Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code 6th Edition

Book Preface

Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code offers an exciting new approach to understanding and applying the provisions of the National Electrical Code.* Unlike the Code, this text gathers and presents detailed information in a format, such as one-family or multifamily dwellings, based on “type of occupancy.” Code specifications applicable to a given type of occupancy are logically organized in easy-to-read units and graphically enhanced by numerous technical illustrations. Going an extra step, the occupancy-specific material is subdivided into specific rooms and areas. Information relevant to more than one type of occupancy is organized into independent units for easier reference. For instance, items such as race ways and conductors are covered in Unit 5 but are related to every type of occupancy.

Students who wish to acquire a comprehensive grasp of all electrical codes will want to study this text section by section and unit by unit. Practicing electricians who have specialized in one type of occupancy and who wish to understand an unfamiliar segment may want to focus on those new areas. For example, an electrician who has been wiring commercial facilities for a number of years wants to wire a new house. Being unfamiliar with the codes concerning residential wiring, this individual can turn to Section 2, “One-Family Dwellings.” Here, everything from receptacle placement to the placement of the service point is explained. Section 2 is made up of four units: Units 6 through 9. Unit 6, “General Provisions,” contains general requirements for one-family dwellings, both interior and exterior. Unit 7, “Specific Provisions,” addresses more complex issues, requiring additional provisions for specific areas such as kitchens, hallways, clothes closets, bathrooms, garages, basements, etc. Unit 8, “Load Calculations,” simplifies the standard as well as op tional load calculation methods for one-family dwel lings. Unit 9, “Services and Electrical Equipment,” is divided into five subheadings: Service-Entrance Wiring Methods; Service and Outside Wiring Clearances; Working Space around Equipment; Service Equipment and Panelboards; and Grounding.

The “what,” “when,” “where” adoption of the provisions of the NEC is under the discretionary control of state and local jurisdictions. State and local jurisdictions also have the liberty of appending additional codes, which in many cases may be more stringent than those outlined by the NEC. The Code may be adopted in whole or in part. For example, while some local codes do not allow the use of nonmetallic-sheathed cable for residential or commercial wiring, others allow its use in residential but not in commercial wiring applications. To ensure compliance, obtain a copy of any additional rules and regulations for your area.

This guide’s objective is to provide the information needed to complete your project— without the necessity of learning the NEC from cover to cover. Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code will bring your project to life as quickly and as accurately as any text on the market today. In the electrical field, as in any career, the learning experience never ends. W hether you are an electrician’s apprentice, a master electrician, or an electrical inspector, Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code has something for you. We believe you will find it to be a valuable addition to your reference library. In fact, you may want to include it in your toolbox or briefcase!

Take note that this guidebook was completed after all the normal steps in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 review cycle—Proposals to Code-Making Panels, review by Technical Correlating Committee, Report on Proposals, Comments to Code-Making Panels, review by Technical Correlating Committee, Report on Comments, NFPA Annual Meeting, and ANSI Standards Council—and before the actual publication of the 2014 edition of the NEC.

Every effort has been made to be technically correct, but there is always the possibility of typographical errors or appeals made to the NFPA Board of Directors after the normal review cycle that could change the appearance or substance of the Code. If changes do occur after the printing of this book, they will be included in the Instructor’s Guide and will be incorporated into the guidebook in its next printing. Note also that the Code has a standard method to introduce changes between review cycles, called “Tentative Interim Amendment,” or TIA. These TIAs and correction of typographical errors can be downloaded from the NFPA Web site, www.nfpa.org, to make your copy of the Code current.