Code coverage continues this month with a look at some of the changes to Chapter 6-9 of the 2002 NEC. Some of these changes will affect the products that you sell.

(Note: As you make your way through each change, keep in mind that excerpts are paraphrased from the National Electrical Code with new material or changes in italics. An explanation for the revision also follows each discussion.)

Article 645 — Information Technology Equipment 645.5 Supply Circuits and Interconnecting Cables

(D) Under Raised Floors
(2) Branch Circuit Supply Conductors. You must install the branch-circuit supply conductors to receptacles or field-wired equipment within a raised floor in rigid metal conduit, rigid nonmetallic conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, electrical nonmetallic tubing, metal wireway, nonmetallic wireway, surface metal raceway with metal cover, nonmetallic surface raceway, flexible metal conduit, liquidtight flexible metal conduit or liquidtight flexible nonmetallic conduit, Type MI cable, Type MC cable or Type AC cable.

Intent: The new text clarifies you can install metal or nonmetallic raceways of all types within the raised floor area in an information technology (IT) equipment room because this area is not subject to physical damage and it is not considered a plenum space [300.22(D)]. You can install control, signal and communications cables such as CL2, CM, MP or CATV within the raised floor area in an IT equipment room [645.5(D)(5)(c)].

Article 680 — Swimming Pools, Fountains, and Similar Installations

Article 680 was reorganized, and many of the rules were relocated within the article. These changes comply with the new style and format of the Code and make the Article easier to use.

Part II. Permanently Installed Pools 680.22 Area Lighting, Receptacles, and Equipment

(A) Receptacles
(4) Restricted Space. You can install one 15A or 20A, single-phase, 125V receptacle not less than 5 ft measured horizontally from the inside wall of the pool at a dwelling unit if the dimensions of the lot do not allow the receptacle outlet required in 680.22(A)(3) to be 10 ft from the water.

Intent: This new rule allows the required 15A or 20A, single-phase, 125V receptacle for outdoor pools and spas for dwelling units [680.22(A)(3)] to be located less than 10 ft, but not closer than 5 ft, from the pool, if the dimensions of the property prevent locating the receptacle 10 ft away as required in 680.22(A)(3).

(A) Receptacles
(5) GFCI Protection. All 125V receptacles located within 20 ft of the inside walls of a pool or fountain must be protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter. Receptacles supplying pool pump motors rated 15A or 20A, single-phase, 120V through 240V must be provided with GFCI protection.

Intent: The revised text clarifies GFCI protection is required for all 15A or 20A, 120V through 240V circuits that supply single-phase receptacles for pool pump motors.

680.26 Bonding

(B) Bonding Together
(1) Metallic Parts of Pool Structure. You must bond all metallic parts of the water structure, including the reinforcing metal of the pool shell, coping stones and deck to a common bonding grid [680.26(C)]. Steel tie-wires are suitable for bonding together reinforcing steel. Where the reinforcing steel is encapsulated with a nonconductive compound, you must make provisions for an alternate means to eliminate voltage gradients, which would otherwise be provided by unencapsulated, bonded reinforcing steel.

Intent: The revised text requires you to bond all reinforcing steel of the water structure to a common bonding grid, and any reinforcing steel that is encapsulated with a nonconductive compound must be provided with an alternate means to eliminate voltage gradients.

There is no acceptable method for bonding nonconductive-coated steel, so a task group has been assembled to investigate this issue and provide data to the industry on how this could be accomplished. Now, you can only use steel without a nonconductive coating for swimming pools, outdoor spas, and hot tubs because there is no way to use structural steel with nonconductive, anti-corrosion coating to eliminate voltage gradients.

Article 690 — Solar Photovoltaic Systems 690.14 Additional Provisions

(C) Requirements for Disconnecting Means. You must provide a means to disconnect all conductors in a building or other structure from the photovoltaic system conductors in accordance with the following:

(1) Location. You must install the photovoltaic disconnecting means at a readily accessible location inside or outside of a building or structure nearest the point of entrance of the system conductors. You cannot install the disconnecting means in bathrooms.

