This chapter encompasses Washington, D.C. and most of Maryland.
In addition to general information on IAEI and our chapter, this page will offer you contact numbers, news of forthcoming meetings and seminars, minutes of previous meetings, and links to other electrical safety web sites.
What follows our logo is the brief general description. If you are in great hurry though, you have links to various portions of this site, right below here, as well as a search box..
One point, though. We are a gathering of colleagues serving similar goals. Therefore, I would hope that if you find any problem or error on this site you will take a moment to report it and offer a description that you believe will serve better to convey the correct information.
Here we go with quick links:
Next meeting or meetings:
When, where, and program(s).
George Washington Chapter Phone
Numbers and Email Addresses
Useful web sites:Links
and descriptions
Seminar descriptions, and an Index of
meeting topics, each starting with the most recent or forthcoming:
Seminars
Meeting minutes, starting with the most
recent:Minutes, including details of
presentations
Biography of Art Hesse, who revived
our chapter in the mid-1980s:Art Hesse
Our purpose is to further electrical safety, and in particular to foster electrical education and the uniform application of electrical standards. About a third of us are electrical inspectors, mostly working for local governments, but including quite a few third-party inspectors; the other two-thirds are contractors or their employees, consultants, and representatives of organizations that support IAEI. (The ratio of inspectors to contractors is reversed in our Canadian section; go figure.)
As of Spring 2010, we had sixty-odd local members. We welcome others who might consider joining IAEI. Our meetings are held on the third Tuesday evenings of January, March, May, September, and November. We normally take care of chapter business and then enjoy an educational program. Our other chapter activity is to offer inexpensive seminars. Both generally are accompanied by Continuing Education credits for those current members attending and signing in. In July, 2008, we were officially added to the list of approved Continuing Education providers by the Prince George's County Board of Registration for Master Electricians, Journeyman Electricians, Apprentice Electricians, Electrical Contractors, and Electrical Subcontractors. Here's a link for our current agenda, at which location we also have a link to the extended obituary of Art Hesse, our late godfather. Shortened versions of our meeting minutes are published in the international magazine, IAEI News. The full version of the minutes can be found below
Use this link for the web site of IAEI Headquarters
If you have questions or comments about this web page, please call the Chapter secretary at 301-699-8833, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. If we're out, please use the voicemail. It is quite reliable except when there's any kind of outage. For other local questions, contact either him or one of the other officers listed below.
Use this link to email the chapter.
=========================
George Washington Chapter Phone Numbers and Email Addresses
President: Jim Wooten, 301-262-0461
Vice President and Past President: Wayne Robinson 301-249-0066
Our Chapter Honorary Member, Arthur Hesse, is no more. His body was interred in Arlington National Cemetery on October 24, 2007
Secretary-Treasurer: David Shapiro , 301-699-8833, 9 am - 9 pm; You can Fax, during business hours only, please, to 301-699-8830 (though faxes are checked somewhat irregularly)
Education Director: At the moment, membership activities are being handled by a de facto committee consisting of Charles Johnson < 301-924-4672; Harry Langway < , 1-866-990-WIRE, and Robert Welborne (his contact information is immediately below), with David Shapiro as ex officio backup.
Membership Director: Robert Welborne <
These are a few web sites that may be useful to people looking for answers to questions on the NEC, IAEI, or our chapter:
http://www.iaei.org -- the International Office -- includes membership information, a bulletin board for Code and other questions, jobs ....
http:/www.gwiaei.org -- links to this very site, with our chapter's news, including meetings, seminars. . .
Various electricians and consultants have sites with useful information, including lots of links to Codes and Standards organizations. They include the following:
<http://www.iaei.org/forums> IAEI's discussion site Our own parent organization's listserv.
<http://www.eng-tips.com>NFPA's codes and enforcement site includes topics including but not limited to electrical.
<http://www.codecheck.com> Redwood Kardon's site includes information on other codes than electrical.
<http://forums.mikeholt.com>Mike Holt's site
<http://www.electrical-contractor.net> A board that includes discussion of Code violations .
<Http://www.ecmweb.com> is a magazine site that includes pictures of Code violations.
<http://www.necanet.org> includes Code quizzes, discussion of electrical violations.
<http://www.safetylink.com> is largely concerned with international product safety standards, but includes, for example, links to all the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories.
========================
Seminars first, then meetings.
For a while, thanks to the generosity of Wayne Robinson, we included mini-seminars with our regular meetings. That series of mini-seminars is over. Note, though, that a normal feature of every meeting is an educational program for which each member who attends the full session earns between one and two CEUs.
We do periodically offer 10-hour seminars, although none is scheduled at the moment. Revisit this site for updated information.
