Mark C. Ode

New and existing residences can benefit from the proper installation of outside lighting for security and adequate illumination. Although security is the primary requirement, the lighting must also be fashionable and...

Following up on my November 2020 article, here is further information on the ramifications of the change to the long-standing six disconnect rule in Section 230.71 of the National Electrical Code . Remember that this rule was...

More documentation is being required in the National Electrical Code and NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. The words “documented” or “documentation” appear in the 2017 NEC approximately 104 times...

Everyone is acquainted with toggle or rocker-style lighting switches, but many installers are not as familiar with the dimmers on the market now. Everyone should become knowledgeable with updates to the design and...

Arc energy reduction is critical for working on high-energy electrical equipment. However, many electrical designers, contractors and inspectors don’t understand the issues surrounding energy reduction. Arc energy reduction...

Sometime between the 1925 and 1933 National Electrical Codes , the maximum number of service disconnects changed from one or two disconnects to a maximum of six. I cannot verify the exact edition where the change occurred. I...

Take care when replacing circuit breakers and fuses in existing services and panelboards at single-, two- and multifamily homes. Older single- and two-family homes with 100A to 200A, 120/240V single-phase services were...

New Section 680.4 in Article 680 in the 2020 National Electrical Code enables the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to require periodic inspection and testing of swimming pools, fountains and similar installations such as...

homes’ electrical systems require regular maintenance. Many homeowners do not realize that various parts of their system must be routinely exercised, examined for functional capability and tested, especially during the first...

Some of the most challenging electrical installations involve healthcare. From major hospitals to clinics in pharmacies, anyone who is not intimately familiar with the intricacies of medical headwalls, major electrical...

A friend called me recently with some intriguing questions about some electrical work that he was having done at his newly purchased home. The home was built in the mid-to-late 1950s with some electrical work done in various...

My single-speed swimming pool pump motor, installed in 2004, finally quit working. I nursed it along for many years and probably should have replaced it a long time ago. However, I kept finding other ways to spend the money...