Limp Arbor wrote the following:
On Jan 11, 1:05 pm, bud-- wrote:

willshak wrote:

Bill wrote the following:

"willshak" wrote in message

The McGraw Hill 2008 NEC Handbook is not expensive.
http://www.amazon.com/McGraw-Hill-Na...andbook-Mcgraw...

or:
http://tinyurl.com/yfsdlrt

The above is not *the* NEC Handbook which is this...
http://www.nfpa.org/catalog/product.asp?pid=70hb08

I didn't say it was the 'official' NFPA NEC handbook
I said it was the 'McGraw-Hill' 2008 NEC Handbook.
But it is a handbook based on the National Electrical Code, never the less.
The OP is not an electrician and just wants to do some residential
electrical wiring to meet code.
Why spend 3x more for a professional electrician's bible?

I would say they are both "the NEC Handbook"

For an amateur I think both have problems
- They are organized around the NEC. If you are installing a receptacle
you need information from multiple code sections (grounding, box fill,
branch circuits, receptacles, Romex, ...) An amateur does not know what
sections are relevant.
- When reading the NEC the text can often refer to other sections which
you then have to understand.
- The NEC covers the broad range of installations. If you are just
working on a house most of it is irrelevant. (There is a residential
version of the NEC.)

I would suggest finding a book that aimed at amateurs and is partly
oriented around jobs (installing a receptacle) but has the scope that is
required to understand the rules (where is AFCI and GFCI protection
required). I don't have any titles. You won't become competent overnight.

--
bud



Exactly. I don't need a book that tells me the black wire belongs on
the gold screw, I grew up in Western PA where everybody knows Black &
Gold go together.

I need one that tells me:
Which circuits need to be AFCI
That an outlet in an unfinished basement can be non-GFCI if it is
dedicated to a refrigerator or freezer
Garages don't need AFCI
If a circuit is strictly lighting does it need AFCI
etc.

My last experience with town building inspectors found them less than
helpful. They were only willing to pass/fail my plans for structure
repair.

In my area, there are building inspectors and then there are electrical
inspectors.
The building inspector is only concerned with the structure and some
fire codes (fire rated door to garage, fire rated door on laundry chute
between floors, etc.). When the electrics are installed, the electrical
inspector makes sure all is in compliance with code and issues a
Certificate of Occupancy.

I read from others on this forum that inspectors can be
helpful but not in my town. I get that they expect you to know what
you are doing and don't want to spend their time drawing deck plans
but they wouldn't even answer straightforward questions about what
kind of sill plate hold downs they wanted. I just had to keep
resubmitting until I picked the right product.

It leads to people saying "forget it" and doing work without a
permit. Then you could end up with an unsafe structure that might
even endanger neighbors (bad plumbing or fire hazards).




--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
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