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
For a description of our most-recent full-scale seminars other
than Spring 2009's Code Update, read on.
For meeting reports,
including reports of the mini-seminars, skip past the next four
paragraphs.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Nine electricians and inspectors spent a fruitful Friday evening
and Saturday, February 12 and 13, reviewing 2008 NEC changes
with Wayne Robinson. Logistical problems threatened plans, but
Capital's Ken Cain made extraordinary efforts that enabled us to
use the space that had originally been planned. Standing in
reserve, a number of members, including Robert Wellborne,
Constantin (Gus) Rodousakis, and Richard Velasquez, scurried to
find alternatives that fortunately were not
needed.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
In mid-April 2004, we enjoyed a very fine seminar on important changes in the 2005 NEC, featuring the celebrated team of Andre Cartal and Bob McCullough. The gentlemen are both delightfully knowlegeable and entertaining.
An excellent free workshop, co-sponsored by us and the Washington, D.C. chapter of NECA, was enjoyed November 3, 2004. One focus was home generators, and the other fire alarm systems. NECA is redoing the National Electrical Installation Standard (NEIS) for home generators, and that guide was one leg of the program. Former IAEI Education Director Michael Johnston (now with NECA)came to town to present it, and attendees received Continuing Education credit.
The following meeting reports are presented in fullest form
here, the most recent first. Shortened versions can be found in
IAEI News. If you simply want to read about the programs
featured at our meetings, you can jump to that part of the minutes,
going back a few years. Here are the links, by topic and
date:
Some Proposed
2011 Changes (January 2010)
Assorted
Code Topics (November 2009)
An unusual bit of
history(September 2009)
Meters
and electrical measurements(May 2009)
Grounding
and Bonding of Separately Derived Systems(March 2009)
Fuses
and Related Topics(January 2009)
Code
and standards changes over time(November 2008)
Photovoltaic
Installations: Code and Safety Issues (September 2008)
Primarily,
Extensive Deliberation Over Training Plans (May 2008)
Dimmers
and Other Lighting Controls (March 2008)
Two
hours of lively discussion revolving largely around slides of Code
violations (January 2008)
Two hours of
information on generator selection and maintenance(November
2007)
Representatives
from UL and NEMA talk about forthcoming NEC Changes.(May
2007)
Thermographic
cameras plus some new devices(March 2007)
Chitchat
(January 2007)
Wide-ranging
Notes loosely on Section 110.3 (November 2006)
Scattered
notes on a miniseminar covering various aspects of
grounding(September 2006)
Code
Calculations(May 2006)
Firestopping
Systems(January 2006)
Communication
Cables, Flamability/Smoke Characteristics, and Codes (November
2005)
Manholes and
handholes(May 17, 2005, #1)
Circuit
Integrity Cable (May 17, 2005, #2)
Surge
Arrestors(November 9, 2004)
Wiremold
products and related Code Issues (September 14, 2004)
The
Importance of Knowing UL's General Information Directory (January
2004)
The
Skinny on Sheaths and Insulation: CMP member Dave Mercier talks
about the uses, evaluation, and repair of cables and
conductors.(November 2003)
A
manufacturers' representative and various members share information
about testers and materials.(September 2003)
A
LITERAL VERSUS APPLIED NEC; judgment calls on the rules for support
of fished cables, and for multiwire circuits.(May 2003)
This
is not actually the report of a chapter meeting's program, but of
what took place at the American Council for Electrical Safety in
April 2003.
2005 NEC changes; a
sampling of those proposed, including some accepted by Code panels
and some that were rejected, plus information on the process(March
2003)
Testing Laboratory product
evaluations (January 2003)
NFPA's
other codes, in particular NFPA 5000, their building code (November
2002)
Code
enforcement in D.C. and in Annapolis, with special reference to
Maryland's "Smart Code" September 2002)
OSHA
job site regulations and enforcement activities (May 2002)
AFCIs,
a disputation between experts on their effectiveness(March
2002)
Personal Protective Equipment (January
2002)
Electrical
codes competing with the NEC(September 2001)
CPSC
activities, including research (January 2001)
NEC
rules for low-voltage wiring (November 2000)
This section starts out with information about our next regular local meeting, and then we have reports of previous meetings, going back several years to Y2K.
CORRECTION
He will talk about whatever NEMA Lighting products, standards or
White Papers we choose. Most of these talk about field issues,
about applications, rather than subjects mainly of interest to
manufacturers.
