Mark C. Ode

If you had to pick which electrical branch circuits or feeders to supply power to during a utility company power outage, what would you choose, and would that make you popular or not in your household? If you are the...

Last month, I provided a basic outline and history of Critical Operations Power Systems (COPS) located in Article 708 of the National Electrical Code. This article features details about Article 708 and the differences...

When a hurricane is approaching, your attention immediately goes to the Weather Channel, cellphones or computers for updates, if you’re in an affected area. When traveling, we can find out the approximate temperature...

With everything that has happened with the pandemic and the “hunker at home” cultural change it has caused, many people are investing in their homes by remodeling, adding a room or garage, expanding their basements into...

When an area containing flammable or combustible material is properly classified and the electrical installation is appropriately designed and installed, these areas are no more dangerous than any other location. The key to...

Ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection for outdoor outlets has been a requirement in the National Electrical Code since 1971, but it was limited to 15A and 20A, 120V receptacles. With the acceptance of the 2020...

To many people outside the industry, the electrical world is an unknown entity where power is mostly there when they need it, but can be very scary. Questions about electrical installations and applications may be difficult...

A chief electrical inspector friend wanted to know about the construction of an oxygen-generating facility in the Raleigh/Durham, N.C. area. His question was whether the construction should be based on the hazardous...

One of the protection techniques recognized in 500.7(K) in Article 500, covering general protection installations in a hazardous location, is the use of a combustible-gas-detection system. In the years since the 2002 National...

When I was an electrical contractor, I specialized in high-end dwellings, medium-sized design-build commercial installations, and industrial facility maintenance and machinery. I had a small electrical service department of...

I recently had new air conditioner units and a new swimming pool circulation motor installed at my home. The installer asked if I wanted soft or hard start units installed on these motors for a nominal fee. Not knowing that I...

In the past three editions of the National Electrical Code (2014, 2017 and 2020), we have seen major changes in the requirements for electrical systems in healthcare facilities. In the 2014 NEC, the reference to requirements...