Pocket Guide to the National Electrical Code, 2005 Edition, 8th Edition

About

Features

Portable Pocket Guide to the NEC that has been a handy reference for the electrical designer, installer and manufacturer for past 22 years.

° Update to include changes to the 2005 National Electrical Code.

° Explains in plain simple understandable English what the NEC states in 'codelanguage.'

° The pocket size format makes it easy to carried in a shirt pocket, tool box, glove compartment or brief case.

Description

The Number 1 Practical, Portable, Plain-English Guide to the 2005 National Electrical Code

Whatever your role in designing or installing electrical systems, you need up-to-the-minute, easy-to-use information about the newest National Electrical Code. The Pocket Guide to the National Electrical Code®, 2005 Edition, brings together all the topics, tables, and calculations you'll use most often in a pocket guide organized for rapid access and maximum usability.

No other book is as convenient, or reflects as much feedback from working professionals. Writing in plain English, NFPA Committee Service Award honoree and Life Member Marvin J. Fischer, P.E., walks you through every key area of the code, highlighting crucial changes you need to know about. For more than twenty-two years the Pocket Guide has served as the quick, reliable source for Code answers. With even more up-to-date information--and a new lower price--this guide is a must-have for every practicing member in this field.

• Essential information for every electrician, contractor, installer, designer, inspector, architect, consultant, manufacturer, and instructor.
• Carry it anywhere--your shirt pocket, toolbox, glove compartment, briefcase...wherever you go!
• Covers general code issues and concepts; wiring and protection; wiring methods and materials; equipment for general use; special occupancies, equipment, and conditions; and communications systems.
• Also presents product safety standards, guidance on ampacity calculations, conduit and tubing fill tables, and administration/enforcement information.
• Contains virtually all the tables you'll need to use, and every calculation example.
• Organized to match the 2005 NEC itself, for easy reference and cross-checking.
• Reflects every significant change in the 2005 NEC.