It is up to us--to you--what specifically he
will talk about. You'll find many possible subjects at the
site this button will bring you to. He wants our questions. On
the subject of outdoor lighting, they are updating NEMA LSD-14 and
LSD-11. NEMA also coordinated the meetings last year to develop the
language related to outdoor lighting in the Waxman-Markey bill,
which was then taken and incorporated into Senate bill S3059.
The following meeting will take place on November 16, 2010. NEMA's Gil Moniz will be back for another presentation.
Our most recent meeting took place on May 18, 2010. Reports indicate that Michael Johnston and his associate put on an excellent presentation regarding the NEIS program, for a very small house: four inspector members, two associate members, and one inspector nonmember. Both Jim Wooten and David Shapiro were unable to make it, for health reasons. Harry Langway circulated an attendance list, though.
This is the report of our meeting on the evening of the evening of Tuesday, March 16, 2010. Once again, thanks to the generosity of Ken Cain, VP Marketing for Capital Lighting and Supply, we met at their training facility in Upper Marlboro, MD. We had three inspector members, five associate members, an instructor nonmember and at least four student nonmembers.
Nik Dubish of Kelly Generator & Equipment, Inc., presented an interactive program of 1 ½ hours, talking about some of the issues that arise in specifying, installing, consulting on, and inspecting Generators. Nik used to work for Generac, and provides training as a regular part of his job. This program was approved by IAEI’s International Office for .2 CEUs (credited for 2 CE hours). Nik is certified as an Electrical Generator Systems Technician by the Electrical Generator Systems Association.
Nik, supported by Scott Norfolk in sales and Gary Fink, Kelly’s master electrician and NEC go-to man, discussed an entertaining series of slides taken in the field. Some showed well-done installations, others violations or simply bad ideas.
Before the training proper began, Scott led in with an overview of what their company offers. Yawn, right? Except that we did learn a couple of useful nuggets, useful for the contractors among us, and useful for the inspectors whom contractors sometimes turn to for suggestions. One is that they provide a fair variety of rental units, although not the very smallest. The other is their generator parts inventory; it is wide enough that they often can dig up obscure or obsolete parts. Scott talked very briefly–really--and then Nik took over.
These are some of the points that came up. They seem worth setting out separately in order to emphasize them individually.
· The rules for minimum clearances from outdoor generators to buildings vary. A common one is 5'. How to measure this is a matter in which inspectors differ: Gary is conservative, and insists of 5' from any point on the generator to any point on the building.
· There are cases, though . . . In one instance, in a historic district of DC, there was a Code requirement to install backup power. However, the property could not be modified because of preservation requirements. Therefore, the AHJ signed off on a generator being shoehorned in with nearly no clearance. · Some customers prefer visibility, others low visibility; some quiet operation, some the ability to confirm by sound that the units are operating. All these requirements can be accommodated reasonably well, but some don’t know enough to do it legally.
· Many generators are not designed to have their exhaust piped away. Modifying this, like modifying any aspect of the design, eliminates Listing protection and warranties. Nik showed us several examples of Generac units that were installed so that the exhaust entered HVAC intake vents. There were even more slides in which clearances were not established or maintained for adequate access to controls and battery compartments. Then there were some where combustibles came in contact with the exhaust. One allowed paper trash to fall in the vicinity of the generator, so it could be sucked up against the intake grill, or slide underneath the enclosure so that it could sit against the unit itself.
· Jim Wooten mentioned an inspection he performed in Annapolis in which he found the generator under a deck with the exhaust 9" from vinyl siding. Nik noted that their exhaust gases exceed 800 degrees.
· The nameplate of a generator lists the letter class of items such as the rotor. This indicates how hot the wiring can get before its insulation may fail. (The further along in the alphabet, the more robust.)
· In a shore area, Harry reported, authorities now require that generators be located 2' above mean high tide.
· Small creatures such as snakes like to crawl in under generators where it’s warm. Rodents like to chew on wires, at least those with pre-THHW/XHHW insulation. He has heard that this is because older thermoplastic insulations contain fish oil. John Marcio of the National Association of Electrical and Medical Imaging Manufacturers (NEMA) said [awaiting response]
· Within the generator enclosure, from the stub-up on, the wiring does not need to be enclosed within a raceway. Bushing to protect it are sufficient.
· When the power and control wires all have insulation rated for the power voltage, there still is a significant advantage to running them in separate raceways. If control wiring is run right against it in a single raceway and, in the course of the pull, a power conductor gets a kink, power going through the kink could induce a spurious signal.
· Smaller units use four control wires to start them, carrying binary signals. Larger units use two wires, and if the positive one inadvertently grounds, this can start the generator–or try to. If the motor is already running at a good clip, and the starter tries to engage without meshing, damage could result.