(2) Marking. You must permanently mark each photovoltaic system disconnecting means to identify it as a photovoltaic system disconnect.

(3) Suitable for Use. Each photovoltaic system disconnecting means must be suitable for the prevailing conditions. Equipment installed in hazardous (classified) locations must comply with the requirements of Arts. 500 through 517.

(4) Maximum Number of Disconnects. The photovoltaic system disconnecting means must consist of not more than six switches or six circuit breakers mounted in a single enclosure, in a group of separate enclosures, or in or on a switchboard.

Intent: This new subsection clarifies the disconnecting means for the PV system must comply with similar requirements in Article 230 for services.

690.56 Identification of Power Sources

A section was added to Article 690 to cover the identification requirements for photovoltaic power systems supplying buildings, structures, or both:

(A) Facilities with Standalone Systems. Any building, facility, or structure with a photovoltaic power system that is not connected to a utility service source and is a standalone system must have a permanent plaque or directory installed on the exterior of the building or structure at a readily visible location acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The plaque or directory must provide the location of system disconnecting means and information regarding whether the structure contains a standalone electrical power system.

(B) Facilities with Utility Services and PV Systems. Buildings, facilities or structures with both utility service and a photovoltaic system must have a permanent plaque or directory providing the location of the service disconnecting means and the photovoltaic system disconnecting means if they are not located at the same location.

Intent: The required plaque or label enables personnel to quickly locate the disconnecting means to facilitate and speed the shutdown of all power to a building in an emergency.

Article 692 — Fuel Cell Systems 692.1 Scope

This Article identifies the requirements for the installation of fuel-cell power systems, which may be standalone or interactive with other electrical power production sources and may be with or without electrical energy storage, such as batteries.

692.2 Definitions

Fuel Cell. An electrochemical system that consumes fuel to produce an electrical current. The main chemical reaction used in a fuel cell for producing electrical power is not combustion. There may, however, be sources of combustion used within the overall fuel cell system such as reformers/fuel processors.

Fuel Cell System. The complete aggregate of equipment used to convert chemical fuel into usable electricity. A fuel cell system typically consists of a reformer, stack, power inverter and auxiliary equipment.

692.6 Listing Requirement

The fuel-cell system must be evaluated and listed for its intended application prior to installation.

Intent: Because of the complexity of a fuel cell system, the NFPA decided it was best to require these systems to be listed as a complete assembly.

Article 700 — Emergency Systems 700.12 General Requirements

(B) Generator Set
(6) Disconnect. Where an outdoor-housed generator for emergency circuits is equipped with a readily accessible disconnecting means located within sight of the building or structure supplied, an additional disconnecting means is not required on or at the building or structure for the generator feeder conductors.

Intent: The new wording clarifies a disconnect for the feeder from the generator is not required at or on the building or structure, if the emergency generator disconnecting means is within sight of the building or structure.

Article 701 — Legally Required Standby Systems 701.11 Legally Required Standby Systems

(B) Generator Set
(5) Disconnect. Where an outdoor-housed generator for legally required circuits is equipped with a readily accessible disconnecting means located within sight of the building or structure supplied, you don't need an additional disconnecting means on or at the building or structure for the generator feeder conductors.

Intent: The wording in this new subsection clarifies that a disconnect for the feeder from the generator is not required at or on the building/structure, if the emergency generator disconnecting means is within sight of the building or structure.

(E) Connection Ahead of Service Disconnecting Means. Where acceptable to the AHJ, the Code permits connections located ahead and not within the same cabinet, enclosure or vertical switchboard section as the service disconnecting means. The legally required standby service disconnect must be sufficiently separated from the normal service disconnection means to prevent simultaneous interruption of supply through an occurrence with the building or groups of buildings served.