Sample Content

Table of Contents

List of Tables xi
Preface xv
Guide for the User xvii
90 Introduction xix

1: General 1

100 Definitions 1

110 Requirements for Electrical Installations 1

2: Wiring and Protection 5

200 Use and Identification of Grounded Conductors 5

210 Branch Circuits 7

215 Feeders 20

220 Branch-Circuit, Feeder, and Service Calculations 22

225 Outside Branch Circuits and Feeders 38

230 Services 44

240 Overcurrent Protection 52

250 Grounding and Bonding 59

280 Surge Arresters 79

285 Transient Voltage Surge Supressors (TVSSs) 79

3: Wiring Methods and Materials 81

300 Wiring Methods 81

310 Conductors for General Wiring 88

312 Cabinets, Cutout Boxes, and Meter Socket Enclosures 112

314 Outlet, Device, Pull, and Junction Boxes; Conduit Bodies; Fittings; and Handhole Enclosures 113

320 Armored Cable: Type AC 120

322 Flat Cable Assemblies: Type FC 122

324 Flat Conductor Cable: Type FCC 122

326 Integrated Gas Spacer Cable: Type IGS 123

328 Medium-Voltage Cable: Type MV 124

330 Metal-Clad Cable: Type MC 125

332 Mineral-Insulated, Metal-Sheathed Cable: Type MI 127

334 Nonmetallic-Sheathed Cable: Types NM, NMC, and NMS 128

336 Power and Control Tray Cable: Type TC 130

338 Service-Entrance Cable: Types SE and USE 131

340 Underground Feeder and Branch-Circuit Cable: Type UF 132

342 Intermediate Metal Conduit: Type IMC 134

344 Rigid Metal Conduit: Type RMC 136

348 Flexible Metal Conduit: Type FMC 139

350 Liquidtight Flexible Metal Conduit: Type LFMC 141

352 Rigid Nonmetallic Conduit: Type RNC 142

353 High Density Polyethylene Conduit: Type HDPE Conduit 147

354 Nonmetallic Underground Conduit with Conductors: Type NUCC 149

356 Liquidtight Flexible Nonmetallic Conduit: Type LFNC 150

358 Electrical Metallic Tubing: Type EMT 152

360 Flexible Metallic Tubing: Type FMT 154

362 Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing: Type ENT 155

366 Auxiliary Gutters 156

368 Busways 157

370 Cablebus 157

372 Cellular Concrete Floor Raceways 157

374 Cellular Metal Floor Raceways 158

376 Metal Wireways 158

378 Nonmetallic Wireways 158

380 Multioutlet Assembly 158

382 Nonmetallic Extensions 159

384 Strut-Type Channel Raceway 159

386 Surface Metal Raceways 160

388 Surface Nonmetallic Raceways 161

390 Underfloor Raceways 162

392 Cable Trays 163

394 Concealed Knob-and-Tube Wiring 167

396 Messenger Supported Wiring 168

398 Open Wiring on Insulators 169

4: Equipment for General Use 171

400 Flexible Cords and Cables 171

402 Fixture Wires 174

404 Switches 174

406 Receptacles, Cord Connectors, and Attachment Plugs (Caps) 177

408 Switchboards and Panelboards 179

409 Industrial Control Panels 183

410 Luminaires (Lighting Fixtures), Lampholders, and Lamps 184

411 Lighting Systems Operating at 30 Volts or Less 190

422 Appliances 190

424 Fixed Electric Space Heating Equipment 195

426 Fixed Outdoor Electric De-Icing and Snow-Melting Equipment 201

427 Fixed Electric Heating Equipment for Pipelines and Vessels 203

430 Motors, Motor Circuits, and Controllers 205

440 Air Conditioning and Refrigerating Equipment 219

445 Generators 223

450 Transformers and Transformer Vaults (Including Secondary Ties) 223

455 Phase Converters 223

460 Capacitors 223

470 Resistors and Reactors 223

480 Storage Batteries 223

490 Equipment, over 600 Volts, Nominal 223

5: Special Occupancies 225

500 Hazardous (Classified) Locations, Classes I, II, and III, Divisions 1 and 2 225

501 Class I Locations 227

502 Class II Locations 234

503 Class III Locations 239

504 Intrinsically Safe Systems 241

505 Class I, Zone 0, 1, and 2 Locations 241

506 Zone 20, 21, and 22 Locations for Flammable Dusts, Fibers, and Flyings 242

510 Hazardous (Classified) Locations--Specific 243

511 Commercial Garages, Repair and Storage 243

513 Aircraft Hangars 243

514 Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities 243

515 Bulk Storage Plants 243

516 Spray Application, Dipping, and Coating Processes 243

517 Health Care Facilities 243

518 Assembly Occupancies 251

520 Theaters, Audience Areas of Motion Picture and Television Studios, Performance Areas, and Similar Locations 251

525 Carnivals, Circuses, Fairs, and Similar Events 251

530 Motion Picture and Television Studios and Similar Locations 251

540 Motion Picture Projection Rooms 251

545 Manufactured Buildings 251

547 Agricultural Buildings 251

550 Mobile Homes, Manufactured Homes, and Mobile Home Parks 251

551 Recreational Vehicles and Recreational Vehicle Parks 251

552 Park Trailers 251

553 Floating Buildings 251

555 Marinas and Boatyards 251

590 Temporary Installations 251

6 Special Equipment 253

600 Electric Signs and Outline Lighting 253

604 Manufactured Wiring Systems 253

605 Office Furnishings (Consisting of Lighting Accessories and Wired Partitions) 253

610 Cranes and Hoists 253

620 Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators, Moving Walks, Wheelchair Lifts, and Stairway Chair Lifts 253

625 Electric Vehicle Charging System 253

630 Electric Welders 253

640 Audio Signal Processing, Amplification, and Reproduction Equipment 253

645 Information Technology Equipment 253

647 Sensitive Electronic Equipment 256

650 Pipe Organs 256

660 X-Ray Equipment 256

665 Induction and Dielectric Heating Equipment 256

668 Electrolytic Cells 256

669 Electroplating 256

670 Industrial Machinery 256

675 Electrically Driven or Controlled Irrigation Machines 256

680 Swimming Pools, Fountains, and Similar Installations 256

682 Natural and Artificially Made Bodies of Water 256

685 Integrated Electrical Systems 256

690 Solar Photovoltaic Systems 256

692 Fuel Cell Systems 256

695 Fire Pumps 256

7: Special Conditions 256

700 Emergency Systems 256

701 Legally Required Standby Systems 259

702 Optional Standby Systems 262

705 Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources 263

720 Circuits and Equipment Operating at Less Than 50 Volts 264

725 Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 Remote-Control, Signaling, and Power-Limited Circuits 264

727 Instrumentation Tray Cable, Type ITC 264

760 Fire Alarm Systems 264

770 Optical Fiber Cables and Raceways 264

780 Closed-Loop and Programmed Power Distribution 264

8: Communications Systems 264

800 Communications Circuits 264

810 Radio and Television Equipment 264

820 Community Antenna Television and Radio Distribution Systems 264

830 Network-Powered Broadband Communications Systems 264

9: Tables 265

Annex A Product Safety Standards 301

Annex B Application Information for Ampacity Calculation 301

Annex C Conduit and Tubing Fill Tables for Conductors and Fixture Wires of the Same Size 303

Annex D Examples 399

Annex E Types of Construction 429

Annex F Cross Reference Tables 435

Annex G Administration and Enforcement 435

Preface

Pocket Guide to the National Electrical Code® is intended for use as a convenient reference guide for all who are involved in the design, installation, inspection, and teaching of electrical installations as well as the manufacture of electrical products that go into these projects. It is intended for the frequent as well as the infrequent user. This book is not intended to replace the National Electrical Code but rather to be used with it. It is intended to provide a reference book containing those topics in the NEC that occur most frequently to the user in his or her work experience. The Code topics are discussed in plain, understandable English. The size of this book is such that it can be carried at all times when it might prove inconvenient to carry a copy of the complete National Electrical Code.