· Listing information always is located with the nameplate, by the disconnect, either inside or outside the enclosure. Jim piped up to mention that Annapolis requires that this information always be available on the outside.
· Diesel units have their own problems.
· Modern, low-sulfur diesel fuel breeds vermin in the water that’s part of the fuel. This gives it a shelf life of 6-12 months. If left untouched, it loses its bright clear red color and becomes useless.
· In addition to causing white smoke and clogging filters, they put out acidic waste products, which damage the engines.
· The fuel can be filtered and treated on site. The company has equipment to perform this operation, and can arrange with specialists to do the job when particularly large tanks need to be treated.
· Diesel is not light. Sometimes there is no place for the unit but on a rooftop, because of noise, exhaust, or just footprint. In such a case, the size of the tank that can be accommodated may be limited both by weight and by fire regulations. These can require pans to capture lost diesel safely in the event of tank rupture. A day tank on the roof with the main tank below pumping up to it is an option in some cases. Nik mentioned one job where pumping dfiesel up wasn’t acceptable, so they continued relying on a bizarre alternative. (If you’re curious about the details, give him a call.)
· There are legitimate, Listed dual diesel-gas units. However, there also are diesel units that have been improperly converted to gas operation. If it looks like a diesel unit and has a power pack on the side, it’s probably one of these, we were told. Enough on diesel.
· Scott confided that the units some manufacturers sell that are rated over than 100 kW do not have EPA certification.
· Gary mentioned that before selecting transfer equipment, he always requests a letter from the serving utility supplying the available fault current.
Ed Bihlear noted afterward that an arc fault article by a Bussman rep said that 65 kA commercial distribution may be safer to deal with than residential, which can run as high at 83 kA due to the serving utility’s transformers. (David attempted to follow this up with PEPCO’s media office, but received no response.)
Servicing backup power for a cellular phone tower is particularly nerve-wracking. Ice can build up on the dish even when there’s no ice below. A bit of a thaw can cause it to start breaking up. Especially at night, the first inkling you may have that it is falling is when you start being bombarded.
Jim reported that the BG&E utility no longer will service any equipment, gas or electric, that is located on a roof.
There was more than this, of course, but . . . you had to be there.
We decided at our Annual Meeting in January that we would be voting on changes to our chapter bylaws, changes that were proposed back in 2008. These were attached to March’s meeting notice. So members could be ready. Jim even prepared some questions to guide the discussion. However, the inspector who proposed that we schedule the vote did not attend, with the result that we were one short of a quorum under the present rules.
The meeting proper therefore broke up quite a bit earlier than usual, to be followed, as usual, by the social and educational after-meeting meeting.
Jim, Gary, and David all agreed that by signing a permit, a master electrician takes personal responsibility for the work performed on a job. If he doesn’t inspect it himself, he is laying himself open. Ed Bihlear mentioned that equipment is coming out from manufacturers with the new Arc Flash labels. The instructions set the approach distance is 41', so Ed simply insists that a draw-out circuit breaker be de-energized before he arrives. Because the arc flash boundary is 100', instead of inscribing a hazard category class, they write, “Seriously dangerous.”
http://www.energy.state.md.us/incentives/transportation/index.asp will link you to guidelines for two government incentive programs for those building Electric Vehicle-charging stations.
This is the report of our meeting on the evening of the evening of Tuesday, January 19, 2010, at Capital Lighting and Supply's training facility in Upper Marlboro, MD. We had five inspector members, five associate members, and four student nonmembers.
Because the changes discussed were based on the ROP, their content is subject to further modification in the ROC and then yet again at the Annual Meeting. Therefore, this report will focus more on the sweet nuggets contained in presenter Wayne Robinson’s–and the audience’s--asides. These were based on field experience and on proposed changes’ substantiations as reported in the ROP. This element is part of what leads these discussions to offer more of interest, in their way, than very straightforward seminars that closely follow, for example, the IAEI Powerpoint slides.
Here are some highlights:
Annexes are not part of the mandatory portion of the NEC; however, when referenced directly by a chapter, they can be. This may be underscored in the 2011 Code, but is true already.
“Power Panelboards” originally were panelboards that lacked a neutral, before the 10%-of-circuits rule was passed. The idea of pulling a neutral to every panelboard was applauded by several members. . They reported that they have seen neutral-less panels treated as though they did have neutrals all too often–with their grounds substituted.
Pete Bowers chimed in that a great many builders and homeowners buy jacuzzis without making sure the items they purchase fit into the intended locations in a way that leaves their motors and GFCIs/local disconnects accessible.
The original GFCI requirement in 1987 required this protection within 6' of each sink, regardless of type; it looks as though we will be returning to that concept.
