Mark C. Ode

Transformer installations are common throughout residential, commercial and industrial applications. Most electricians, electrical contractors, electrical engineers and electrical inspectors are familiar with installation req...

Each National Electrical Code (NEC) revision cycle seems to result in a multitude of changes in Article 210, Part III, which covers required lighting and receptacle outlets. There are so many changes in each new Code that ele...

Does the National Electrical Code (NEC) recognize reconditioned electrical equipment, and is such equipment safe? There are many different considerations in this question, and the acceptance of reconditioned electrical equipm...

Two sections in the National Electrical Code (NEC) provide methods of calculating loads for existing installations. One deals exclusively with existing dwelling units, while the other deals with any existing dwellings, commer...

A friend recently sent me an email with this picture (right) of a manual fire alarm pull station mounted on the side of an electrical panelboard. My friend was inspecting the fire alarm system and was accompanied by the elect...

For years, Article 516 of the National Electrical Code (NEC)— covering spray applications, dipping and coating processes using flammable liquids, combustible liquids and combustible powders—did not seem to change much, if at...

Designing and installing specialized electrical equipment with the intent of reducing the incident energy of an arcing fault was first introduced in 240.87 of the 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC) and was further refined in...

Terminology is the vocabulary of technical terms and usages appropriate to a particular trade, science or art. Does it matter what we call something in the National Electrical Code (NEC)? Is there a difference in what somethi...

Those of us who use the National Electrical Code (NEC) on a regular basis and are familiar with the words as well as the intent of the text can often overlook the most obvious interpretations by the rest of the electrical ind...

In the past two National Electrical Code (NEC) cycles, there have been substantial changes in Article 517 dealing with healthcare facilities. While there were some changes in the 2014 NEC, the majority of changes occurred in...

Available short-circuit current requirements were either added or changed in a number of locations in the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC). To understand and deal with the issue of available short-circuit current in the ex...

Anyone who has attended a conference in a hotel or other meeting space knows there can be a lack of receptacles to provide power for portable equipment. Sometimes, extension cords or relocatable power taps are plugged into wa...