Has it been three years already? For some of your electrical contractor customers who wait with bated breath for each edition of the National Electrical Code, the 2005 NEC couldn't have come soon enough. But for those just getting used to the 2002 edition, it no doubt seems like yesterday that the NEC underwent massive renumbering and AFCIs became a requirement for all 125V bedroom outlets.
Still, no one can say they didn't know it was coming. Just as reliable as the arrival of each new edition of the NEC is the Code coverage of EC&M, Electrical Wholesaling's sister magazine.
EC&M recently enlisted Code guru Mike Holt to narrow the field to the Top 25 need-to-know revisions.
Reading through this analysis, you'll notice several different type faces. Blue text is a slightly reworded representation of what appears in the Code. Underlined blue text represents Code text that has either been changed or added.
210.8 GFCI PROTECTION
The text was revised to require all 15A and 20A, 125V receptacles within 6 feet of the dwelling unit laundry or utility sink to be GFCI protected. Irons, hair dryers, and similar items with ungrounded polarized and nonpolarized cord caps are commonly used in this area and present the same shock hazard found in other areas where the NEC currently requires GFCI protection.
(A) Dwelling Units
(7)Laundry, Utility,and Wet Bar Sinks. GFCI protection is required for all 15 and 20A, 125V receptacles located within an arc measurement of 6 ft from the dwelling unitlaundry, utility,and wet bar sink. (Fig. 1, above)
210.8 GFCI PROTECTION
The GFCI protection requirement for commercial kitchens was clarified by adding a definition of a kitchen. This new requirement expands the GFCI protection requirements for 15A or 20A, 125V receptacles to include receptacles that are located outdoors and accessible to the public.
(B) Other Than Dwelling Units
(2) Commercial and Institutional Kitchens.All 15 and 20A, 125V receptacles installed in kitchens, even those that do not supply the countertop surface, must be GFCI protected.
Author's Comment:GFCI protection is required for all 15A and 20A, 125V receptacles installed in kitchens, even if not readily accessible or on a dedicated branch circuit for a specific cord-and-plug connected appliance. (Fig. 2 above right)
For the purposes of this section, a kitchen is defined as an area with a sink and permanent facilities for food preparation and cooking.
Author's Comment:This definition distinguishes commercial and institutional kitchens from those areas often found in employee break rooms that might have a portable cooking appliance.
210.8 GFCI PROTECTION
New text was added that calls for the installation of GFCI-protected receptacles in all outdoor public spaces accessible to the public.
(4) Outdoor Public Spaces.All 15 and 20A, 125V receptacles installed in apublic space that is for use by or is accessible to the public must be GFCI protected.(Fig. 3, below)
Ex: GFCI protection isn't required for a fixed electric snow-melting or de-icing equipment receptacle that isn't readily accessible. See 426.28.
Author's Comment:GFCI protection isn't required for receptacles located outside of commercial and industrial occupancies where the general public doesn't have access. (Fig. 4 on page 34)
210.12 ARC-FAULT CIRCUIT-INTERRUPTER PROTECTION
Text was revised to require that all dwelling unit bedroom branch-circuit AFCI protection devices must be listed as a “Combination Type AFCI,” effective Jan. 1, 2008. And a new exception permits AFCI protection by a device that isn't a circuit breaker, such as a receptacle, but only if it meets stringent requirements.
(B) Dwelling Unit Bedroom Circuits. All 15 or 20A, 120V branch circuits that supply outlets in dwelling unit bedrooms must be AFCI-protected by a listed arc-fault circuit interrupter. (Fig. 5, below)
Author's Comment:Smoke detectors connected to a 15A or 20A circuit must be AFCI-protected if the smoke detector is located in the bedroom of a dwelling unit. The exemption of AFCI protection for the fire alarm circuit (760.21 and 760.41) doesn't apply to the smoke detector circuit, because a smoke detector circuit isn't defined as a fire alarm circuit; it's an “alarm circuit” (See NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code).
After January 1, 2008 (basically a 2008 NEC requirement), AFCI protection shall be provided by a combination type AFCI protection device.
Author's Comment:Combination type AFCI protection devices provide improved safety performance over existing AFCI protection devices, because the combination type is designed to detect arcs as low as 5A peak. Existing branch-circuit AFCI circuit breakers are designed to operate when the arcs exceed 75A peak.
