Mark C. Ode

In last month’s column, I explained the proper use of the term “panelboards,” which are the interior busing and breaker terminations covered by parts I and III of Article 408. That article was more involved in covering the...

The first electrical service I helped install was back in 1961 when I was 14 years old and wet behind the ears, as we said in those days. My stepfather and I were building a new family home and trying to save money by doing...

Many people refer to the enclosure and the interior panelboard as a “panelboard.” Panelboards do not include the enclosure or cabinet, so this is a misappropriation of a more complex application and piece of equipment...

I conducted a courtesy electrical inspection for a friend who had purchased a home from a real estate agent, who previously owned and occupied it. The house had supposedly been totally rewired by an “electrician” in the year...

Over the long history of the National Electrical Code, there have been numerous changes to how we use different wiring systems. Those electrical industry long-timers may have historical knowledge of the reasons for various...

In the 2005 National Electrical Code, Article 430 was rearranged to make requirements on adjustable-speed motor drives more detailed and easier to locate in the new Part X. These requirements were previously scattered...

In “Ice, Washing Machines and a Phone” (ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, December 2019), I wrote about protecting electronic equipment in new and existing homes, and I mentioned surge-protective devices (SPDs) as a method of providing...

I have recently been doing plan reviews of electrical equipment and installations operating at over 1,000V and find myself having to dust off my knowledge base for these requirements. As an electrician, an electrical...

In the past few Code cycles, more emphasis has been provided on marking electrical branch circuits and feeders to indicate where the source of energy originates, the amount of fault current available at the service and how...

I was a guest during a National Electrical Code Panel 3 discussion for the 2023 NEC process and one of the public inputs and comments under discussion was about the potential damage to wiring methods used in dwelling units...

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...