Service lateral or underground
service conductors?
Why did the NEC change the name
of service conductors installed
underground from a “service lateral” to
“underground service conductors”?
A name change did not occur here. A new
definition was added in the 2011 NEC revision cycle to clearly differentiate between
underground service conductors that the
NEC covers and those it does not.
Article 100 contains two definitions
for service conductors installed underground. The first is “service lateral,”
which is the underground conductors
from the serving electric utility to the
service point. The utility owns these conductors, and they are not considered part
of the “premises wiring.” Service lateral
conductors are not within the scope of
the NEC as seen in Section 90. 2(B)( 5)(a).
The second defined term is “
underground service conductors.” Those begin
at the service point and are installed to
the first point of connection, which is
typically in a meter enclosure. Underground service conductors are within the
NEC scope. They are part of the premises
wiring and are subject to all applicable
NEC requirements.
It is not unusual for a utility to take
service lateral conductors into a handhole
enclosure just inside the property line and
end there. An electrical contractor then
installs underground service conductors
(which the NEC covers) from the handhole
enclosure (the service point) to a meter
location to supply a building or structure.
Hotel room receptacles
Is it permissible to locate the receptacles
in a hotel room so that there is one on
each side of the bed, leaving larger
spaces elsewhere? The architectural
drawings locate receptacles in a manner
that seems to be in conflict with the NEC.
The requirements of Section 210.52(A)
are not completely met. Are these
receptacles required to be arc-fault
circuit interrupter (AFCI) protected?
The NEC permits receptacle placement in guest rooms and guest suites
to be modified to suit the room. Section 210.60(A) requires guest rooms
and suites to have receptacle outlets
installed in accordance with 210.52(A),
which mandates the number of required
outlets and the outlet spacing.
Section 210.52(D) also applies, since
it requires at least one receptacle outlet
be installed in bathrooms within three
feet of the outside edge of each basin.
Meanwhile, Section 210.60(B) addresses
the placement of receptacle outlets in
guest rooms and guest suites.
The total number of receptacle outlets is determined by the requirements of
210.52(A), but the locations of the outlets
are permitted to be modified in order to
work with the permanent layout of furniture in the rooms. In all guest rooms and
guest suites, at least two of the receptacle
outlets must be readily accessible.
A revision in the 2017 NEC adds a
new Section 210.12(C). This section
requires all 120V, single-phase, 15- and
20A branch circuits supplying receptacle, lighting or other outlets and
devices in guest rooms or suites to be
AFCI-protected.
Permanent marking/labeling
Why are marking requirements
spread out all over the NEC In my
opinion, application of marking and
labeling requirements would be best
located in Article 100 for general
requirements. For example, if we
consider a panelboard, there may be
three or more separate requirements
in different articles requiring some
type of marking. What is the difference
between a marking and a label? Which
is permanent?
Marking requirements in the NEC are
properly located with the associated
rule that drives the mark or label. In
many cases, a panelboard (for example)
may exist. The addition of another system or branch circuit to the panelboard
may drive a new marking requirement.
Having that requirement located with
the associated rule increases usability.
I agree that a panelboard may need
to be marked in accordance with multiple requirements that are spread out
all over the Code. I suggest you submit
a public input to correlate these marking requirements. Perhaps you can
propose an informational note to follow Section 408.4 containing all other
marking requirements that may apply
to panelboards.
Where the NEC requires a marking, there are many options. It could be
a symbol or text that may be stamped,
etched, written or labeled. Where the
NEC requires a label, it is typically field-applied. Where the marking is required
to be permanent, the intent is for a lasting marking that will remain unchanged
indefinitely. Many marking requirements
prohibit them from being handwritten,
and others require labels that are suitable for the environment in which they
are installed.
DOLLA RD is the safety coordinator for IBEW Local No. 98 in Philadelphia and works closely
with contractors to ensure job-site safety and compliance with all installation codes and
standards. He is a member of the NEC Correlating Committee, NEC CMP- 10, NEC CMP- 13, NFPA
70E, NFPA 90A/B and the UL Electrical Council. He can be reached at
codefaqs@gmail.com.
