The Formation of the NEC

Description

A Must-Read for Electricians: Understanding the NEC

This book provides a visual journey through the National Electrical Code (NEC), exploring its formation, the intent behind its rules, sovereign immunity, liability, the role of inspectors, licensing exams, and the permit process. Tom Henry distills over 60 years of experience into 12 educational chapters, offering insights into the NEC and its relevance in today’s real world.

You’ll find this book both enlightening and engaging, guiding you from the origins of electrical standards to their application today. The light bulb marked a turning point in human history, much like the printing press. In the last century, technological advancements have outpaced those of the previous thousand years. Without the light bulb, modern computing as we know it would not exist

• The use of flints to start fire may have occurred as far back as 400,00 years ago.
• 1826 – Creation of Ohms law. Georg Simon Ohm, German physicist who discovered the law, named after him.
• July 7th, 1888 Nikola Tesla sells patents for A.C. Polyphase system to George Westinghouse for $25,000 in cash, $50,000 in notes and a royalty of $2.50 per horsepower for each motor.
• The first electrical codes in the United States originated in New York in 1881 to regulate installations of electric lighting.
• The 118-year old Centennial Bulb. A modern marvel in hand blown glass and thick carbon filament.
• Harvey Hubbell II was an American inventor, entrepreneur and industrialist. His best known inventions are the U.S. electrical plug and the pull chain light socket.
• 1752 – Benjamin Franklin’s key experiment establishing the relationship between lightning and static electricity.
• 1878 – Thomas Edison establishes the Edison Electric Light Company. He has been described as America’s greatest inventor.
• Incandescent lighting unboubtedly changed the world, without a doubt, the most exciting time in the history of innovation.
• Edison didn’t just develop a lamp; he invented a whole system of creating and delivering electricity.
• January 12, 1897 – Nikola Tesla opened the first hydro electric power plant in Niagara Falls.
• The first microwave oven was called the Radarange and it was over six feet tall and weighed almost 800 pounds.

With Edison’s and Hubbell’s electric products and the Pearl Street power plant, the era of electrical wiring began. In 1893, William Merrill was hired to evaluate the fire risk of 100,000 Edison incandescent light bulbs at the Palace of Electricity during the World’s Fair in Chicago.

At that time, electrical installers followed five different codes from various organizations, making uniformity nearly impossible. On November 6, 1896, representatives from these organizations met in New York to address fire safety and standardization, leading to the creation of the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).

The draft was sent to over 1,000 experts worldwide, who provided feedback and suggestions. The committee reconvened in June to refine the document, resulting in the National Electrical Code of 1897, which set the foundation for electrical safety standards.

• Over the years I have learned the internet of the NEC by referring to The National Electrical Code Committee Report on Proposals.
• By explaining the building permit process in detail, this article will uncover the myth.
• Ask yourself if the industry is fulfilling the intent of the electrical license?
• A home inspector is sometimes confused with a real estate appraiser. Very few home inspectors are qualified to make a complete detailed assessment of an electrical system.
• Being an Electrical Inspector, an enforcer of electrical codes and regulations, requires a vast knowledge of the National Electrical Code.
• I have trouble with deleting NEC sections by a local code, as the NEC is the “minimum” safety standard.
• The insurance company that requires the homeowner to have this electrical work performed should request a copy of a signed permit by an electrical inspector.
• To make a final electrical inspection of a building without turning the power on, would be like finalizing a swimming pool with no water!

So many in the electrical industry are not aware of Chapter Eight – Sovereign Immunity. The rationale was that the government could do no wrong, but that allowing a lawsuit for breach of a government duty would expose the government to unlimited liability, the costs of which would have to be borne by taxpayers.
The electrician is responsible for the correct installation of electrical wiring, not the inspector. The following is why education is so important in the electrical industry.

“Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.”