What code section do you find absolutely ridiculous?

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Strathead

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Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
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Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
I was reading yet another thread on clearance around electrical equipment and the point I consider valid that it applies to virtually every electrical item. It made me pose this question...

There are several sections of the code that I have had a major problem with over time. I usually just suppress it but let's see what some of you think.
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
I will start...

My recent one is 314.28 It is absolutely ridiculous to require an arbitrary separation of entering and exiting conduits of 6 times the diameter. Coming in to a box at the lower left corner side wall, looping all the way around the box and exiting 2" away in the lower left corner bottom wall is probably the best, easiest least stress on the wire application of a wire pull.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Since you are on 314.28, I find it a bit absurd that the NEC does not clarify the dimension issue in regard to conduit bodies. Requiring the 6X rule OR restrictions to what is "permanently marked" on the conduit body. { Not being allowed to install (4) 1/0 conductors in a conduit body marked "Max (3) 3/0" (as an example). }

Another absurdity is,IMO, is required a bonding jumper sized per 250.66 to a water pipe that is NOT a grounding electrode. 250.104
 
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cowboyjwc

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Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
Most of article 250. We could simplify it by 250.1 Ground the following.... 250.2 bond the following....250.3 Grounding and bonding may be accomplished by the following means.....
 
The rules and language for GEC's and grounding electrodes: irreversible spiced, supplemental electrodes, etc. Makes it sound like system grounding and equipment earthing is a life or death situation when it is less important than many other aspects of the electrical system, and it perpetuates the misunderstanding of what grounding does and doesnt do.
 

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
The use of water tight connectors and coupling on EMT. When the regular compression coupling was doing the job.
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
Requirement to strap MC and Romex within 1 foot of a box, especially when you are in the middle of a 2' stud bay. Either spend more money on a brace to secure to, or bend the cable back upon itself.
 

fmtjfw

Senior Member
408.36 Overcurrent Protection. In addition to the requirement of 408.30, a panelboard shall be protected by an overcurrent protective device having a rating not greater than that of the panelboard. This overcurrent protective device shall be located within or at any point on the supply side of the panelboard.

Exception No. 1: Individual protection shall not be required for a panelboard used as service equipment with
multiple disconnecting means in accordance with 230.71. In panelboards protected by three or more main circuit breakers or sets of fuses, the circuit breakers or sets of fuses shall not supply a second bus structure within the same panelboard assembly.


Exception No. 2: Individual protection shall not be required for a panelboard protected on its supply side by two main circuit breakers or two sets of fuses having a combined rating not greater than that of the panelboard. A panelboard constructed or wired under this exception shall not contain more than 42 overcurrent devices. For the purposes of determining the maximum of 42 overcurrent devices, a 2-pole or a 3-pole circuit breaker shall be considered as two or three overcurrent devices, respectively.

Exception No. 3: For existing panelboards, individual protection shall not be required for a panelboard used as service equipment for an individual residential occupancy.
 

busman

Senior Member
Location
Northern Virginia
Occupation
Master Electrician / Electrical Engineer
I will start...

My recent one is 314.28 It is absolutely ridiculous to require an arbitrary separation of entering and exiting conduits of 6 times the diameter. Coming in to a box at the lower left corner side wall, looping all the way around the box and exiting 2" away in the lower left corner bottom wall is probably the best, easiest least stress on the wire application of a wire pull.

I agree 100%. The Code just DOES NOT consider that anyone would ever make a 270 degree pull.

Mark
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
Wow, Roger, I wasn't aware of that rule specifically, I remembered something about a single load being limited to 12 amps, but for some reason I thought that was for a single load period, not specifically for two or more receptacles.

That really is stupid. Does that mean that is someone buys a Skill saw that draws 13 amps, they should have to have the NEC police come to their house and make sure they only plug it in to a dedicated receptacle?
 

roger

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Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Does that mean that is someone buys a Skill saw that draws 13 amps, they should have to have the NEC police come to their house and make sure they only plug it in to a dedicated receptacle?

Yes it does. :D

Roger
 

Wilg

Member
Location
VA
Not really that silly but a hard one to explain to contractors; 250.68 (A) "your connection to the ground rod must be accessible.....unless it's not....":blink:
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
All rules that cover things beyond the outlet should be removed from the code. Those rules belong in the product standards, not in an electrical installation standard.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
200.7(C)(1).

Having to remark a white that's used for an ungrounded in a switch loop is silly. If you pull out a switch and it has a black and white from an NM cable on it, and you can't figure out the white is hot, you don't need to be messing with it.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
210.12 Arc Fault requirements.

Defective technology, expensive, difficult to work with, no proof they have accomplished anything

:happyyes:

The use of water tight connectors and coupling on EMT. When the regular compression coupling was doing the job.
That is a listing issue and not a code issue, listing is what changed, code stayed the same.

200.7(C)(1).

Having to remark a white that's used for an ungrounded in a switch loop is silly. If you pull out a switch and it has a black and white from an NM cable on it, and you can't figure out the white is hot, you don't need to be messing with it.
:thumbsup:
 
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