2020 NEC changes

[Terry D]

Just attended the 2020 NEC analysis of changes seminar put on by the International Association of Electrical Inspectors. Something I am required to do every 3 years to keep my license active. Wow, the code gets stricter and stricter every time. Here are just a few of the changes.

All electric ranges, electric dryers and even A/C condensers will be required to be GFCI protected.

GFCI protection for all 125 to 250 volt receptacles in indoor damp and wet areas. A mudroom is a damp area

All new residential services will be required to have a service disconnecting means outside for fire department shut down.

Garages, barns etc. are allowed to have more than one electrical feed servicing them. There are requirements for grouping the disconnects.

The square footage of a kitchen island counter top will determine how many receptacles will be required. Big enough islands could have up to 3 or 4 receptacles

 

[Kevin Essiambre]

All new residential services will be required to have a service disconnecting means outside for fire department shut down.

And must be labeled properly.

Sent from my new phone. Autocorrect may have changed stuff.

 

[SGKent]

All electric ranges, electric dryers and even A/C condensers will be required to be GFCI protected.

new construction only or retroactive? (For new permits only or for any others to be signed off?) Can you be a little more specific?

 

[Terry D]

new construction only or retroactive? (For new permits only or for any others to be signed off?) Can you be a little more specific?

Any new circuits being added. A new home, A room addition, A whole house rewire or simply adding one of those mentioned circuits. Anything existing will be "grandfathered" as always.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Oh boy, the price to build homes goes up yet again.

I understand why the A/C condensors were required to be GFCI protected, but the other appliances?

 

[njride]

Oh boy, the price to build homes goes up yet again.

I understand why the A/C condensors were required to be GFCI protected, but the other appliances?

If fire marshall bill is boiling some water for spaghetti, while cleaning the stove receptacle, and decides to stick his hand in the water to make sure its hot enough, he needs protection

 

[sberry]

Only a concern if he is cleaning the recept with a fork,,, with the cover off.

 

[teamextreme]

Garages, barns etc. are allowed to have more than one electrical feed servicing them. There are requirements for grouping the disconnects.

We'll really have to adjust our standard response that has to be given out on just about a daily basis around here. This is the strangest one, since it seems to be a softening of the requirements. I don't see the logic of this change.

 

[exranger06]

Basically all of the locations that have already required GFCI protection for 120V receptacles (garages, basements, laundry areas, etc) now also require GFCI for the 240V receptacles as well.

Also, in previous editions of the NEC, GFCI was required for unfinished basements but not required for finished basements. In the 2020 edition, GFCI is required for all basements, whether they're finished or not.

 

[Terry D]

Basically all of the locations that have already required GFCI protection for 120V receptacles (garages, basements, laundry areas, etc) now also require GFCI for the 240V receptacles as well.

Also, in previous editions of the NEC, GFCI was required for unfinished basements but not required for finished basements. In the 2020 edition, GFCI is required for all basements, whether they're finished or not.

Yep, forgot that one

Sent from my SM-G960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Terry D]

Pretty soon all residential circuits with either be AFCI or GFCI protected. Tandem and quad breakers with be a thing of the past.

Sent from my SM-G960U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[wyliesdiesels]

We'll really have to adjust our standard response that has to be given out on just about a daily basis around here. This is the strangest one, since it seems to be a softening of the requirements. I don't see the logic of this change.

Yeah i dont understand this change at all.

Pretty foolish if you ask me.

Now were gonna have to deal with multiple power sources. Pretty dumb.

 

[Norcal]

The only State that has adopted the 2020 NEC according to the Mike Holt site at the time of this post is MA.

https://www.mikeholt.com/technical-nec-menu.php

 

[dscheidt]

We'll really have to adjust our standard response that has to be given out on just about a daily basis around here. This is the strangest one, since it seems to be a softening of the requirements. I don't see the logic of this change.

Consider a big house (etc), with a 400A service. Under current rules, you can run multiple sets of feeders from a meter to the house, each feeding a 200A panel. This is pretty common in some places, and the meter is usually at the property edge, not the house. my parents built a house with panels like this in the mid 80s; it had backup electric resistance heating, which was never actually used, but required (and vastly oversized) by code. Actual heat came from wood stove, and the actual heat loss was about 15,000 BTU (4KW electric resistance).

You can't do is feed a meter/panel combo with two 200A breakers, each breaker feeding a panel in the house. There's not really any difference here to someone working in the house, and this is safer, because the feeders are protected by a suitable breaker. This also alows for smaller feeder conductors, and a reduction in the potential arc flash energy. The change lets this happen It's actually already done this way, in some places, where an engineer signs off on it. The change makes it prescriptive. I expect the requirement for an outside disconnect has something to do with this, too.

Note that the feeders have to originate from the same equipment, have to have a disconnect, and the disconnects have to be grouped together.

 

[Terry D]

Even though we now have a state wide license available to us, it is still up to the local authorities to adopt what code cycle each of them are in. We are mostly in the 2014 and 2017 around here. I spoke with The City of St. Louis and they are going to wait and adopt the 2023 when it comes out. St. Louis County, which has been kind of the standard for the state in the past, is in the 2017, and not sure what they are going to do. They just did adopt the 2017 about 4-6 months ago. Before that, they were in the 2008

 

[sberry]

Just make it simple and put gfci breakers everywhere? We can quit the fuss about where they go.

 

[Terry D]

Just make it simple and put gfci breakers everywhere? We can quit the fuss about where they go.

Not always the case when you are bidding against someone else, why spend the extra money. I only install them where they are required.

 

[sberry]

I meant make it a requirement.

 

[Terry D]

I meant make it a requirement.

