A Word from Jake

This is a new exception to this required outlet in garages.  If you are wiring an apartment building that has separate garages for some of the units it is not required to have an outlet in that space.

Till next time, Be safe work safe

Jake

New for the 2020 Code is a big change to Islands and peninsulas and work surfaces.  You will have to calculate the square footage of the surface and figure out how many receptacle outlets are needed.  The first 9 sq. ft or less gets one and then and additional one for every 18 sq. ft or faction thereof.  Then looking at part (b) at least one outlet shall be located within 2 ft. of the outer end of a peninsular or work surface, and the rest being located per the installer, designer, or building owner.

We would like to wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

Till Next Year be safe, party safe, and work safe.

Jake

New to section 210.12 for Arc Fault circuits are added locations.  Patient Sleeping Rooms in Nursing Homes and Limited-Care Facilities are protected areas new to this section.

210.12 (C) Guest Rooms, Guest Suites, and Patient Sleeping Rooms in Nursing Homes and Limited-Care Facilities.

All 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets and devices installed in guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels and patient sleeping rooms in nursing homes and limited-care facilities shall be protected by any of the means described in 210.12(A)(1) through (6).

Each new Code cycle we get a little more Arc Fault protection.  Some day it will all be Arc Fault protected.  Which isn’t a bad thing.

Well that’s all for this week, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Jake

New to 2020 NEC is more areas in commercial and industrial areas that GFCI protection is needed.

Till next time be safe work safe

Jake

A new part was added to residential GFCI protection for the 2020 Code,  indoor damp and wet locations.  This could be the breeze way leading in from your pool or a mud room leading in from the back door.

Till next time be safe work safe.

Jake

New to section 210.8 GFCI protection is the inclusion of up to 250v receptacle outlet both for residential and commercials installations.They will be required in all the locations shown in 210.8(A) and (B) below.

210.8 (A) Dwelling Units.

All 125-volt through 250-volt receptacles installed in the locations specified in 210.8(A)(1) through (A)⁠(11) and supplied by single-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.

(1) Bathrooms

(2) Garages and also accessory buildings that have a floor located at or below grade level not intended as habitable rooms and limited to storage areas, work areas, and areas of similar use

(3) Outdoors                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Exception to (3) Receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied by a branch circuit dedicated to electric snow-melting, deicing, or pipeline and vessel heating equipment shall be permitted to be instal⁠led in accordance with 426.28 or 427.22, as applicable.

(4) Crawl spaces — at or below grade level

(5) Basements                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Exception to (5): A receptacle supplying only a permanently installed fire alarm or burglar alarm system shall not be required to have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection.        Informational Note: See 760.41(B) and 760.121(B) for power supply requirements for fire alarm systems. Receptacles installed under the exception to 210.8(A)⁠(5) shall not be considered as meeting the requirements of 210.52(G).

(6) Kitchens — where the receptacles are installed to serve the countertop surfaces

(7) Sinks — where receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6 ft) from the top inside edge of the bowl of the sink

(8) Boathouses

(9) Bathtubs or shower stalls — where receptacles are instal⁠led within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the outside edge of the bathtub or shower stall

(10) Laundry areas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Exception to (1) through (3), (5) through (8), and (10):                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Listed locking support and mounting receptacles utilized in combination with compatible attachment fittings installed for the purpose of serving a ceiling luminaire or ceiling fan shall not be required to be ground-fault circuit-interrupter protected. If a general-purpose convenience receptacle is integral to the ceiling luminaire or ceiling fan, GFCI protection shall be provided.

(11) Indoor damp and wet locations

(B) Other Than Dwelling Units.

All 125-volt through 250-volt receptacles supplied by single-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground, 50 amperes or less, and all receptacles supplied by three-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground, 100 amperes or less, installed in the locations specified in 210.8(B)(1) through (B)(12) shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.

(1) Bathrooms

(2) Kitchens or areas with a sink and permanent provisions for either food preparation or cooking

(3) Rooftops                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Exception: Receptacles on rooftops shall not be required to be readily accessible other than from the rooftop.

(4) Outdoors                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Exception No. 1 to (3) and (4): Receptacles that are not readily accessible and are supplied by a branch circuit dedicated to electric snow-melting, deicing, or pipeline and vessel heating equipment shall be permitted to be installed in accordance with 426.28 or 427.22, as applicable.

Exception No. 2 to (4): In industrial establishments only, where the conditions of maintenance and supervision ensure that only qualified personnel are involved, an assured equipment grounding conductor program as specified in 590.6(B)(2) shall be permitted for only those receptacle outlets used to supply equipment that would create a greater hazard if power is interrupted or having a design that is not compatible with GFCI protection.

(5) Sinks — where receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6 ft) from the top inside edge of the bowl of the sink

Exception No. 1 to (5): In industrial laboratories, receptacles used to supply equipment where removal of power would introduce a greater hazard shall be permitted to be installed without GFCI protection.

Exception No. 2 to (5): Receptacles located in patient bed locations of Category 2 (general care) or Category 1 (critical care) spaces of health care facilities shall be permitted to comply with 517.21.

(6) Indoor damp and wet locations

(7) Locker rooms with associated showering facilities

(8) Garages, accessory buildings, service bays, and similar areas other than vehicle exhibition halls and showrooms

(9) Crawl spaces — at or below grade level

(10) Unfinished areas of basements

Exception to (1) through (5), (8), and (10): Listed locking support and mounting receptacles utilized in combination with compatible attachment fittings installed for the purpose of serving a ceiling luminaire or ceiling fan shall not be required to be ground-fault circuit-interrupter protected. If a general-purpose convenience receptacle is integral to the ceiling luminaire or ceiling fan, GFCI protection shall be provided.

(11) Laundry areas

(12) Bathtubs and shower stalls — where receptacles are installed within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the outside edge of the bathtub or shower stall

CAN’T SEE THE PICTURE CLICK ON THE LINK.

Till next time be safe work safe

Jake

This weeks post has a change that will affect a few installations.  The garbage disposal will now have to be GFCI protected because they took out the words door and doorway in the section when measuring the distance from a sink.  It will also effect the outlets in hallways that are close to the bathroom, so you will have to position your outlets strategically when you have outlets in the hallway near a bathroom sink in order to save a little money.

Again these are not in use at this time they will be adopted on 12/31/2023.

I also received a couple of great pictures from Nancy, thanks for the great pictures.  I never “wood” have never thought of using them this way.

Till next time be safe work safe

Jake

This is the first of my newsletters for the  2020 Code changes,  There are quite a few changes that will impact your inspections and costs for construction.  I will send out a change every few weeks so as not to overloads your email.  We will not even use these changes until December 31, 2023 which is a ways off.  If you are getting inspections and they are using the 2020 Code they are not supposed to be using it until it is adopted, and like I said “NOT ASDOPTED FOR USE UNTIL 12.31.23”.

This first change has to do with large equipment and the requirements for safe egress from the gear rooms and such.  Being able to exit an area around large equipment is something that needs care in planning and is often misunderstood.  In past Codes, the equipment needed to have a breaker or fuse that was rated at least 1200 amperes individually for this section to apply,  and under the 2020 it will only need to have individual overcurrent devices that add up to 1200 amperes installed and are 6’ or more IN width.

So you could have 3 or 4 600 ampere disconnects that are more than 1200 amperes combined and when added together more than 6’ in width.  The potential for an arc flash or explosion in this area is still high even when the overcurrent devices are not rated at 1200 amperes.  All we are trying to accomplish is to give a worker a safe exit from the area around large electrical equipment.

Till next time be safe work safe

Jake