Opinion

[weressl]

Bob I will have to disagree on that one. Most people really don't own homes they just rent them from the bank for awhile.

One of the major causes of fires was the use of extension cords because of the lack of receptacles in the right places. If you give the temporary homeowner the choice on how many receptacles to install then you would never have over two in any room ( trying to keep the cost down). The next homewowner comes in and these two receptacles are not where they are needed and now it's so expensive to add them where needed people would tend to use extension cords.

It's better and probably cheaper in the long run just to require receptacles in certain locations. Wire it right the first time and be done with it.

As usual this is just my opinion.

So you are saying that the increased number of receptacles reduced the number of fires due to extension cord misuse? Although it sounds logical, I still would like to see the statistical proof of before/after.

IMO opinion it does not matter how many receptacles do you put in, if the lady of the house arranged the furniture to cover most of them up, you bet there will be extension cord misuse.

 

[weressl]

You ask about usefulness should not the choices have related to that aspect as in

not useful

somewhat useful

useful

very useful

and

wicked useful:smile:

The above is not guantifiable. Since the NEC is addressing matters of technical nature, its value should be measurable.

On the other hand I asked for people to think about what is the general preception on the usefulness of the code in their OPINION. So I was not necessarily asking for their personal opinion, but what the general conscensus that they can discern in their professional or trade community on the usefullness of the NEC. I was asking for an opinion and impression and that does not necessarily have to be quantifiable.

 

[growler]

So you are saying that the increased number of receptacles reduced the number of fires due to extension cord misuse? Although it sounds logical, I still would like to see the statistical proof of before/after.

I don't think that you can ever eliminate the misuse of extension cords. You really can never totally get rid of any hazard. There are always bigger and better idiots out there.

But, if you go into a home wired to more up to date codes with more receptacles then you will see far less extension cords. In the older homes it's very common to see the use of extension cords and many of these are misused.

I don't know how many fires were actually caused by the misuse of cords but I have worked two burn jobs in the last ten years that were written up by the Fire Marshal as cord misuse ( for all I know the homeowner may have set the place on fire for the insurance ). There really is not a lot of investigation that goes on unless someone is killed or seriously injured in a residential fire. I'm not sure the statistics mean anything so I accept the fact that it does sound logical and goes along with what I have seen. I have seen a lot of really bad looking cords in use that could start a fire.

 

[pete m.]

Qualified Person

Qualified Person

I suppose my biggest gripe with the NEC is the requirements that a "qualified person" has no use for such as: 110.16, 210.5(C), 210.4(B) and (D), 410.130(G)(2) and (3), etc... It seems that these are code requirements for "un-qualified persons".

What we need is better trained electricians not more codes to protect those that shouldn't be working with electricity in the first place.

Pete

 

[ItsHot]

Nec

Nec

What is the NEC?:grin:

 

[hockeyoligist2]

I replied "Should be retired as bathroom reading." because I keep my other copy there, that way no one disturbs me while I'm reading!

 

[480sparky]

Personally, I have absolutely no need for the NEC. Same for the UL White book, OSHA 1920, NFPA 70E, etc. etc.

Professionally, however, now that's a different story.....

 

[wbalsam1]

Personally, I have absolutely no need for the NEC. Same for the UL White book, OSHA 1920, NFPA 70E, etc. etc.

Professionally, however, now that's a different story.....

You've got a nice collection of books you don't need.....:grin: I'll give ya a couple a bucks for those old code books.........