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...
Last month, Part 1 of this series focused on general revisions in the introduction and provided a look at some new articles added in the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) . As this series continues, it will provide the NEC...
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...
In last month’s column, I introduced the traditional approach to hazardous locations. This month, I discuss hazardous materials grouping with some specific occupancy requirements, and I compare the traditional way of...
Every three years, the National Electrical Code (NEC) is revised and often expanded. As the 2020 NEC development cycle comes to a close, the process’ final stages unfold. This article is the first in a series that examines...
In a general context, a “qualified person” has a very broad definition. Outside of the codes and standards world, qualified means having the qualities, accomplishments, etc. that fit a person for a specific function, office...
Let’s be honest here. Most Code change seminars start at the beginning of the National Electrical Code (NEC), and by the time the class is over, we’re lucky if we get as far as Article 700. It is important that electrical...
Modern technologies and equipment have found their way into many electrical installations and systems. It seems like the biggest evolution is occurring in lighting, and it brings many benefits with it. Having installed a...
Does the National Electrical Code (NEC) stand in the way of implementing new technology? In the words of Michael Johnston, chair of the NEC Correlating Committee, “The NEC’s purpose is to ensure the safe but sound...
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...
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...
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...
When I was an electrical contractor, I tried to find a specialty where there was less competition and more profit than the normal building wiring. Many ECs doing electrical wiring for dwellings, commercial and industrial...
Grounding an electrical system means one system conductor is connected to ground (earth by definition) and a reference to ground from the system is established. Installing and operating an ungrounded system means no reference...
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...
Let’s assume a 120/208-volt (V), three-phase service was installed on a building a few years ago and the new owner of the building needs a standby generator for use during power outages. The electrical contractor installs a...
“Installation approved!” It’s what those involved in construction strive for as they build their projects. Obtaining approvals involves multiple steps, many of which are related to the communication and relation with...
The words in this headline opened every episode of the original Star Trek, along with some of the movies. Lately, when I hear those words, I think of Section 110.26 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) . Space in buildings...
