Official Website of the Wisconsin
Department of Safety and Professional Services
Department of Safety and Professional Services
|
Resources
Office of Governor
Scott Walker 
|
S&B 2011 Residential Electrical Q&A's 1. I have an above ground swimming pool 18 feet long by 4 feet deep, with metal T bar and upper ring for supports. It is set on a plastic mat or tarp ( high grade material), so that we are insulated from earthen contact below. Some neighbor told me that I need to bury a # 8 copper bare wire around the pool area. Since it will attach to nothing. is it needed?Answer - Per 2008 NEC 680.2, pg 559, definitions, you exceed the limits for a storable pool and therefore must meet the requirements of Parts I and II of the article. Your Answer lies in section 680.26(B)(2) and (b), pg. 566, bonding of perimeter surfaces and alternate means. Install a #8 AWG bare solid copper conductor, between 18 inches and 24 inches from the pool, and bond to metal pool structure, motor, and any other metal parts within 5 feet of the pool. 2. I am replacing several receptacles in a bedroom of my house because the old ones no longer securely hold the plugs. Do they need to be replaced with tamper-resistant receptacles? Answer - No, SPS 316.003(4). NEC 406.11 requires tamper-resistant receptacles to be installed in all areas specified in 210.52. SPS 316.003(4) indicates repairs to electrical installations comply with the code that applied when installed. Unless the installation was originally installed after March 1, 2009, they would not be required to be tamper-resistant. NEC 2011, 406.4(D)(5) will require replacement receptacles to tamper-resistant. 3. We drill water wells as well as installing and repairing pump systems. When the new electrical licensing requirements become effective on April 1, 2013, are we going to be out of business unless we hire an electrician to perform the electrical installation and repairs? Answer - You will probably be out of the electrical installation business. You will be permitted to install the well, well pump, and associated plumbing as permitted by your DNR license and you will be permitted to perform electrical repairs without an electrical license. SPS 305 contains the rules for the required licensing of electricians which will become effective April 1, 2013. SPS 305.41 will require that no person or entity can engage in the business of installing, repairing, or maintaining electrical wiring unless the person or entity holds a license issued by the department as a licensed electrical contractor. You will need to hire an electrical contractor to install the new circuit to the well or become an electrical contractor and employ a master electrician for the new installation. (g) in the exemptions found in the note to SPS 305.41(b) would allow you to install and maintain the pump. 4. After we finished a new house, the plumbing contractor installed CSST gas tubing to the water heater. Now the inspector wants us to do some additional bonding to the gas system. I feel we met our requirement by the equipment grounding conductor installed with the branch circuit to the furnace. Am I correct? Answer - Yes. NEC 250.10(B) indicates other metal piping systems, such as gas piping, are required to be bonded and sized in accordance with Table 250.122 for the circuit that could energize the piping. It also indicates the equipment grounding conductor installed with the branch circuit that could energize the piping can act as the bonding means. SPS 316.110 requires the listing and manufacturers instructions shall be followed. CSST manufacturers require additional bonding. You have met your requirements. The installer would be required to meet the CSST instructions. 5. I have a two stall garage that is 120 feet from my home. I have to replace the old 60 ampere Range and Main 120/240 volt fuse box now in use, but it only has a three-wire feeder circuit going to it. The local inspector citing SPS 316.009 and 316.010 said I need a new four-wire feeder with ground rods and a raceway out of the ground to the panel. Existing wires come up out of the earth and are not located where damage can occur to them on the inside of the wall. Second can I just run a new fourth wire out to it along or close to the original URD cable route? Answer - The 3-wire feeder can stay, NEC 250.32(B) The exception to 250.32(B) allows existing 3-wire feeders to be used if there are no parallel metallic paths to the building such as a metal pipe, wire, etc. The grounded conductor needs to be bonded to the building disconnecting means and grounding electrode at the garage. If they are individual conductors, installation in a raceway would be required when they emerge from earth per 300.3(B). 