOAD”
G
TB 1-6 TB 1-7
RUN

FSH-100

“SWITCH”
Sample Terms
“NEUTRAL”
“HOT”

F0100
Battery
“LOAD”
G
TB 1-6 TB 1-7
RUN

FSH-100

“SWITCH”
Electrical Ladder Drawings

Float Switch Pressure Switch Flow Switch

Normally Open (NO)

Normally Closed (NC)

Electrical Ladder Drawings

Float Switch Pressure Switch Flow Switch

Normally Open

Normally Closed
Single Pole – Single Throw (SPST)

Float Switch Pressure Switch Flow Switch

Normally Open

Normally Closed
Single Pole – Double Throw (SPDT)

Float Switch
Single Pole – Double Throw (SPDT)

Pressure Switch
Single Pole – Double Throw (SPDT)
Flow Switch
More Symbols
NO Relay Contact “Form-C”
On-Delay SPDT SPST Relay Contact

NC Relay Contact
Off-Delay SPDT SPST
“Form-C”
Relay Contact
Energized

Control Relay Time Delay Relay

CR TDS
More Symbols - Relay

120 VAC
More Symbols - Relay

Alternate Coil Voltages

24 VAC
120 VAC 24 VDC
12 VDC
More Symbols – Multi-Position Switch

HAND-OFF-AUTO

xoo

oox
More Symbols – Multi-Position Switch

HAND-OFF-AUTO

xoo

oox
More Symbols – Multi-Position Switch

HAND-OFF-AUTO

xoo

oox
More Symbols – Multi-Position Switch

HAND-OFF-AUTO

xoo

oox
More Symbols – Multi-Position Switch

HAND-OFF-AUTO

xoo

oox
More Symbols – Multi-Position Switch
HAND-OFF-AUTO HAND-OFF-AUTO

xoo xoo

oox oox

xoo oox

oox xxo
More Symbols – Push Buttons
MOMENTARY
START STOP

MAINTAINED
START

STOP
More Symbols – Push Buttons
MOMENTARY
START STOP

MAINTAINED
START

STOP
More Symbols – Push Buttons
MOMENTARY
START STOP

MAINTAINED
START

STOP
More Symbols – Other
LIMIT SWITCHES TRANSFORMER
460 VAC
Primary
NO
120 VAC Secondary

NC

GROUND
More Symbols – Other
Circuit Breaker
20 A

Connecting
Wires

Fuse
Push-to-Test
Pilot Light
G
More Symbols – Other

Push-to-Test
Pilot Light

G
More Symbols – Other

Push-to-Test
Pilot Light

G
More Symbols – Other

Push-to-Test
Pilot Light

G
 More Symbols – Other
Motor Starter
Mechanical OL’s Motor Starter
(heaters) Electronic OL’s
OL’S OL’S
MS MS

Overloads Electronic
(heaters) Overloads
More Symbols – Other
Motor Starter Control Power Applied
Mechanical OL’s Motor Starter
(heaters) Electronic OL’s
OL’S OL’S
MS MS
 More Symbols – Other

TYPICAL FIELD SWITCH

Field Wires Terminal Block

(numbered) Connectors
Field Wires are typically
numbered the same
TB 1-6 TB 1-7 as terminal designations.
or (1-6) LS 201
or (01-06)

Terminal Block “TB1”

Terminal “7”
 Build a Diagram
480 VAC

100 120 VAC

F0100
HAND-OFF-AUTO
OL’S
xoo MS
101 104
101
oox
102

103 CR
101 104
TB 1-6 TB 1-7

FSH-100

104 G
CR-101 TB 1-8 TB 1-9 MS-101
RUN

FSL-101
 Build a Diagram
480 VAC

100 120 VAC

F0100
HAND-OFF-AUTO
OL’S
xoo MS
101 104
101
oox
102

TDR 104
103 105
101
TB 1-6 TB 1-7
0-30 Sec

FSH-100

104 G
TB 1-8 TB 1-9 MS-101
105 RUN
TDR-101

FSL-101
 Build a Diagram
480 VAC

100 120 VAC

F0100
HAND-OFF-AUTO
OL’S
xoo MS
101 104
101 104
oox
102 TDR-101

103 TDR 101

101 102
TB 1-6 TB 1-7
0-30 Sec

FSH-100

104 G
TB 1-8 TB 1-9
MS-101 MS-101
105 RUN

FSL-101
 Build a Diagram
480 VAC

100 120 VAC

F0100
HAND-OFF-AUTO
OL’S
xoo MS
101 104
101
oox
102 TDR-101
101
103 TDR 102
101 104
TB 1-6 TB 1-7 105
0-30 Sec

FSH-100

104 G
TB 1-8 TB 1-9 MS-101
105 RUN
TDR-101

FSL-101
Questions
Questions
More Examples – Questions?
More Examples – Questions?
Final Thoughts
• Once you know the “Legend” understanding ladder logic is relatively
simple.

• The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has created a training

course for both water and wastewater operators.

• It is the “High Tech Operator’s Certificate Course”.

• Three, 2-day sessions covering topics in greater detail.

• Process and Instrumentation Drawings (PID).
• Ladder logic and wiring drawings
• Preventive maintenance
• On-Line instruments and much, much more.
 Questions

Harry D. Harman, P.E.

Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers
8678 Ridgefield Rd
Crystal Lake, IL 60012

hharman@baxterwoodman.com
815.459.1260 (O)
815.575.3845 (C)
815.455.0450 (F)

National
Engineering Excellence
2015 Grand Award