Overview
NEC Graded Project
Project Details
As you've learned, the National Electrical Code (NEC) is a reference manual that outlines requirements for the
installation of electrical equipment. The NEC is published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and is
updated every three years to reflect changes in the industry.
The exact requirements for the installation of electrical equipment in your area will vary depending on local
regulations. You learned in your studies that the application of the Code is rarely an exact science, and that the
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is often the final determination of local code compliance. However, almost all
electrical requirements are based on the NEC. Therefore, it’s very important to understand the NEC thoroughly and
be able to apply it to your work.
One objective of this project is to help you appreciate that you don’t to have to memorize the various NEC codes.
You’ll be asked to use the NEC in the way that it was designed, as a rule book of sorts, that you'll apply step by step
through some interesting and challenging problems. All of the submissions for this assignment are open-book, so
you can relax and focus on developing your skills in using the NEC.
Before you begin, this is a good time to simply review the NEC and locate the articles that you would expect to
apply to common building projects. Familiarize yourself with the locations of common applications in the codes, as
you’ll need this information to complete this project.
In this project, you’ll also be looking at electrical wiring diagrams. Therefore, you may also want to review the
material on how to read these diagrams before you begin this project. Interpreting the floor plan wiring diagram for a
typical residence, then carrying out the required wiring, is no simple matter.
To remind you of the details that must often be addressed in a typical residential project, review this standalone
wiring diagram. The standalone drawing shows a complete wiring diagram for one floor of a typical residence. As
you can see, this typical residence contains many electrical outlets and devices. All of these devices must be
installed to satisfy NEC requirements.
Note that this stand-alone drawing isn’t a part of the actual assignments that you’ll complete; it’s simply a good
practice tool to brush up on your print-reading skills.
In this project, you’ll use your knowledge of the NEC to answer a variety of questions about electrical circuits.
Because this is an application-type project that involves real-life scenarios, the project will take some time to
complete. Using the NEC can be time-consuming when you’re first learning, so don’t become frustrated if this
project takes a little longer to complete than you expected.