16 Hour 2020 NEC Review Chapters 1-4&6

The class begins with a broad introduction to the changes made to the 2020 National Electrical Code® (NEC-2020). It includes a brisk discussion of the code review process, a detailed explanation of how the NEC is organized, and coverage of code-wide changes, new Articles for 2020, and the changes to Article 100 (Definitions) and Article 110 (Requirements for Electrical Installations). It then presents every significant change made to Chapters 2 and 3 of NEC-2020. These are the two most critical Chapters in the NEC, addressing the most central provisions of the NEC for safe and reliable wiring materials and protective devices that affects almost every kind of electrical installation. It finishes with the two Chapters that address electrical equipment. Chapters 4 & 6. Since equipment often sees the greatest innovation and most rapid changes of any in the electrical field, there are a great number of changes to cover.

Each change presented in the class is accompanied by a thoroughgoing discussion of what the change means and the reason it was installed in the Code. The goal is to express every change in clear language, to focus on how the changes should be applied by a working electrician, and to provide the resources to explore the change more fully for those who wish to do so.

After the overview and introduction to the class, including a revision to the defined Scope of the NEC in Article 90, thirteen new or revised definitions from Chapter 1 [General] are covered, including Equipotential Plane, Free Air. Grounded Conductor. Island Mode, and Reconditioned. The significant changes to four general requirements complete this portion of the class, including changes to 110.12 Mechanical Execution of Work, 110.14 Terminal Connection Torque, 110.22 Identification of Disconnecting Means, and Spaces About Electrical Equipment.

The class next presents 45 critical changes made to Chapter 2 on Wiring and Protection. Some of the most far-reaching discussed are Emergency Disconnect rules and Surge Protection Requirements (in a new Article 242), along with the first major revision of lighting load calculations since 1971. There are revised GFCI provisions for Basements & Indoor Damp/Wet Locations; Specific Appliances & Equipment; Outdoor Outlets; Feeders and for Temporary Feeders. The class also covers important code revisions (or newly added codes) on:

• AFCI in Nursing Homes;
• AFCI Requirements After Building Modifications;
• Receptacles for Peninsular Countertops, Meeting Rooms, Balconies, Decks & Porches;
• Maximum Disconnects in a Single Enclosure;
• Grounding Systems Permitted to Be Connected on the Supply Side of the Disconnect;
• GEC Connections to Rebar;
• Metal Enclosures Used to Connect Bonding Jumpers or EGCs;
• Restricted Use of Metal Frames as EGCs; and 
• An Exception to Resizing ECGs.

The class moves next to the 29 significant changes from Chapter 3 {Wiring Methods and Materials], including the reorganization of Article 310 and Ampacity Tables, a new Article on Type P Cable, and a new Article 311 on Medium Voltage Cable. The class also covers important code revisions (or newly added codes) on:

• Protection Against Physical Damage with Alternative Metal Fittings; 
• Boxes, Conduit Bodies or Fittings Required; 
• Stair Towers (Exit Enclosures); 
• Power Monitoring or Energy Management Equipment in Enclosures; 
• Volume Allowance for EGCs and Equipment Bonding Jumpers; 
• Outlet Boxes for Ceiling Fans; 
• Type MC Cable in Hazardous Locations; 
• Measuring Type NM Cable from the Enclosure; and
• Limitations of Single Conductor Applications in Cable Tray Systems; and
• Conductor Size and Termination in Cablebus.

There are 38 significant changes to Chapter 4 presented, including a revision to the defined Scope of the NEC in Article 90, new Panelboard Circuit Directory Locations, and enhanced Identification of Power Sources for Storage Batteries. The class also covers important code revisions (or newly added codes) on:

• A New Type of Fixture Wire - FFHH-2;
• Rating and Use of General-Use Snap Switches Dimmers and Control Switches;
• Electronic Control Switches;
• Installation Requirements of Controlled Receptacles;
• Tamper-Resistant Receptacles;
• Single-Pole Separable Connectors;
• Methods of Grounding Luminaires;
• GFCI for Appliances;
• Electronically Protected Motor Circuits and Controllers;
• Emergency Shutdown in One- and Two-Family Dwelling Units;
• Transformers and Transformer Vaults; and 
• Permissibility of Retrofit Trip Units for Equipment Over 1000 Volts Nominal.

The final portion of the course presents 54 changes to Chapter 6 -- the greatest number of significant changes to any Chapter in the 2020 NEC. It begins with five changes to Article 600 [Electric Signs and Outline Lighting]; two to Article 620 [Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators, Moving Walks, Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts]; and a change to Cables Under a Raised Floor of IT Equipment Rooms in Article 645, along with a thoroughgoing restructuring of Article 625 on EVs, including new provisions for bidirectional power transfer systems. This is followed by a look at eighteen changes to the two Articles that cover Swimming Pools, Fountains, and Natural and Artificially Made Bodies of Water, including new inspection protocols, a return of rules on underground wiring that had been eliminated, new provisions on Low-Voltage equipment and lighting, revised codes on electrically-powered pool lifts, and revised guidance on bonding and equipotential planes.

The class then surveys the 10 changes to PV System codes such as those for circuit sizing, OCPD, rapid shutdowns, means of isolating equipment, identification, and grouping. The final set of changes looked at include new Mating Connectors for PV Systems, new minimums before GFP rules apply to PV Systems, a vital new informational graphic on large-scale PV systems, revised labeling for Fuel Cell Systems, and new selective coordination guidance for fire pumps.