6. Can a single-gang plaster ring be installed on a switched lighting outlet on a ceiling under any circumstance? NEC 314.27(A) seems to indicate light fixtures are required to be supported with larger then 6-32 screws. Answer - You are correct. SPS 316.314(2) requires the installation of lighting outlet box listed for support of a paddle fan in habitable rooms and kitchens where a paddle fan could be installed. NEC 314.27(A) indicates a ceiling box intended to support a light fixture shall be designed for the purpose. The outlet box is required to be capable of supporting a luminaire weighing a minimum of 50 lb. The exeption allows a wall-mounted luminaire, weighing not more then 6 pounds to be supported by a box or plaster ring with not less then two No. 6 or larger screws. 7. We recently ran a new underground feeder to a detached garage using an IMC raceway. There is an above ground pool located about 6 feet from the garage and the raceway is located about 3 feet from the outside edge of the pool. The inspector indicated this was a violation because we are to close to the pool. I feel this is OK because it is in IMC. What do you think? Answer - The inspector is correct. Underground wiring is required by NEC 680.10 to be located more then 5 feet horizontally from a pool unless it is necessary to supply equipment for the pool. I t can be closer where space does not allow it to be located more then 5 feet if installed in RMC, IMC, or PVC. 8. I installed a receptacle on the end of a kitchen peninsula that has a sink installed in it. The counter extends 12 inches behind the sink to provide seating for a breakfast bar. Someone said the sink divides the peninsula and I need to add another receptacle. Is that correct? Answer - No. NEC 210.52(C)(3) requires at least one receptacle be installed in a kitchen peninsula where the long dimension is at least 24 icnes and the short dimension of greater then 12 inches, measured from the connecting edge. 210.52(C) indicates where the counter in a peninsula or island extends behind a sink, range, or counter top cooking unit and is less then 12 inches wide the peninsula is considered divided and a receptacle would be needed at each counter space. You have 12 inches 9. I am not a believer in the ability and use of re-bar in concrete walls and footings as a grounding electrode. I know it will corrode over time and not be effective. Answer - NEC 250.50 pg 104 indicates all grounding electrodes present as described in 250.52 (A)(1) through (7) are required to be bonded together to form the grounding electrode system. If it is present ,it must be used. 10. A new home I recently finished has a loft open to the great room below. It is about 10 feet long and 8 feet wide and you need to walk through the loft to enter one of the second floor bedrooms. We installed a receptacle in the wall at the end of the railing, opposite the stairs. The inspector says this receptacle is to far from the end of the stair opening and we need to install another. I say this is just a hallway and I only need one. Answer - 210.52(A) requires receptacles be installed in bedrooms, living rooms, dens, and similar areas of a dwelling. The general rule indicates a receptacle be installed so no point along the floor line of a wall or railing is more then 6 feet from a receptacle. This loft is large enough to be considered a room and would require receptacles to be installed as such. A floor receptacle within 18 inches of the rail and less then 6 feet from the stairs would be fine. 11. We install sewage systems. Many of these systems require a pump and alarm at the septic tank and we typically install a 12/3 UF to supply them because they are required to be on separate circuits. Answer - As installed the circuit is considered a multi-wire branch circuit and as such is prohibited by SPS 316.300(a)4. Multi-wire branch circuits use both ungrounded legs of a 120/240 volt system and a common neutral conductor and is permitted to be considered multiple circuits. NEC 210.4(B) requires a means of disconnecting both ungrounded legs of the circuit simultaneously and because of this, in the case of a fault, both the motor and alarm would be disconnected at the same time. 12. A customer is adding a sunroom to the back of his home. It has window panels that can be removed in good weather, basically making it into a screened porch, and will not be heated. The owner only wants two receptacles because she will only be using it for a sitting room when the weather is good. Will this be OK? Answer - Yes. NEC 210.52(E)(3). A porch that has a roof and wall screens which has no permanently installed glazed windows is treated like a deck, porch, or patio. It requires one receptacle outlet to serve the area and that area is considered exposed to weather (damp/ wet location). 13. My family installed a 16-foot by 16-foot by 4-inch thick concrete slab with a 4-foot round fire pit ring in the middle of it. Accidently we put the fire ring directly over my underground feeder going out to our 24-foot by 24-foot enclosed warming house to our hockey rink. My concern is that with a 14-inch burial depth for our USE-2/XHHW feeder circuit the heat of the fire is going to affect the wire and possibly cause damage or failure. Answer - Maybe, but you have another problem, NEC 300.5 (A) on pg. 128, requires a 24-inch burial depth for the direct buried cables, so whoever put them in did it wrong. Also remember, when you replace the feeder to achieve the proper burial depth, it is now required to meet 250.32 and equipment grounding conductor is required. 