It will be a wrench for some building owners if the panels serving their or their supers’ units no longer will be permitted to also serve as the house panels.
It appears that countertop receptacles will be forbidden to count toward the receptacles required for wall spaces, but wall receptacles will be permitted to count as the receptacles serving contiguous peninsula counters.
Floor boxes came up in the context of the proposed requirement that meeting spaces with movable partitions be served so that a partition would not cut users off from ready access to receptacles. David Shapiro polled those present regarding the fate of floor receptacle closers. Harry Langway sees them remaining intact, because the receptacles are never used. Pete sees the style using flip-open lids generally having them broken off within three months, and left off missing.
Wayne told a story about a call from a lawyer, who apparently was seeking support for his client’s contention that a fire had resulted from a certain type of negligence. Wayne eventually cut off his interest by presenting his off-the-cuff opinion that the fire was very likely to have been caused by three-prong receptacles having been installed in outlets lacking any grounding conductors (or, presumably, GFCI protection). He asserted that when there’s a ground fault in such a case, the yoke gets so hot carrying fault current over time that it gets the box to the point where the receptacle yoke breaks in half.
That is about as far as the NEC education went. We received sad news about a relatively new–but valued-- chapter member who will no longer be with us.
We slid smoothly into our business meeting. Pete asked about a vote on some bylaws changes that David had proposed many months ago. We agreed that they would be addressed in our March meeting.
Next, Pete mentioned a problem with inspection of fire alarm systems. In less than 40 hours–whoops–the state fire marshal would be meeting with those who probably should be inspecting their wiring.
Pete explained his concern further after the meeting, as being about: “. . . a new code section under 22-13, for fire safety - building code: MCER 5-06AM, adopted November 28, 2006. It establishes a requirement for issuance of a Fire Protection Systems License. That license is required to install, repair, test, modify or service any alarm system and/or equipment.
“The license is issued by the Fire Marshal's Office, with specific Nicet (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies) documentation required as a precondition to qualify. Permits for the work activity are then issued by that department and inspection of the completed work is conducted by the Fire Marshal's Office. At present, the electrical inspection branch is not involved, leading to other problems of compliance in law.
“The reason for the new level of government oversight and control was that life safety systems have been installed and modified, their maintenance ignored or allowed to fall into inoperable condition--and the fire department had no control over malfunctioning systems in the public domain. This was an attempt to bring oversight into play at the major levels of system operability.
“The downside is that the process put the holders of Nicet documentation as the dominant player (which translates to the manufacturers or their local service organizations) to the exclusion of licensed electrical contractors. No requirement was stated that a journeyman or master electrician license was necessary for this work, in order to comply with other county law. Electrical contractors have been responsible for installation of system components forever, with final testing and checkout usually the domain of the manufacturer's representative. All that changed with this new regulation.”
No one spoke up to say they would be available on such short notice to attend the meeting.
Some days later, Pete reported that the fire marshal told that meeting's audience that he had had no one to help him prepare the regulation so as to coordinate smoothly with other departments or regulations.
Next, Wayne mentioned an upcoming meeting of the state committee regarding third-party inspector licensing and retesting.
Jim Wooten, President. Jim noted that he is thinking about
relocating close to the Pennsylvania border, at which time a
replacement would be needed.
Wayne Robinson, Vice President.
David Shapiro, Secretary-treasurer.
Robert Welborne,
Membership.
Harry Langway, Programs, at least for a while.
There were no other volunteers for Executive Board positions, nor any to serve on a budget committee.
Finances
David reported that we are still pretty much busted.
Follow-up: We have been enjoying the hospitality of Capitol Lighting and Supply for some time. Steve Collins’s excellent suggestion at the last meeting, which was supported by a consensus, was that our leftover books pruchased for 2005-related seminars the be offered for Capitol’s use. This offer was carried out before the evening’s meeting convened.
Membership
Robert reported that he has changed over his membership category to Inspector. In addition to continuing to function as a contractor, and serving on Prince Georges Community College’s faculty, he has taken on their job of Electrical Supervisor and Plan Reviewer.
About 8:45, we adjourned.
After the meeting, of course, there continued to be some informal discussion.
****
This is the report of our meeting on the evening of the evening of Tuesday, November 17, 2009. Once again, thanks to the generosity of Ken Cain, VP Marketing for Capital Lighting and Supply, we met at their training facility in Upper Marlboro, MD.