Intent: The new wording clarifies the NEC permits connections ahead of and not within the same cabinet, enclosure, or vertical switchboard section as the service disconnecting means to supply standby power, where acceptable to the AHJ.

Article 702 — Optional Standby Systems 702.1 Scope

The systems covered by this Article consist of those that are permanently installed, including prime movers, and those that are arranged for a connection to a premises wiring system from a portable alternate power supply.

Intent: The new sentence clarifies that Art. 702 applies to portable generators, which are commonly used for telecommunication facilities, water and wastewater pump stations and backup power to homes and offices.

702.3 Application of Other Articles

A temporary connection between any portable alternate power supply and the permanently installed premises wiring must comply with 527.2(C).

Intent: The new text alerts the reader that when a portable or vehicle-mounted generator provides temporary power and is connected to the permanent wiring system, a suitable means of transfer or isolation must be provided to prevent the inadvertent interconnection of normal and temporary power sources.

702.6 Transfer Equipment

A transfer switch is required for all fixed or portable optional standby power systems for buildings or structures for which an electric-utility supply is either the normal or standby source.

Intent: Whenever a fixed or portable standby generator connects to premises wiring, you must have a transfer switch.

725.3 Locations of Other Articles

(A) Number and Size of Conductors in Raceway. The number and size of conductors in a raceway must be in accordance with the limitations listed in 300.17.

Intent: The new rule requires that the raceway fill limitations of 300.17 apply to Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 conductors. When installing control and signaling cables in a raceway, you must limit the number in accordance with the percent fill limitations of Chapter 9, Table 1. The proposal that was submitted for this change was not intended to require Class 2 or Class 3 cables to comply with the raceway fill limitations [ROP 16-36], but the language has that effect. But this isn't important, because there is no physical way to install these cables anywhere near the 40 percent fill allowed in Chapter 9, Table 1 without destroying them.

Abandoned Cables

Definitions for the following types of cable were added in several sections throughout Chapters 6, 7 and 8 — all of which state that if you do not terminate these cables at the equipment and identify them for future use with a tag, they will be considered abandoned:

• 640.2 Abandoned audio distribution cable

• 725.2 Abandoned Class 2, Class 3, and PLTC cable

• 760.2 Abandoned fire alarm cable

• 770.2 Abandoned optical fiber cable

• 800.2 Abandoned communications cable

• 820.2 Abandoned coaxial cable

• 830.2 Abandoned network-powered broadband communications cable

Spread of Fire

Requirements regarding the spread of fire or products of combustion were added in several sections throughout Chapters 6, 7 and 8 — all of which state you must remove the abandoned accessible portion of the following types of cables:

• 640.3 Audio distribution cable

• 725.3 Class 2, Class 3 and PLTC cables

• 760.3 Fire alarm cables

• 770.3 Optical fiber cables

• 800.52 Communications cable

• 820.3 Coaxial cables

• 830.2 Network-powered broadband communications cable

Intent: The new rules require you to remove “abandoned cables” to limit the spread of fire or products of combustion within a building. The rule does not require the removal of concealed cables abandoned in place.

Cable Support

Text was revised in several sections throughout Chapters 6, 7 and 8 regarding mechanical execution of work — stating you must install the following types of circuits in a neat and workmanlike manner. Cables installed exposed on the surface of ceilings and sidewalls must be supported by the structural components of the building in such a manner that the cable will not be damaged by normal building use. The following types of cables must be secured to structural components by straps, staples, hangers or similar fittings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable:

• 725.6 Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 cables

• 760.6 Fire alarm cables

• 770.8 Optical fiber cables

• 800.6 Communications cables

• 820.6 Coaxial cables

• 830.7 Network-powered broadband communications cable

• 840.6 Audio distribution cables

Intent: The revised text clarifies that cables must be properly secured and protected from physical damage in accordance with Sec. 300.4(D).

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This analysis is excerpted from the author's book, Mike Holt's Illustrated Code Changes Based on the 2002 National Electrical Code. For more information, visit his Web site at www.mikeholt.com.