14. A customer hired us to install a receptacle for a small submersible pump near her new water garden. We attached PVC conduit on the exposed foundation for a short distance (because she didn’t want us disturbing her flower garden along the house), then continued it underground to the receptacle. Because the total run was only about 25 feet, I just continued with the NM from the house to the receptacle. When the inspector looked at it she indicated no NM underground. I replaced the underground piece of NM with THWN from the LB where the conduit goes underground. Now she says I can’t use the NM outside even in the raceway. What’s the problem? Answer - NM is not permitted to be installed in a wet location, NEC Art. 100 Def. Location- Wet, 300.9 indicates where raceways are installed in a wet location above grade the interior of the raceway is considered a wet location. NEC 334.12(B)(4) does not allow NM cable to be used in a damp or wet location. Also remember all receptacles installed in a damp or wet location are required to be listed as weather resistant per 406.8(A)&(B). 15. On a recent remodel I installed a short piece of EMT to support several new NM cable circuits we installed under several adjoining basement ceiling joist spaces that were enclosed for a cold air return. I don’t think we need to to attach an equipment ground to this metal raceway, but I can’t find a code reference. Answer - NEC 250.86 Exc. 2 Exc. 2 to 250.86 indicates short pieces of metal enclosures or raceways used to provide support or protection of cables do not need to be connected to an equipment grounding conductor. 16. The 200 ampere service panel is located the middle of the back wall of my finished basement bar room of my new home. A room on both sides of the bar room is unfinished basement area. In one of the unfinished rooms is the 120 volt sewerage ejector pit and pump, cord and plug connected, and the sump pump is located in the other. I do not want to GFCI protect the pumps. Is there another way? Answer - Yes. Per NEC 210.8 (A) (5) all 15 and 20 ampere 120 volt receptacles located in unfinished basement areas shall be GFCI protected. SPS 316.210(2)(b). Exception, says a GFCI receptacle must be installed within 3 feet of the single non-GFCI receptacle for the pump. NEC 210.52 (G) pg. 54 requires a receptacle in each unfinished room of the basement. 17. I installed a new 60 ampere 120/240 volt feeder to a new detached garage using #4 AWG Al. 4 conductor USE cable. My buddy says the USE cable cannot enter a building. The cable is in raceway from the point of emergence from the ground into the panel. My point is because it is in a raceway, it is protected and not a big deal. What do you think? Answer - A conductor marked only as USE can’t enter the building per NEC 310.14 and 338.12(B)(1). You will need to splice it outside to an approved flame and smoke spread rated conductor that is permitted to enter the building. Next time you could use a dual rated conductor such as USE/ XHHW or USE/ RHW to prevent this problem. 18. We installed 4-12/2 NM cables through a wall from the attic to the basement. Can we put these on a 20 ampere breaker? I remember discussing this at a continuing education class, however I can’t find the code reference. Answer - SPS 316.310(1) indicates where more then 2 NM cables with 2 or more current-carrying conductors are installed in the same hole which will be fire or draft stopped the allowable ampacity must be adjusted in accordance with Table 310.15(B)(2)(a)8 conductors require 70 percent derating to be applied. 30X.8 = 24 amperes You’re OK. Remember this also applies if the cables are not separated and will be in contact with thermal insulation, per SPS 316.310(2). 19. We installed a GFCI protected receptacle in the ceiling of an unfinished basement room to supply a cord and plug connected whole house exhaust fan. This room also contains the furnace. The inspector is requiring us to install another GFCI receptacle within 25 feet for servicing the furnace. Because the one in the ceiling is within 25 feet, I feel we have met the requirement. Answer - Another receptacle is required. NEC 210.63 requires a receptacle to be installed within 25 feet of HVAC equipment for servicing. It has to be accessible and on the same level. The definition of accessible in Art 100 indicates the following. “Admits close approach, not guarded by locked doors, elevation, or other effective means.” The one on the ceiling would not comply. 