Wayne, our Vice President and also our evening's presenter, made a very prompt start to the meeting, jumping right in to a good hour and a half of solid Code instruction--and dialogue. His talk was thoroughly illustrated with slides he had prepared with PowerPoint for one of the handbooks he prepared and uses (and sells) in his presentations on the subjects. The give and take with the audience led the evening’s education/entertainment to be more freewheeling than a straight slide-driven presentation. Here are some highlights:
Wayne started out with Auxiliary Gutters, with side excursions to address rooftop installations, as well as other installations that call for temperature-related derating.
Much of the wiring run across roofs, he noted, just sits on pressure-treated wood rather than being secured to structural members. One of these days, he commented, all of these sleepers are going to blow off, with the right wind. Everything will land in the street. Inspection? In Baltimore County, he understood, inspectors no longer are permitted to go up on rooftops. The electrician signs a form saying the wiring up there was done to Code. CE-style self-inspection.
Moving back to ambient temperature derating, he brought up a slide presenting an extreme example. Suppose wiring–however long the run--normally would need to be 3 AWG, but the run ends with at least 10 feet in a boiler room with an ambient of 140 degrees. In accordance with 310.15(A)(2), the Exception not applying, the entire run might need to be upsized to 3/0. How, at least one member asked, is he to legally attach a 3/0 conductor to a 100 A circuit breaker designed for 3 AWG and 1 AWG for aluminum?
This stimulated a healthy discussion, resulting in a vote to seek an informal interpretation from NFPA, as a chapter. (The letter has been sent.) Ironically, Pete Bowers, a chapter member, has been the IEC’s alternate on CMP 6 for the last couple of Code cycles. It is conceivable that, had he been at the meeting, he might have been able to illuminate the discussion.
These were our questions:
· What does it take to break the requirement? Suppose
there’s a panel outside the boiler room, with one
overcurrent device. Could the wiring from there to the load be
3/0, and upstream 3AWG?
· If this would be inadequate,
the panel being considered to contain a mere supplementary
overcurrent device, how about upsizing both the upstream
conductor and the device ahead of it by one size: could the rest
of the run now be considered a feeder?
· Going in the
other direction, if this sort of sleight of hand is acceptable to
release the installer from having to comply with the requirement,
why wouldn’t a simple junction box be acceptable to break
the run?
Our question was not what an AHJ may decide based on
the printed wording, but rather the intent of the Code section.
From there, we went to motor conductor calculations. Wayne mentioned duty rating as an example where the Code has found good reason to give designers a break on conductor sizing. Ed Holt, a former member and a welcome, frequent visitor, noted that the motor controller must have physical limits that restrict possible use of the motor, not merely settings. Furthermore, something as simple as a time clock is insufficient–it could be reset, or removed, or replaced.
Wayne brought our attention to overload requirements that are new in the 2008 Code. It’s not a big deal to figure out what’s permitted: The nameplate gives the class of motor, and then Table 430.32(C) identifies the maximum overload device.
Here’s a matter of interpretation: Wayne said that based on his reading of Stallcup, you can’t exceed the size identified from the table, even if your calculations might suggest otherwise.
We quickly moved on to transformer calculations. Here are some points he made.
If more than one overcurrent/disconnect is used for protection, the sum of their actual ratings can’t exceed what the maximum rating would have been had there been only one disconnect.
This next one raised some objection–from two knowledgeable men. One was Ed Holt, who carries serious inspection responsibilities indeed. Wayne commented that there are “five million” transformers out there with 400 amp mains but 500 Kcmil mains. He noted that technically, the wire isn’t protected by the overcurrent device, and therefore the design is illegal.
Both Ed Holt and Rich Panizari piped up, saying that sizing the conductors to the loads makes the practice legal. This brought Wayne to taps. He reminded us that restricting the primary length to 10' and the secondary to 15' keeps a tap no longer than 25' and permits us size it to the load. His next comment elicited some differing opinions from the audience. He noted that it’s awfully easy to go overlength. One reason is that runs never perfectly cross the space from where they enter to where they are connected, but follow structure. An even more easy-to-overlook one is that the tails inside the transformer and inside the overcurrent device cabinet tend to be overlooked in the count.
He added a final comment on allowances. He has never seen a fuse oversized to 250%, as technically permitted when necessary. However, he pointed out, it is necessary to keep the permission in mind when facing test questions.
Another snare he warned us of (as did Chuck Mello in the December issue of IAEI News) is that whatever the permitted sizes for separately derived systems’ individual grounding electrodes, once they are connected to a common grounding electrode it must be sized a minimum of 250 aluminum or 3/0 copper.
He focusing on feeder taps for his final segment. Wayne commented that when the conductors are sized at the full calculated rating on both sides of a splice, there’s no tap. Once even a single undersized conductor leaves a splice, it becomes a tap, and its length is limited accordingly.
