Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC) , Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2020...
Power over Ethernet may finally be coming of age. This alternative way of delivering power using computer networking technology now accommodates 90 watts (W)/57 volts (V) to readily power lighting and lighting systems...
In my first few years at NFPA, I met an electrical inspector who served as an expert witness in legal cases involving shock and electrocutions involving swimming pools. He told me that business was good, which was sad news...
Every National Electrical Code cycle, from the advent of ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection in Section 680-4 in the 1968 NEC , has featured changes in the installation and application of GFCIs. The first GFCI...
The NEC Correlating Committee is responsible for the NEC and multiple other electrical codes and standards published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The committee has a critical obligation to ensure that...
Even though the 2020 National Electrical Code was just issued in September 2019 and many states will not adopt the new Code until this year, electrical contractors should be aware of the major changes that will affect most...
The winter of 1975 was pivotal for the electrical industry. Two major fires within a month reminded the industry of how fires in combustible cable insulation can have catastrophic results. Neither of the fires occurred in an...
This article focuses on revisions in Chapter 7, “Special Conditions,” which includes the requirements for conditions such as emergency systems, energy storage systems and so forth, and Chapter 8, “Communications Circuits.”...
In the early 1950s, most 15- and 20-ampere receptacles in commercial buildings and residential dwelling units were ungrounded, two-prong receptacles supplied by branch circuits without an equipment grounding connection. In...
The purpose statement of the NEC, section 90.1(A) states, “The purpose of this Code is the practical safeguarding of persons and property from hazards arising from the use of electricity.” In other words, it all comes back to...
The National Electrical Code is a complete collection of rules for electrical installation requirements suitable for adoption into law. It contains no guidelines or recommendations. It does not contain “best practices,” nor...
Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code, Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2017 NEC...
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...
Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC), Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2017 NEC...
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...
In my columns on hazardous locations, I didn’t get around to equipment. Hazardous location classification provides opportunities to practice ingenuity in design. First, some background information from NFPA’s National...
Part 3 of this series focuses on revisions in Article 110 of the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC). Article 110 of the NEC, “General Requirements for Electrical Installations,” comprises three parts. Part I contains general...
Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC), Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2017 NEC...
Electrical engineers, inspectors and contractors, and the National Electrical Code (NEC), have dealt with nonlinear loads for many years. The issue arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the increased use of solid-state...
As I finish my last of 10 cycles as Secretary of the NEC, I marvel at the changes during the nearly 40 years of my involvement. We have seen numerous new technologies, from electric vehicles to solar photovoltaic systems to...