20. In our new master bedroom we have a Hydro-tub unit. I know it must have a GFCI outlet below the tub surround and any receptacles located within 6 feet of the tub must be GFCI protected. Must we also provide AFCI protection? Will work together and can we get an AFCI device type receptacle? Answer - Interesting question. NEC 210.12 (B) pg. 49, indicates AFCI protection and 680.70.71 pg. 573 requires an individual branch circuit and GFCI protection for the tub. Reportedly, the two .protection schemes are compatible and can be used together in the circuit. There is now an approved AFCI device. However, the entire branch circuit is required to be protected, so a breaker would be your best option for this installation or you would have to use a metal raceway or sheathed cable for the portion not protected. NEC 2011 680.73 requires the face of the receptacle under the tub to be in direct view and not more then 1 foot from the opening. Also 210.8 will now require that the GFCI receptacle cannot be located under the tub. 21. What is the difference between a manufactured and a modular home as they pertain to the electrical code? Answer - A manufactured home relates to federal Housing and Urban Development rules and NEC Art. 550. A modular home is the same as a site constructed home. Comm 20.07(52m) indicates manufactured home as described by ss.101.91 (2) of the statutes means a structure to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation and is certified by the HUD. It will have a label attached typically somewhere on the outside that indicates it was built to HUD standards. The interior wiring is installed per the NEC however it may not be the current NEC. The electrical service to it is installed per Art. 550 of the current adopted NEC in Wisconsin. Unless the manufacturer’s instruction indicate otherwise, the electrical service cannot be installed on the home and a 4-wire feeder complying with Part III of Art. 550 is required to the electrical panel in the home. A manufactured home is built to SPS 320 and 321, Uniform Dwelling Code, requirements and follows the current SPS 316 and the NEC. It will have a label attached to it, typically located under the kitchen sink, indicating it is a built to Wisconsin standards. 22. I installed a self-contained hot tub on my existing concrete patio. The electrical contractor said he will have to saw a ring around the tub to install an equipotential bonding ring around the perimeter. I don’t want my concrete all cut up, is there something else I can do? Answer - Outdoor spas and hot tubs are required to be installed meeting the requirements of Parts I and II of Art. 680. 680.26(B)(2) indicates perimeter bonding is required within 3 feet of the hot tub. However, SPS 316.680(1) indicates this does not apply for listed self-contained hot tubs constructed with nonmetallic walls. 23. My wife wants to install an 18-bottle open wine rack on the kitchen counter top. It will potentially cover up one of the counter top receptacles but since the rack is open on both sides we can still reach through it and use the receptacle. Is this OK? Answer - No. Per NEC 210.52 (C) (5) pg. 54 a receptacle outlet rendered not readily accessible shall not be counted as the required counter top receptacle for that given space. per 210.52 (C) (1). An additional counter top receptacle GFCI protected is required. 24. A duplex I was working on has separate basements, however only one sump pump pit installedin one of the basements. Evidently, the drain tile from both units dump into one pit. We installed a separate meter and panel for each unit and supplied the sump pump from the panel in that unit. My partner says this is a problem and that we will have to install another meter and panel to supply the sump pump from the house meter. The house panel will only have the sump pump on it. Isn’t there another way? Answer - You didn’t indicate whether this was a existing or new duplex. If it is an existing dwelling and you are doing a service change SPS 316.210(5) indicates for upgrades to existing 2-family dwellings only, separation of common area circuits is not required. If it is new 210.25(B) requires common loads not be supplied from a tenant panelboard, so install another meter and panel or another sump pit. They could also install a second sump pump into the crock supplied from a branch circuit from the respective tenants panelboard. 25. A customer is complaining that her walking track unit, cord and plug connected in the finished basement exercise room of her new home, is tripping the AFCI breaker. After replacing the breaker and checking everything else I am at a loss as to what else I can do. The electrical panel is in the same room. Would it be a problem if I supply a circuit to a junction box and hard wire the unit using liquid tight flexible metal conduit? Can the circuit breaker in the panel act as the disconnecting means? Must it have a locking means as well? Answer - No, Yes, and No! NEC 422.32 page. 281 - The circuit breaker would work if within sight. A properly marked circuit breaker as required by 110.22 pg. 36 and 408.4 pg. 262. 