Rich, Ed Holt, and Wayne engaged in some fun discussion about field options to allow the use of the 1/3 rating. Wayne pointed out that if we downsize the primary-side overcurrent device, it may trip. Ed suggested that this would tend to be due to inrush current, so you could adjust the trip setting. Wayne argued that this would require engineering calculations, for coordination.
After a bit over an hour and a half, we took a break, returning for the business/executive meeting.
The first order of business was for Charles Johnson, our new Programs Officer, to seek input as to how to solicit presenters for future meetings.
He did get a lot of the input he asked for.
· At the end of Wayne's talk, he mentioned that he has
a 2011 Code Change book or books in the works, and would be
willing to spend an evening in January—that's the meeting
on January 19—giving us another good hour-and-a-half.
·
Steve Collins mentioned that his father was a fire commissioner
for ten years. He and others speculated that the state fire
marshal's office is concerned about electrical safety across the
state. They might have comments for us on the current situation
in Prince George's County. He will ask his father to contact the
office for us, to find out whether we can get a program
consisting of one of their representatives addressing us on the
interface between the fire marshal and localities. Steve also
came up with several ideas regarding a publicity campaign.
·
However, Nigel Nisbeth, a brand-new member, had even more ideas,
including a program where we invite members of the press to
attend a discussion of how the current reduction in professional
oversight of electrical inspections might be seen as affecting
safety. At David's suggestion, Nigel agreed to try out the job of
Publicity and Public Affairs chair, seeing to not only these
contacts but also publicity for future events such as seminars.
He will be coordinating with IAEI's International Office, to make
sure that what we do is in keeping with their policies.
David reported that we are somewhat in the hole at the moment, the result of expenses incurred sending representation to the Section meeting. This will diminish with the annual Winter IO disbursement, though David will front the money to pay for our audit in January. Fortunately, most of our members receive our mailings via email, and we have enough postage to handle the remainder for some time.
Our 2010 fundraising will have to do a little better. Otherwise, we may have to rethink our representation on the Section Executive Committee, and with it the annual Secretaries,' Treasurers,' and Membership meetings.
We do have one small asset that has been sitting unused: a set of 2005 NECs, plus one 2005 NEC Changes book. While the list values total $400 or so, we are highly unlikely to use them in actually teaching a 2005 NEC seminar at this point. There were proposals to dispense of them by offering them online, and we were about to vote on this when Steve Collins came up with something better.
We have been enjoying the hospitality of Capitol Lighting and Supply for some time. Steve Collins’s excellent suggestion, which was supported by a consensus, was that the books be offered for Capitol’s use. This offer was conveyed when the meeting ended; Ken Cain graciously accepted.
Robert reported that he has continued to invite people to try us out, and some ask him for membership applications. Four current students accepted his invitation to attend the evening's program, and one, Justin Bagley, who just converted his Limited Master to a Full Master license after having taken Robert's refresher course.
About 9:30 we broke up and formally adjourned, not necessarily precisely in that order. At least two attendees, Ed Holt and Ed Bihlear, had to get up at 4 AM to handle their considerable responsibilities.
After the meeting, of course, there continued to be some informal discussion, including some war stories, so to speak, in the parking lot. Fascinating stuff.
This is the report of our meeting on the evening of Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Attending: three Inspector members, four Associate members, and one prospective member. Once again, thanks to the generosity of Ken Cain, VP Marketing for Capital Lighting and Supply, the meeting took take place around 6:30 p.m., at their training facility in Upper Marlboro, MD.
Not dark; not in fact night; but it certainly was stormy, and a challenging drive for some attendees. Furthermore, Jim, our President, had been called out of town; Charles, our At Large board member, was home recuperating from hip surgery; and even David, our Secretary-treasurer, was a few minutes late. Happily, those who did make it spent our time schmoozing comfortably. Once David arrived, Wayne, our Vice President, called the meeting to order officially.
Educational Program
Our meeting's speaker and topic were not been nailed down beforehand, for whatever reason; subsequently our new Education Coordinator, Pete, decided it would be best to give up the job and focus on his other commitments. As both David, our chapter secretary, and Harry, our former Education Coordinator, had understood that speakers had been scheduled, we waited patiently for them, as afternoon slid into night (and the storm temporarily abated).
Wayne mentioned that he always has PowerPoint presentations on Code topics available. Teaching with them may not be his bread and butter, but it certainly is a significant sideline.
