Learning apprentices strive hard to learn it. All licensed electricians know it. Those who abide to it as if it is a bible. What is it?
It is the National Electric Code (NEC), of course.
What is the National Electric Code?
Here are the 10 facts about the National Electric Code:
1. It serves as a guideline amongst licensed electricians
The National Electric Code, often abbreviated as “NEC” for simplicity, is a wide collection of authoritative guidelines meant for the safe and secure installation of electrical wiring and equipment, particularly in the United States. For the uninitiated, the NEC lists all the do’s and don’ts in every practice of the trade, starting from the basics up to the advanced.
With its up-to-date knowledge, adherents to the dictates of the NEC are less likely to commit errors which translates to as a job done well in actual practice.
2. A long-held belief
The NEC, also sometimes referred to simply as “The Code,” was originally published in 1897 and has seen subsequent updates—usually, every 3 years— since then, adding to its rich knowledge, which licensed electricians of today strictly adhere to.
As of 2017, following the previous 2014 rendition, the most up-to-date version of the NEC is over 1000 pages long which suggests a lot of learning and going back to, even for the experienced proponents of the trade. The reference material is available in both digital and print.
3. Not a federal law, but is binding
The National Electric Code makes part of the series of National Fire Codes as published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) , which is a private trade association.
As such, although the term “national” in its label may seem to denote that The Code is an enforced “federal law,” it actually is not.
However, there is also a political side to The Code given the presence of local governing bodies for its implementation, usually via a majority vote among those in positions of power at the local setting. Subsequently, the National Electric Code is only applicable when it is officially adopted by either the local jurisdiction or the state.
4. Not all states abide to the same version of NEC
In as much as each state in the United States has its own varying laws as others, not all states in the country follow to the same roadmap of the National Electric Code. Some are actually more or less updated than others.
For instance, a “laidback” state such as Indiana still sticks with the 2008 version of NEC whereas other states like Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, etc. are now up-to-date by applying the 2017 version of The Code in 2019. Worthy of mention is that other states are still adopted to either the 2011 (District of Columbia) or 2014 (Alabama, California, Delaware, etc.) version of NEC.
For a comprehensive list of which version of NEC does each state follows by, check out this link .
5. Some jurisdictions are contemplating of extending NEC’s traditional revision period to as much as 6 years
Being up-to-date with the latest changes in the NEC may prove perky to those states which are meticulous about the trend. But there are also states which are not as keen in the idea that which culminated to the idea of proposing to extend NEC’s traditional “3-year cycle revision” to a further 3 more years or up to 6 six years max.
6. It does not apply with Canada
The United States and Canada may be neighbors, but they do not necessarily share similar viewpoints, particularly in how licensed electricians perform their practice. As such, while the National Electric Code may seem established and elaborate enough for adoption elsewhere, Canada abides by its own set of guidelines as published by the Canadian Standards Association .
So, if you are a licensed electrician who underwent training in the United States and is seeking to apply your skill in Canada, you may want to brush up on your understanding of Canada’s version of “The Code” and see where the differences may be coming from, among other things.
Experts, however, claim that there is not much of a difference between Canada’s version of “NEC” to that of United States. This should offer some level of comfort for those who are thinking of migrating to Canada soon, coming from the United States, as a licensed electrician.
7. The NEC is also designed for the electrician’s protection, too
While the idea of ensuring high-quality job during and after work is central to the mandates of the National Electric Code, it is also equally as concerned about the welfare of its practitioners. Therefore, in line with the perfect practices laid out in the guideline, there are also details in it which instructs its learners how to uphold their safety while on the job.
8. It is the least modified model code
Being only a part of a series of codes handled by the NFPA, the National Electric Code is considered the least among the list to require modification to suit regional regulations. Perhaps, this is due to the fact that the NEC is, and to reiterate, only gets updated every 3 years since the very first NEC version was published back in 1897.
9. The National Electric Code may not apply to every household
Houses which were built before 1974, roughly the average household in the United States, are considered outdated in US standards and are therefore not applicable for the latest version of the National Electric Code. For the NEC to apply, one of two conditions must be met—it must be newly-built house/construct or one that has to go through extensive renovations.
10. The NEC is ethically and morally-binding
To date, there are still plenty of fire accidents that are taking place across the United States which would have been prevented if the mandates of the National Electric Code is applied. Therefore, the creation and application of the NEC is not merely an optional thing, it is with ethical and moral responsibility that it must be adhered to.