26. I feel a UFER ground is superior to ground rods and have been giving the basement contractor 20 inches of bare #4 AWG copper to install in the footing if they are not using re-bar. He knows it is required to be encased by at least 2 inches of concrete and is very good about getting it installed properly. Do I still need to install ground rods. Answer - Not required, providing that the concrete encased electrode is present, NEC 250.52.A)(3). Ground rods are not required with a UFER ground. 250.52(A)(3) indicates if a concrete encased electrode is installed meeting those requirements that it must be used as an electrode. It is not required to be supplemented by another electrode as a metal underground water pipe would be. Contact your inspector before pouring so they can inspect for proper installation. 27. When using my new AFCI tester on required circuits in a dwelling some of the circuits would not trip off. When I told the contractor about the problem he indicated he has an AFCI breaker installed and it trips when he uses the push to test button so he is done. What do I do? Answer - Nothing. Following SPS 316.110, the listing and manufacturing instructions indicate the use of the test button on the device is to be used for testing AFCI and GFCI devices. 28. I used a 2 inch PVC raceway from the top of the panel to the basement ceiling and ran my home runs down it. The owner has decided to finish the room in the basement where the panel is located and the end of the pipe will become inaccessible above the ceiling. Is this going to be a problem? Answer - No. While 312.5(C) exc. (b) indicates the raceway cannot penetrate a structural ceiling SPS 316.312 Exc. (2) omits this requirement. Also, SPS 316.312 allows the raceway to be a minimum of 12 inches rather then 18 inches as the NEC required. 29. Can I use Type FCC Flat Conductor Cable or a Nonmetallic Extension on the floor or the walls for my home office in my basement, where I have access to grade via two 8-foot patio doors? Answer - No. See 324.12 (4) and 382.10. Type FCC cable is not permitted to be installed in dwellings, schools, or hospital buildings. Nonmetallic extensions are permitted to be installed in dwellings on the walls only as an extension from an existing outlet and only within the room that it originates. 30. The owner of the new house wants to install all of the ceiling lighting as can lights and track lighting. I told them they must have at least one ceiling light box that is fan-rated and a multi-wire circuit run to it for switching the lights and fan separately even if they do not intend to use it. Am I right? Answer - No. Per NEC 314.27(A) pg. 172 & (D) pg. 173 - if a box is installed it must comply with the code but it is not required. Also, per SPS 316.314(2) it must be a fan rated box? 31. We are seeing new homes being wired with more elaborate low voltage systems such as alarm, video, sound etc. As an inspector am I required to be looking at these installations? Answer - Yes. The installation of these systems is found in the NEC and is required to be installed and inspected following the requirements found in there respective articles. 725 for Class 1, 2, and 3 circuits, 760 for fire alarms, 800 communication systems, 820 cable systems. 32. The utility in my area is setting a meter pedestal with a main breaker at the lot line. If the home has a concrete encased electrode are we required to bond it to the pedestal? Answer - No. If the meter pedestal is not mounted on, or very near the building, it is not considered part of the structure and would not be required to be bonded to the UFER ground. Ground rods would be required at the pedestal. NEC 250.50 requires all grounding electrodes at the building or structure to be bonded to the service or building disconnect for the building. For this installation you would be required to install a 4-wire feeder to the house by 250.32 and a building disconnect per 225.32. The UFER ground would be required to be used as the grounding electrode required by 250.32 for the structure. 33. I recently bid a job to install a generator at a home. Because the owner is out of town a lot he wanted automatic transfer for the heat, well, freezer and refrigerator. I calculated the load to determine the generator size and planned on using a transfer switch to supply a separate panel supplying the loads he indicated. My competitor used my load calc, but is not going to install a separate panel for the loads. He told the owner he would just supply the existing house panel. Can he do this? Answer - No. This is an optional system and must be installed to meet the requirements in Art. 702. If using automatic transfer equipment, 702.5(2)(a) requires the source to be capable of carrying the full load that could be transferred or a system for automatic load management. 