Author: Jake

New to this section is requirement #16 for motors that are electronically protected to be marked on the nameplate. 

Got a great picture this week from George in West Palm beach, thanks George great picture.  See below.

If you want to make the pictures bigger just click on them.

Not sure what you call it but I would say a raceway “SPLITTER”!!!

Should try and get this fitting listed.

Till next time be safe work safe.

Jake

This new section does away with pulling down a fixture in a drywall or hard ceiling to access a junction box above the ceiling.  It now requires the box to be part of the fixture when it’s above a drywall or hard ceiling.

I don’t know who sent the picture of the week, but WOW!!!  Look it over tell me what you think.

Till next time be safe work safe.

Jake

A new requirement for outlets near bath tubs and showers has been placed in 406.9(C).  A minimum of 3’ from the tub or shower stall has been added, as with all Code section there is usually an exception to this requirement.  As shown in the graphic below exception #2 applies to our situation..

406.9(C) Bathtub and Shower Space.

Receptacles shall not be instal⁠led within a zone measured 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally and 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold. The identified zone is all-encompassing and shall include the space directly over the tub or shower stall.

Exception No. 1: In bathrooms with less than the required zone the receptacle(s) shall be permitted to be installed opposite the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold on the farthest wall within the room.

Exception No. 2: In a dwelling unit, a single receptacle shall be permitted for an electronic toilet or personal hygiene device such as an electronic bidet seat. The receptacle shall be readily accessible and located on one of the following:

(1) The wall behind the toilet but not behind the tank

(2) The opposite side of the toilet from the bathtub or shower

A picture came in this week that I thought would amuse most of you out there.  He wondered why he got a correction notice.  Thanks Jay!

Yes it is PVC!!!   Can’t get a good look at the pictures click on them.

Till next time be safe work safe.

Jake

This section covers outlets, not receptacles installed outdoors.  Receptacles outdoors are covered in section 210.8(A)(3).  An outlet is a point on a wiring system that current is taken to supply utilization equipment.  This section has an exemption for AC systems which has been tabled until September 1, 2026.  Sprinkler pumps, Gate operators, and other outdoor equipment will be covered by this section and shall be protected by a GFCI device.

Equipment 120/240 volts  up to and including 50 amperes will now have to be GFCI protected when installed outdoors.

Till the next time be safe work safe.

Jake

I’ve been getting a few calls lately about the new requirement for separation of mains when more than one main is supplied.  Yes they need to be separated and or separate, and grouped together, below you will see the old and new ways to comply with this requirement.  I’ve also seen a bar that can be installed across two mains in a meter main combo to make it comply with 230.71(A) for a single means of disconnect.

Also good news from Boca Raton they no longer require Arc Fault breakers to be installed when doing a service change or panel changeout.  Thanks goes to Mike the Building Official for Boca.

That’s all I got for this week.

Be safe work safe.

Jake

When there is more than 4 ground wires in a box as shown below, the ones over 4 shall be counted as a 1/4 of a volume each (cu. in.) based on largest ground in the box. 

New to the 2020 and could put you over on box fill.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK KIND OF GOES WITH BOX FILL

Can you sat rats nest!

Till next time be safe work safe.

Jake

It’s back, after a few years they finally brought this table back into the Code.  For the last few cycles it has been found in the examples back in Annex D.  It’s been a few years but it’s back  The 83% still lives on, but they also gave us 31012 TABLE, which shows us what size conductors we can use for a dwelling service.  Remember this TABLE only works when we feed the entire load from one feeder/service (see A through D below).  If you have two mains then this table does not work and you have to go to 310.16 for the conductors.

A through D below applies to 120/240 single phase services, and A through C applies to 120/208Y services.

(A) Services.  For a service rated 100 amperes through 400 amperes, the service conductors supplying the entire load associated with a one-family dwelling, or the service conductors supplying the entire load associated with an individual dwelling unit in a two-family or multifamily dwelling, shall be permitted to have an ampacity not less than 83 percent of the service rating. If no adjustment or correction factors are required, Table 310.12 shall be permitted to be applied.

(B) Feeders.  For a feeder rated 100 amperes through 400 amperes, the feeder conductors supplying the entire load associated with a one-family dwelling, or the feeder conductors supplying the entire load associated with an individual dwelling unit in a two-family or multifamily dwelling, shall be permitted to have an ampacity not less than 83 percent of the feeder rating. If no adjustment or correction factors are required, Table 310.12 shall be permitted to be applied.

(C) Feeder Ampacities.  In no case shall a feeder for an individual dwelling unit be required to have an ampacity greater than that specified in 310.12(A) or (B).

(D) Grounded Conductors.  Grounded conductors shall be permitted to be sized smaller than the ungrounded conductors, if the requirements of 220.61 and 230.42 for service conductors or the requirements of 215.2 and 220.61 for feeder conductors are met.

Where correction or adjustment factors are required by 310.15(B) or (C), they shall be permitted to be applied to the ampacity associated with the temperature rating of the conductor.

Informational Note No. 1:

The service or feeder ratings addressed by this section are based on the standard ampere ratings for fuses and inverse time circuit breakers from 240.6(A).

Till next time be safe work safe.

Jake

This is new to the Code just clarifying what was required by Life Safety 101.

Till next time be safe work safe

Jake