How often do you refer to your NEC?

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Bobbyv08081 said:
About how long are you in the field before you don't need to refer to your NEC?
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It really depends. If you are repeatedly doing something with a narrow scope, not that long, but your scope would have to be very narrow. Of course, every three years it might all change.

Otherwise, the point where you never have to open your code book never comes.
 
I got my license and didn't look at THE BOOK for over 15 years. I did new homes and just went with what I knew. Occasionally someone would talk about a change that affected me and I would incorporate it into our jobs.

I don't recommend this and as you see my job was limited but now I see many mistakes I made back in the day. Recently there have so many changes that affected residential work I am glad I am up on the changes. In fact, now I try and write proposals-- Got 12 or so n this year.
 
When I got my license is when I got into it and never stopped. Although I got a 90 on the first test and 92 on next, the NEC confused me. 21 years later still trying to figure it out. That's why I'm on here every morning.
 
ActionDave said:
It's fun when you get to be known as The Code Guy, ain't it?
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The shop and some inspectors call me "Chris Code". Problem is they seem to call at very inoppertune times.

I enjoy it and it keeps me current.

One problem I've had, as Dennis pointed out, we are on the 2011 here and I've already read the 14 and 17. Keeping the changes relative to the 2011 takes thought.
 
Every day or two. I typically field questions from apprentices, co-workers, ex co-workers, relatives, project managers, foreman, etc. and will answer with a copy and paste of the appropriate code section when I have the time to do so. Otherwise they get the answer off of the top of my head. :)

I pretty much try to do the same thing when responding to forum questions.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I got my license and didn't look at THE BOOK for over 15 years. I did new homes and just went with what I knew. Occasionally someone would talk about a change that affected me and I would incorporate it into our jobs.

I don't recommend this and as you see my job was limited but now I see many mistakes I made back in the day. Recently there have so many changes that affected residential work I am glad I am up on the changes. In fact, now I try and write proposals-- Got 12 or so n this year.
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Right after I take care of the fat guy in North Korea, it's your turn.....:happyyes:
 
Bobbyv08081 said:
About how long are you in the field before you don't need to refer to your NEC?
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I keep one in the console of my truck and often pull it out at stop lights to check something on a job I'm planning. (Sometimes it takes more than a few stop lights to read the entire portion I need :).)

My answer is you will never get to a point where you don't need it. If you are asking because you don't like using it, I suggest you do whatever you need to get comfortable with it. Mike Holt offers some nice classes to help.
 
I don't pull it out often on the job, but do on occasion. I do look at it more when at home.
Well my "occasion" is about to become "often" as we are about to go to the 2017 from the 08!:rant: (depending on the vote)
 
Every few days it seems.

We do a lot of design build, so it's mostly for wire and pipe sizing. I'm not sure if I sure be proud or disappointed that I know the 75 degree CU ampacities out to 600mcm pretty well without looking it up anymore....:roll:

Which is still about 1/100 of what the real code gurus on this site know...:)
 
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