34. I know I am required to have a disconnecting means within sight of a motor. What do I do for a submersible well pump? Obviously I can’t put it at the bottom of the well casing so do I install at the top and put on a locking means? Answer - That’s an option. The general rule is found in NEC 430.102(A) and (B). (A) requires a disconnect within sight of the motor controller. The requirement for motors is found in (B). It requires a disconnect within sight of the motor in (1). (2) allows the controller disconnect to act as the motor disconnect when it is located within sight of the motor. The exception indicates that where it is impracticable to locate the motor disconnect within sight the disconnect for the controller can act as the motor disconnect where means are provided for locking off. The locking means must remain in place with or without the lock being installed. 35. A new home we are working on has a walk-out basement. The exposed wall is about 20 feet long and they will be insulating it and covering with drywall to protect the insulation. However, the basement will be unfinished. I want to install receptacles in this wall, but the owner said if it’s not required. Answer - They’re not required. NEC 210.52 (A) indicates receptacles meeting the spacing requirements shall be installed in kitchens, family rooms, dens, bedrooms etc. 210.52(G) requires at least one receptacle in a basement or each unfinished area, if a portion is finished. If the basement is not going to be finished it would not require receptacles. Of course, when the room does get finished, receptacles will be required in the wall and it would be a lot easier to do it now. 36. I like to use 12/3 NM cable to supply the two required small appliance branch circuits to the kitchen counter top receptacles. Because the two ungrounded conductors are not attached to the same device I feel I can use two single-pole breakers, but the inspector doesn’t agree. What do you think? Answer - The inspector is correct. NEC 210.4(B) now requires a disconnect that will simultaneously open all ungrounded conductors of a multi-wire branch circuit. Previously such a disconnect was only required when they supplied the same device. Also 210.4(D) requires the conductors of the cable to be grouped with wire ties or a similar means in the panelboard where they originate. 37. I know carbon monoxide detectors are required in multi-family homes of more then two units. I think they are a good idea, but in today’s economy many builders will not let me install them in one- or two-family dwellings. Is there any talk of requiring them in these units? Answer - They are required now! See SPS 321.097 for dwellings constructed after Feb. 1, 2011 and SPS 328 for existing dwellings constructed prior to Feb. 1, 2011. SPS 321 requires CO2 detectors for new one- and two-family homes beginning Feb. 1, 2011. They will be required to be powered by the electrical system, have battery backup, and be interconnected. On each floor level with a bedroom, they shall be located outside of the bedroom within 21 feet of the door, and one on each floor level without a bedroom. 38. A customer is finishing part of the basement in her new home into a family room and bathroom. The service panel is going to end up in the bathroom. We will have the required working clearances. It’s really only a ½ bath, no shower or tub, so I don’t think it will be a problem. Answer - It’s a problem. The definition of a bathroom in Art. 100 indicates if it has a basin and one or more of the following - toilet, bathtub, or shower - it is a bathroom. 240.24(E) does not allow overcurrent devices in a dwelling bathroom. 39. When doing a service change on a single-family home am I required to install AFCI breakers for the circuits that require protection by 210.12? Answer - No. SPS 316.003(3) indicates existing installation must comply with the code that applied when the installation was installed. If the panel is located at the same location, so the existing circuits do not have to be extended to the new panel, they would not need to be AFCI protected. 40. When I roughed in the basement of a new home I installed fixture boxes at various locations for the lighting. The owner has decided she wants fluorescent lights and supplied 4-foot fixtures that come with a short cord to plug into a receptacle. Can I cut off the plug and hard wire them into the boxes installed? Answer - No. Flexible cord is allowed to supply electric-discharge luminaires where the fixture is located directly below the outlet, the cord is visible it’s entire length, and is terminated in a grounding type attachment plug. See NEC 410.62(C). 41. I installed a 2-inch PVC conduit to my detached garage for the electrical feeder. I would also like to have cable TV and telephone installed. Can I put all of these systems in the same raceway? Answer - No. CATV and communication cables are not allowed to be installed in the same raceway or junction box with power and light circuits unless separated by a barrier. See NEC 820.47, 820.133(A)(1)(b), 800.47, 800.133(A)(1)(c) County Web sites || City/Town/Village Web sites || State Portal || Build Your Business The Department of Safety and Professional Services Safety and Buildings Division is an equal opportunity service provider and employer. If you need assistance to access services or need material in an alternate format, please contact us, 608-266-3151, TDD Relay dial 711 in Wisconsin or 800-947-3529. |