Sick and tired of constant code changing year after year

[danmark2002]

I have been studying the NEC since year 2005. I think it has come to the point where the code is micro managing every little detail there is.
Sad part of it all is that most electrician never get to use it much themself. Most work has already been designed by an engineer or architect.

Several states has lowered the passing grade from 75% to 70% for journeyman's electrician simply because not enough apprentices can pass the exam.

For electrical contractor in California the passing grade required is only 65% and the test is so easy it is actually a joke ( I took the test myself ).
If you can wire a house you can pass the test. There is no requirement of any formal training. The only thing required is that you can document 4 years of doing electrical work. Most electrical contractor there are less trained and rarely knows more about being an electrician than a second year apprentice does.

In California only 40% can pass the journeyman's test the first time and about 20% the second time
That means that 40% of all the young people starting their training never get to be a licensed electrician.

Right now I am studying for the master electrician test here in Iowa. The test is based on the NEC year 2020.
When I am done taking the test I can throw that code book away and buy the NEC code book for year 2022 since all the work I have to do after that
has to be done to the 2022 NEC.

Finally and last I do not understand why all states does NOT accept an out of state license. In around year 2005 when Iowa first came out with a mandatory state license they only accepted an Iowa license if you wanted to do electrical work in Iowa. Now they have accepted licenses from about 6 neighboring states.
I think it is time we explain to the politicians, that by the way has no electrical experience, that all out of state licenses should be recognized by other states. After all we all have to use the code book.

 

[norcal]

There is no 2022 NEC, 2020 is the latest edition of the NEC.

 

[shortcircuit2]

I just received my 2023 NEC in the mail...

 

[roger]

After all we all have to use the code book.

Not necessarily, the NEC is not law, it is voluntary. A state, city, county, etc... can write their own code if they want to and some do.

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

Move to Tulsa
It's a make up your own rule area.
No code book required.
The running joke is tht Tulsa has it own NEC.
On a serious note one can do there there best and not give up on the rest. It's a matter of public safety.
Hang tuff

 

[don_resqcapt19]

...
Sad part of it all is that most electrician never get to use it much themself. Most work has already been designed by an engineer or architect.
...

Around here the engineering documents show much less detail for the electrician than they did 20 years ago, and show almost nothing compared to 50 years ago when I started.

The electrician needs to know a lot more code now than ever before because of the lack of detail in the design documents.

 

[danmark2002]

Around here the engineering documents show much less detail for the electrician than they did 20 years ago, and show almost nothing compared to 50 years ago when I started.

The electrician needs to know a lot more code now than ever before because of the lack of detail in the design documents.

Well I guess it varies from place to place. Back in 1976 when I started as electrician in Europe we had to do ALL of it ourself. Service calculations, motor calculations, voltage drop calculation. The print we got was just the prints from the Architect. We often built all the panels ourself ( mostly motor Controle panels ) because it was cheaper. When the PLC first came on the market it was the electricians that programmed it but not today.
Most young electrician I have talked to can't even explain Ohm's law.

 

[danmark2002]

Move to Tulsa
It's a make up your own rule area.
No code book required.
The running joke is tht Tulsa has it own NEC.
On a serious note one can do there there best and not give up on the rest. It's a matter of public safety.
Hang tuff

California also have their own NEC. Not that is much different from the National NEC. I guess every law maker in different states have their own little " EGO " to how things has to be done

 

[danmark2002]

There is no 2022 NEC, 2020 is the latest edition of the NEC.

Glad to hear that. It will give us a break for a year or so lol

 

[roger]

Glad to hear that. It will give us a break for a year or so lol

It has been every three years since 1962. Before that it was one year sometimes and sometimes two years.

 

[drcampbell]

Quit, and start building & maintaining pipe organs for a living. Their technology hardly changes from century to century.
For the years 1900-1999, the biggest change was adopting Phillips-head screws.

 

[texie]

It has been every three years since 1962. Before that it was one year sometimes and sometimes two years.

Except for that situation between the '71 and '75. Don't remember why though.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Except for that situation between the '71 and '75. Don't remember why though.

That was a change over from basing the edition year on date of release to the date where it typically became effective. The 1971 code was released in September or October of 1971, but typically no adoptions took place prior to 1/1/1972. There was no real change in the time between editions, just a name change.

 

[electrofelon]

Quit, and start building & maintaining pipe organs for a living. Their technology hardly changes from century to century.
For the years 1900-1999, the biggest change was adopting Phillips-head screws.

There is an article in the NEC on pip organs LOL! Article 650.

 

[Sea Nile]

I think it is time we explain to the politicians, that by the way has no electrical experience, that all out of state licenses should be recognized by other states. After all we all have to use the code book

Just like drivers licences. That would be awesome if every state that was on the same code cycle would accept the license of other states with the same cycle. Instead of getting licensed by state, you could get licensed by code cycle.

 

[MasonF]

Im in Iowa too. One thing i will add is that its nice to have a statewide license rather than the old style city tests. At one point I worked with a city of newton master, and a city of ottumwa journeyman. It was a headache figuring out who could work where.

 

[acrwc10]

California also have their own NEC. Not that is much different from the National NEC. I guess every law maker in different states have their own little " EGO " to how things has to be done

You really sound ignorant saying that California has their own NEC, but fell free to expand on that! California uses the same NEC as the rest of the world, it is just adopted out of cycle because it comes out in an odd year from the rest of the codes. The nice part about that is, we can see the Corrected mistakes before it becomes California Electrical Code (example, look at kitchen island receptacles, we will have 2 cycles of “what the heck do we do?” Before it gets fixed ) and many other issues like the temp rating of SER vs NM, etc.

 

[tom baker]

I like that California holds back on adopting the NEC for a year to look at the other mistakes that have been made and correct them. In the past years Washington state by now has already started the next code adoption process, but it appears they’re going to hold back because every cold cycle if you’re too early adopting the rules there are many issues that you don’t address because you don’t know about them, for example the GFCIs issue with outside air conditioning condensing units.

 

[hbiss]

Not necessarily, the NEC is not law, it is voluntary. A state, city, county, etc... can write their own code if they want to and some do.

But the differences are not that great. I agree, licenses should be reciprocal without testing. When you apply in a new state you should receive information about how or if they have amended the NEC and any local requirements. If you are capable of passing the test originally you should know what they are talking about.

I think the whole thing with not reciprocating is to limit competition.

-Hal

 

[drcampbell]

There is an article in the NEC on pipe organs LOL! Article 650.

Indeed there is. But organ builders need not concern themselves with it.
(damn! now I feel compelled to read Article 650 in detail)