This book is arranged in the same order as the National Electrical Code. All chapter and article headings, and almost all paragraph headings, are included. This arrangement ensures that cross referencing between this book and the NEC is easy and convenient. It also ensures that one book will provide the necessary information regardless of who is using it. The NEC is not necessarily arranged in the order that one might use it. Depending upon whether you are designing, installing, inspecting, or teaching, the order in which you will use the different topics in the NEC will differ. A book arranged for an installer might not be convenient for the designer.

Because the purpose of this book is to compile a handy reference guide in pocket size, the entire National Electrical Code cannot be covered. The topics and parts of articles and paragraphs of the NEC chosen for discussion in this book are those that I feel would be most useful either on a daily basis or as a convenient reference. Less frequently used parts are noted by article or paragraph headings for reference purposes. This arrangement lets you know that even though not covered, those topics do exist in the Code.

For convenience in use and reference, certain tables and examples are reproduced by permission of the National Fire protection Association. Included in this book are more than 30 tables taken from Chapters 1 through 8 in the Code. They are found throughout this book in the same location as they appear in the Code. Also included in their entirety are Chapter 9 (Tables), Annex C (Conduit and Tubing Fill Tables for Conductors and Fixture Wires of the Same Size), and Annex D (Examples).

The material presented in this book is not intended as official interpretations. Official or formal interpretations can be obtained only from the NFPA and through a definite procedure outlined in the Code. It is recommended that the authorities having jurisdiction be consulted. This book refers to the 2005 edition of the National Electrical Code.

Pocket Guide has been a handy reference for the electrical designer, installer, and manufacturer for 22 years. The first one was published in 1984, and this is the 8th edition. Since that time I have had many conversations with the users. They have told me how convenient it is to have all the information in a pocket-size book that can be carried in a shirt pocket, toolbox, glove compartment, or briefcase. having been a field engineer and designer, I wrote the book for this very reason. Since the first edition I have tried to encompass the comments that I have received from the users into editions of the book. In recent years other pocket guides have been written. None of them has been used as long as this one, nor have they included the input from the users over these many years. I have been told that there are many contractors who give a copy to each of their installers.

The National Electrical Code is not necessarily arranged in the order that one might use it. A person installing an additional outlet or branch circuit in an existing residence might refer to entirely different sections and paragraphs and in a different order than a contractor installing the electrical system in a multistory office building or an engineer designing the electrical system in a large industrial plant. It would take many different charts or tables to cover all the possibilities that could exist. This book is easy to use because it is arranged in exactly the same order as is the National Electrical Code. The user can look in the Contents for a topic in this book and find it in exactly the same location as in the Code. The user can then see what sections and paragraphs are applicable to the project being worked on. All of the chapter, article, and paragraph headings from the NEC are included in the same order as they are in the NEC. Because this is a pocket guide, not all of the material in the NEC can be covered. If the material required is not covered in this book, then reference to the NEC is easy and convenient. If the user has a special occupancy then it is easy to determine where that information is located by using the Contents.

For example, consider the topic of receptacles, cord connectors, and attachment plugs. Information can be found in articles 100, 200, 210, 250, 406, 422, 440, 501, 502, 503, 517, 527, 530, 555, 647, 680, and 720, depending upon what information is required for your project. Different users would refer to different sections and paragraphs in different orders depending upon the user and the project.

Reference to the Contents is necessary. The user must determine whether the occupancy of the project falls in the category of a special occupancy, which is located in Chapter 5 (such as a health care occupancy); whether it is special equipment, which is located in Chapter 6 (such as an elevator); whether there are special conditions, which is located in Chapter 7 (such as an emergency system); or whether it is a communications system, which is located in Chapter 8 (such as radio and television equipment). The user can then refer to the rest of the Code for the general information that pertains to almost every installation.

The more than 30 tables from Chapters 1 through 8, Chapter 9 (Tables), Annex C (Conduit and Tubing Fill Tables for Conductors and Fixture Wires of the Same Size), and Annex D (Examples), all reproduced from the Code by permission of the National Fire Protection Association, make this Pocket Guide an excellent field companion. The tables from Chapters 1 through 8, Chapter 9, and Annex C are frequently used and have proven to be convenient for the user to consult while on the job. Annex D shows examples of calculations of the electrical loads as well as branch circuit, feeder, and service overcurrent protection sizes and wire sizes for different types of occupancies. These too are convenient to have and refer to.

A word of caution: It is strongly recommended that the authorities having jurisdiction be contacted to ensure that the proper electrical code is being used. In order for a code to be law it must be adopted into law by a jurisdiction. As a result there can be a time delay between the publication of a new edition of the NEC and its adoption into law. Also, the local jurisdiction might adopt an edition of the NEC with some changes and amendments.

Marvin J. Fischer

Updates

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