The National Electric Code

Every home in the United States must meet "code" - every area of construction has its own code that should be met.

So, what is the National Electric Code?

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) founded in 1896, is a trade association headquartered in the United States that develops standards and codes to be used by local governments (city and state).

The National Electrical Code (NEC), or NFPA 70, is the standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment. It's not a legally binding document in itself, but most municipalities adopt it - thus making it legally binding. It is also used in many countries throughout the world.

The NEC puts together the requirements for safe electrical installations into a single, standardized source.

(As a matter of fact, the NFPA puts out over a hundred codes. The most common are:

NFPA 1 - the fire code
NFPA 54 - the Fuel gas code
NFPA 70 - the electric code (which is actually used around the world)
NFPA 85 - boiler and combustion systems hazards code
NFPA 101 - life safety code (minimum requirements for buildings to protect the occupants from fire, smoke and toxic fumes

Resource:
This article is sponsored by Mr. Sparky, a West Seattle electrician.

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