Mark C. Ode

As an electrical contractor in the 1970s and 1980s, I received intriguing phone calls from homeowners and commercial customers with strange electrical problems. I could troubleshoot some of these issues over the phone. Others...

For the past few national electrical code cycles, there has been a growing concern in the electrical industry with a phenomenon called electric shock drowning (ESD) occurring in and around marinas, boatyards, floating...

A very knowledgeable electrical contractor in the Phoenix area recently emailed me, stating he was having a National Electrical Code (NEC) discussion with a local electrical inspector. The discussion involved the sizing of...

A two-story home can be a dream come true when a family is young but could become a nightmare as family members age and the owners reach their 70s and 80s. Two-story homes are usually built with the bedrooms on the second...

In the past few weeks, I have been involved with two separate installations where aluminum branch circuits were used in dwelling units. One was a single-family dwelling, and the other was individual apartments in a multi-unit...

Recently, I received a phone call from an electrical contractor friend who was discussing with an electrical inspector the differences of branch circuits supplying swimming pool equipment versus swimming pool equipment feeder...

A friend who had just purchased a 10-year-old house asked me whether he and his wife should spend money to have his electrical contractor install all the newest safety devices. We reviewed the existing equipment so I could...

With the advent and ease of online shopping, many homeowners are purchasing their own products. But is a homeowner able to distinguish a safe product that is listed and labeled from a counterfeit product that has bypassed...

Electrical contractors are becoming more involved in the design, installation and servicing of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for residential, commercial and industrial facilities. While this may be a sideline business for...

Last month’s article covered the general requirements in the National Electrical Code for audio signal processing, amplification and sound equipment in Article 640. One of the most common mistakes many electricians and...

Have you ever walked into a room in your home, noticed dark, shadowy spots, and wished there was an easy way to add lighting in the drywall ceiling? Or have you ever wanted to add a speaker in a ceiling and connect it to your...

In 1950s and 1960s homes, lighting fixtures were often installed in the center of the ceiling with a wall switch at the room’s entrance. This worked when general lighting was required for cleaning and similar tasks that do...