kingpb
Senior Member
- Location
- SE USA as far as you can go
- Occupation
- Engineer, Registered
Anybody know, in general, how close these codes compare?
Canadian Electrical Code Vs. NEC
- Thread starter kingpb
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
Well, their first names are different.:lol:
Seriously, is there are particular area that you are looking to compare?
- Location
- Lockport, IL
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Engineer
How close? Well, from my perspective, just over 100 miles. :lol:
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
They are fairly close, but not exactly the same. The differences consist of minutia too detailed to discuss effectively. If you are planning on moving from one country to the other, it's somewhat irrelevant anyway as your license will not have reciprocity. But if you are licensed in one or the other country and want to know if you can pass the testing in the other, probably, but that depends on whether or not you are relatively intelligent.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
And being relatively intelligent is not required to pass either test on its own. 
Tapatalk!
Tapatalk!
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
There is an ongoing process to bring the two codes closer together. The changes in the ampacity tables for the 2011 NEC was part of that process.
ron
Senior Member
- Location
- New York, 40.7514,-73.9925
There are a lot of similarities.
One difference I found out while designing a project using the Ontario Electric Code was the EGC are sized based on phase conductors ampacity, not breaker size. Also when paralleling sets, the equivalent size spread across the paralleled raceway is ok, it didn't have to be full size in each pipe.
One difference I found out while designing a project using the Ontario Electric Code was the EGC are sized based on phase conductors ampacity, not breaker size. Also when paralleling sets, the equivalent size spread across the paralleled raceway is ok, it didn't have to be full size in each pipe.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
Kitchens are allowed either 2 15 amp circuits or 1 20 amp. Both have to gfci be protected now. EGC sizes are allowed to be smaller with 15-30amp circuits not something allowed by the NEC. Fridge must be on its own circuit. Something like only 12 outlets per circuit if its 15 amp and 16 for 20 amp (If I remember correctly)
If I am not mistaken the VA per foot is higher in Canadian homes.
If I am not mistaken the VA per foot is higher in Canadian homes.
fmtjfw
Senior Member
- Location
- Fairmont, WV, USA
Canadian 125V 20A receptacle only allows a 125V 20A plug.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
I think they don't allow feeder conductors and branch circuit conductors in the same enclosure without a barrier. That is why they mount residential panels sideways, I hear.
fmtjfw
Senior Member
- Location
- Fairmont, WV, USA
And the term luminaire for lighting fixture.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
texie
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician, Contractor, Inspector
While I'm no Canadian code expert, my understanding is that only applies to service conductors.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
In the NEC, it only applies to mixing service (without OCPD) conductors with feeder or branch (after OCPD) conductors.
If Canada is different on this, then it would have to affect a non-service conductor situation.
texie
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician, Contractor, Inspector
I am not in any way referring to the NEC. I know what it says.
And no, I'm told this relates to service conductors entering a panelboard and they have to be isolated from other conductors within the panel. If the panel is fed by a feeder this does not apply.
We need a Canadian to clarify as I'm just going on what I've heard.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Not only are the service conductors isolated from the rest of the panel, so is the main breaker. With the type of service panels required by the CEC, you can turn off the main breaker and work in the panel without violating the electrical safe work rules...something that can't be done the way we install service equipment. If we want to comply with the OSHA rules and the rules in 70E, and work in a panel that contains the service disconnect, we have to have the power upstream from the panel turned off. Something that, in most cases, requires action by the utility and something that is almost never done for residential or commercial work.
fmtjfw
Senior Member
- Location
- Fairmont, WV, USA
Don't know, I've seen 125V 20A receptacles without the T slot indicated as Canadian.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Here is a picture of a Square D panel made for Canada.
The extra metal cover sitting at the bottom is a sheild that covers the entire upper end of the panel enclosing the service conductors and as Don pointed out the line side terminals of the main.
They cannot run branch circuits or feeders in that area.
This means once the main is opened you can work in the panel without any live parts exposed. Don has tried to get a similar rule in the NEC and I hope it succeeds at some point. The 'technology' already exists so it os almost no cost to implement and IMO would greatly increase both safety and compliance with hot work rules.
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fmtjfw
Senior Member
- Location
- Fairmont, WV, USA
OK, 125V 20A receptacles for the counter within 1.5m of the sink are to be T slot.
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