Whip
Whip turns up in 3 fields: welding, electricians, HVAC. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Whip in welding
The short, flexible lead between the main welding cable and the stinger, or a whipping rod motion.
Two meanings on the job. First, a lighter, flexible length of cable, often 10 to 25 feet, connected between the heavy main lead and the stinger or gun so the welder can move easily. Second, the whipping technique used with 6010 and similar rods: flicking the electrode forward out of the puddle and back in a steady rhythm to control heat and keep the keyhole open.
"Hook up a fifteen-foot whip so you can reach the bottom of the tank without dragging the 2/0 around."
Whip in electricians
Short flexible conduit or cable assembly with wires already in it, linking a fixture or machine to a junction box.
A whip is a prefabricated length of flexible conduit or MC cable, usually 6 feet, with connectors and conductors already installed, that links a junction box above the ceiling to a lay-in light fixture. Code allows up to 6 feet of flexible raceway for this fixture tap, which lets fixtures shift within the grid. The word also covers any flexible final connection, such as a drive whip or equipment whip.
"Hang the troffers, then run a six-foot whip from each one back to the J-box above the grid."
Whip in HVAC
The short length of flexible conduit and wire running from the disconnect to an outdoor unit or air handler.
Whips come as liquidtight flexible conduit with conductors pre-installed and fittings on each end, letting the unit move and vibrate without stressing rigid conduit. Installers size them for the unit's circuit and route them so they don't sit in water or rub on sheet metal. Chewed, cracked or sun-rotted whips are a common find on older condensers.
"Whip's cracked open and the wires are sitting in a puddle, replace it before you touch anything else."