My bad

 

[sberry]

Don't got to worry about any of it downstream. Other thing that could be is require lights on separate circuits I spose? Maybe exempt them vs require? Microwave or fridge? Just a ramble.

 

[PelicanPines]

Personally I hate GFCI plugs for freezers and fridges... my electrician was never able to understand why I wanted a dedicated plug off the LINE side of a GFCI plug near my stand-up freezer. He wired it wrong... GFCI tripped... I lost an entire freezer that I rarely go into.

I fixed it...

 

[dcg9381]

Garages, barns etc. are allowed to have more than one electrical feed servicing them. There are requirements for grouping the disconnects.

Interesting... This would have solved at least one problem for me.

I understand why the A/C condensors were required to be GFCI protected, but the other appliances?

Proximity to water - for washer/dryer, dishwasher.... That's my guess.

 

[ant.foste]

I really like the outdoor disconnect. Makes it easy to kill all power within the breaker panels without having to pull the meter.

Put some locks on these disconnects, lest the bored neighborhood hoodlums kill your power while snuggling up to the lady on a Friday night.

 

[Norcal]

I really like the outdoor disconnect. Makes it easy to kill all power within the breaker panels without having to pull the meter.

Put some locks on these disconnects, lest the bored neighborhood hoodlums kill your power while snuggling up to the lady on a Friday night.

Here in California it is pretty common to have discos outside, it is not a problem.

 

[Fasthotrod]

I really like the outdoor disconnect. Makes it easy to kill all power within the breaker panels without having to pull the meter.

Put some locks on these disconnects, lest the bored neighborhood hoodlums kill your power while snuggling up to the lady on a Friday night.

Putting a lock on the disconnect kinda defeats the purpose of the Fire Department being able to open them in case of a fire, doesn't it?

 

[Norcal]

Putting a lock on the disconnect kinda defeats the purpose of the Fire Department being able to open them in case of a fire, doesn't it?

Nope, they have means of getting in. Bolt cutter , axe, and so on. But a UV resistant zip tie works to deter access but it really is not a huge issue to have them unlocked.

 

[ghiamonster]

Nope, they have means of getting in. Bolt cutter , axe, and so on. But a UV resistant zip tie works to deter access but it really is not a huge issue to have them unlocked.

You haven't met my friends then. I guess it might get old for them after a few times though.

 

[Zeke]

Garages, barns etc. are allowed to have more than one electrical feed servicing them. There are requirements for grouping the disconnects.

Now that is something. Are we going backwards with this? I mean I don't mind a change regarding out building feed and it might even help me. But it sound confusing.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Garages, barns etc. are allowed to have more than one electrical feed servicing them. There are requirements for grouping the disconnects.

NOT a good idea, unless it is just for an outside light. Wireless 3-way is still a better solution.

 

[theoldwizard1]

new construction only or retroactive? (For new permits only or for any others to be signed off?)

It depends on the AHJ, but usually NEC changes do not apply to existing upgrades unless they are "substantial" (whatever that means).

I wonder how many residences have 4 wire plugs for dryer and ranges and the neutral is connected to the ground wire and the ground lug is floating or "bonded" to the box !

 

[theoldwizard1]

All new residential services will be required to have a service disconnecting means outside for fire department shut down.

So how long does it take them today to break the seal, open the meter base and pull the meter ?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Consider a big house (etc), with a 400A service. Under current rules, you can run multiple sets of feeders from a meter to the house, each feeding a 200A panel.

First, most residential neighborhoods limit your power to less than 400A (320A?).

This is pretty common in some places, and the meter is usually at the property edge, not the house.

That is CRAZY !! So you could run maybe 50+' of unprotected (no fuse/breaker) 200A wire !! Imagine if a worker hit that with a back hoe. I would stay HOT until the wire melted !!

NOT ON MY PROPERTY !

 

[theoldwizard1]

Oh boy, the price to build homes goes up yet again.

240V GFCI are damn expensive and hard to find !

 

[Terry D]

Another one I forgot, whole house surge protection for all new services and service upgrades.

 

[slow]

240V GFCI are damn expensive and hard to find !

price will go down with this code change and availability will increase as demand increases. not just for a luxury spa and pool addition like today.

 

[Terry D]

So how long does it take them today to break the seal, open the meter base and pull the meter ?

They want to get away from pulling a meter, at least around here sometimes there is a meter lock installed by the POCO, which is a bear to get off without the right key

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Another one I forgot, whole house surge protection for all new services and service upgrades.

Yikes

All this adds tons more money.

I wonder why the change on surge protection

Id really like to know if theres incidents that precipitated these changes.

 

[Terry D]

Now that is something. Are we going backwards with this? I mean I don't mind a change regarding out building feed and it might even help me. But it sound confusing.

They will allow up to 6 feeders to supply a building or structure under certain conditions,

(1) Each feeder must originate from the same panel board

(2) Each feeder must terminate in a single disconnecting means

(3) All feeder disconnects must be grouped in the same location

(4) Each disconnect must be marked to indicate the load serviced

A new list item (B) was added to 225.30 explaining all of this

 

[Terry D]

First, most residential neighborhoods limit your power to less than 400A (320A?).


That is CRAZY !! So you could run maybe 50+' of unprotected (no fuse/breaker) 200A wire !! Imagine if a worker hit that with a back hoe. I would stay HOT until the wire melted !!

NOT ON MY PROPERTY !

You should always have your underground cables traced and marked before you dig

 

[Terry D]

Here is a article on some of the changes including the new ways to measure to determine if a receptacle needs to be GFCI protected. All how to determine how many receptacles on a island

https://iaeimagazine.org/magazine/features/codes-standards/analysis-of-changes-2020-nec-part-i/