Codes & Standards

 

Essential to the work of the electrical contractor is knowledge of the National Electrical Code, the National Electrical Installation Standards and additional standards and codes administered by the National Fire Protection Association, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and others. Here is a list of all our articles on codes and standards listed chronologically by issue date. 

If you have a problem related to the National Electrical Code (NEC), are experiencing difficulty in understanding a Code requirement, or are wondering why or if such a requirement exists, ask Charlie, and he will let the Code decide. Questions can be sent to codefaqs@earthlink.net.

Article 240 in the National Electrical Code (NEC) provides general requirements for overcurrent protection and overcurrent protective devices.

Article 424 in the National Electrical Code (NEC) addresses fixed electric space heating equipment, stating, “for the purpose of the article, heating equipment shall include heating cable, unit heaters, boilers, central systems, or other approved fixed electric space-heating equipment.” Since the sc

At a recent seminar, one of the attendees asked, “What is a ‘Ufer’ ground?” This is a common question. A “Ufer” ground is slang for what the National Electrical Code (NEC) addresses as a concrete-encased grounding electrode.

More on Codes & Standards

 
A Unified Method

Lately, inspectors from a third-party inspection company have been asking me about determining the number of circuits required for outlets installed in dwelling units.

READ MORE
 
Baseboard Heaters, Counting Loops and More

If you have a problem related to the National Electrical Code (NEC), are experiencing difficulty in understanding a Code requirement, or are wondering why or if such a requirement exists, ask Charlie, and he will let the Code decide. Questions can be sent to codefaqs@earthlink.net.

READ MORE
 
Sizing Conductors, Part XIV

Ambient temperature and the number of current-carrying conductors installed in a raceway or cable are two factors to consider when sizing conductors.

READ MORE
 
Putting It in Reverse

Participants at one of my recent workshops had questions pertaining to reverse-fed transformers (back-fed). The input side was 480 volts (V), three-phase, and the output side was 120/208V.

READ MORE
 
Signage Discrepancies, Counting Conductors and More

If you have a problem related to the National Electrical Code (NEC), are experiencing difficulty in understanding a Code requirement, or are wondering why or if such a requirement exists, ask Charlie, and he will let the Code decide. Questions can be sent to codefaqs@earthlink.net.

READ MORE
 
Sizing Conductors, Part XIII

When sizing conductors, more is involved than just looking at Table 310.15(B)(16) in the National Electrical Code (NEC) and selecting a copper or aluminum conductor with the right ampacity. Of all the tables in Article 310, Table 310.15(B)(16) is referenced the most.

READ MORE
 
Planning for PV Output

I started this series of articles after a friend asked some questions about overcurrent protection for the direct current (DC) output of photovoltaic (PV) modules, the DC output of combiner boxes, the location of disconnects for both the DC side and the alternating current (AC) side of the inverter,

READ MORE

Pages