See UL 1699, Standard for Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters (www.UL.com) for information on the differences between a branch-circuit type AFCI and a combination type AFCI.
Ex: The location of the AFCI can be at other than the origination of the branch circuit if in compliance with (a) and (b).
(a) The AFCI is installed within 6 ft of the branch-circuit overcurrent device as measured along the branch-circuit conductors.
(b) The circuit conductors between the branch-circuit overcurrent device and the AFCI must be installed in a metal raceway or a cable with a metallic sheath.
Author's Comment:The 120V circuit limitation means that AFCI protection isn't required for equipment rated 230V, such as a baseboard heater or room air-conditioner.
250.104 BONDING OF PIPING SYSTEMS AND EXPOSED STRUCTURAL METAL
The structural metal member bonding requirements that were located in 250.30(A)(3)(d) and 250.104(A)(1) were combined and relocated to 250.104(D) to improve NEC usability.
(D) Separately Derived Systems. Metal water pipe systems and structural metal that is interconnected to form a building frame must be bonded to the separately derived systems in accordance with (1), (2) and (3).
(1) In the area served by a separately derived system the nearest available point of the metal water piping system must be bonded to the grounded (neutral) terminal of the separately derived system. The bonding at the separately derived system must be at the same location where the grounding electrode conductor and system jumper terminates [250.32(A)].(Fig. 6, below)
The bonding jumper for the metal water pipe system must be sized in accordance with Table 250.66, based on the largest ungrounded conductor of the separately derived system.
Ex. 1: A bonding jumper from the metal water piping system to the separately derived system isn't required if the water pipe is used as the grounding (earthing) electrode for the separately derived system.
Ex. 2: A separate bonding jumper to the metal water pipe isn't required where the metal frame of the building or structure is used as the grounding (earthing) electrode for a separately derived system and is bonded to the metal water pipe in the area served by the separately derived system.(Fig. 7, above)
(2) Structural Metal. Where exposed structural metal that is interconnected to form the building frame exists in the area served by the separately derived system, it must be bonded to the grounded (neutral) conductor of each separately derived system. This connection must be made at the same point on the separately derived system where the grounding electrode conductor is connected. Each bonding jumper must be sized in accordance with Table 250.66 based on the largest ungrounded conductor of the separately derived system.
Ex 1: A separate bonding jumper to the building structural metal isn't required where the metal frame of a building or structure is used as the grounding electrode for the separately derived system.
Ex 2: A separate bonding jumper to the building structural metal isn't required where the water piping of a building or structure is used as the grounding electrode for a separately derived system and is bonded to the building structural metal in the area served by the separately derived system.
(3) Common Grounding Electrode Conductor. Where a common grounding electrode conductor is installed for multiple separately derived systems as permitted by 250.30(A)(4), and exposed structural metal that is interconnected to form the building frame or interior metal piping exists in the area served by the separately derived system, the metal piping and the structural metal member must be bonded to the common grounding electrode conductor.
Ex: A separate bonding jumper from each derived system to metal water piping and to structural metal members isn't required where the metal water piping and the structural metal members in the area served by the separately derived system are bonded to the common grounding electrode conductor.
250.2 DEFINITIONS
The text added to the definition of an effective ground-fault current path is intended to help the Code user understand that its purpose is to help clear a ground fault by facilitating the operation of the overcurrent device.
Effective Ground-Fault Current Path. An intentionally constructed, permanent, low-impedance conductive path designed to carry fault current from the point of a ground fault on a wiring system to the grounded (neutral) point at the electrical supply source. (Fig. 8, above)
The effective ground-fault current path is intended to facilitate the operation of thecircuit overcurrent protective device, or the ground-fault detector on a high-impedance grounded system.(Fig. 9, below)
MORE CODE COVERAGE
The Top 25 revisions are excerpted from Mike Holt's Illustrated Guide — Changes to the NEC 2005 and presented in the order they appear in the 2005 NEC. With nearly 5,000 changes proposed for the 2005 NEC, more than 225 will have a significant impact on designing, installing and inspecting electrical systems. Mike Holt's Illustrated Guide is a comprehensive textbook that includes color illustrations and is available for $44 at www.mikeholt.com.
EC&M magazine will be highlighting 2005 Code changes in its e-mail newsletter, CodeWatch. Don't receive CodeWatch? Visit www.ecmweb.com and click on “subscriptions” to sign up.