He talked at some length about the hoops he has jumped through successfully in order to have his seminars accredited for CEUs in all sorts of jurisdictions. (He also talked about the woeful situation of inspection in parts of our area.) David mentioned an opportunity resulting from his having completed the editing of W. Creighton Schwan's final book, Behind the Code, except for some fiddly details. One of those details is that he recently received permission from NFPA to reproduce copies of the fronts of any NECs as illustrations. He will be inserting a great many of them, going back to at least the 1911 edition. Just as Oran P. Post entertains the Ohio Chapter with an assortment of old NECs, David could have brought in the images he has available.
We did make a firm determination that the next meeting will have a program, whoever needs to handle the duty.
Robert, our Membership Coordinator, brought up an enforcement question and got his answers. Nathan, an engineer now with a consulting firm but formerly an Orange County, CA IAEI member and a NRTL employee, introduced himself. David and several others complained about the lack of enforcement, which encourages illegal work.
Membership
Eventually Robert interrupted some grousing and discussion about low participation, about cumbersome new processes resulting in the need for non-employee "permit runners," and about new licensing requirements to give his report. Robert has gotten the impression that a fair number of people he talked to were interested in IAEI. Thirty showed enough interest to ask for membership applications. But nothing came out of his efforts, to our knowledge, except for member Steve Collins showing up. Robert has not let this stop him.
Steve spoke at length about his work; he has quite a special specialty. For decades he has worked on data centers. When their equipment is put together, it must be well over 99.% reliable: at least six nines. This is a challenge for the product manufacturers who want to remain competitive.
He talked about the early days of 400 Hz work. They knew nothing about harmonics or skin effect initially. He'd be called in the middle of the night to reset a breaker that had tripped despite being loaded well within its capacity. The next day he'd strip it out and find . . . nothing.
They learned that excess heat was the culprit, although they didn't know why it should be present. They responded empirically, with fans and eventually with different setups entirely, ones that allowed far better heat dissipation from a breaker.
Steve spoke a bit about the progression of data center cooling designs--air-cooled to water to air again; fans to tents to their more-efficient successors. Still, an important part of the remedy was modified electrical designs. Paralleled conductors? What's he or she saying? (I guess back then it was pretty certainly "he.")
The NEC offered little guidance. Steve and his colleagues found that part of what was needed, in fact, violated NEC rules. Always, though, they kept safety in mind, and eventually the practices that they had found necessary to follow became incorporated the NEC. Inspection of these data centers was no simple thing, anyway. He'd get a call from the jurisdictional inspector telling him to meet the guy downstairs at such and such a time, though, and shepherd him through the security gauntlet.
Steve was a fun "presenter." Eventually, the meeting broke up at about 8. We'd been going for something over an hour and a half, and generally having a pretty good--and useful--time.
Our meeting took place on the evening of Tuesday, May 19, 2009. Once again, it was hosted by Capital Lighting and Supply, thanks to the generosity of Ken Cain, their Vice President for Marketing. Attending were 4 inspector members, 6 associate members, and 6 nonmembers, plus our two speakers.
Having a quorum, we held our annual election. The same officers were re-elected, with one exception. We have a new Education Coordinator. After working well and hard to serve the chapter, Harry Langway–a member of the Chesapeake Chapter who lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore–found a volunteer, Pete Bowers, to take over finding meeting speakers. Harry provided, and will continue to provide, guidance to help Pete get started with candidates for our Fall programs. Besides some familiar, and very good, speakers, we may have enjoyable teasers, such as a brief introduction to ANCE, a testing laboratory that is in the process of obtaining NRTL certification.
Secretary-Treasurer David Shapiro circulated a CPSC notice concerning a recall of some Fluke clamp-on meters. Download site: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09222.html. Before the evening was out, members picked up previously undistributed CEU certificates acknowledging their attendance at the educational talks enriching meetings before March’s. We hope to get dual-signatory March CEU certificates to September’s meeting, along with those for attendance at the educational portion of May’s meeting.
Finally, Pete brought up some news about Eaton/Cutler-Hammer. First, Tony Crimi, their representative who used to attend our chapter meetings, has retired, and it was not clear who is replacing him. Second, they have developed extranet programs to enable both distributors and contractors to obtain price and availability information about their products. Pete noted that this could be especially handy for contractors who try pricing jobs evenings and weekends. One glitch is that even their distributors seem unaware of the program. Another is that to be able to participate in the program, you need to fill out an application that includes the name of your local rep–that’s the person through whom they supply you with your access ID. Pete had not yet been successful in getting answers. David contacted them in the name of the chapter. Apparently no one is going to be quite a local as Tony for now. They told us that the contact person, both for their extranet and for any chapter support from Eaton, now is Alesia Davis, in the Baltimore area. For information about the contractors’ extranet program, you can go to http://www.eaton.com/EatonCom/Markets/Electrical/BusinessPartners/Contractors/98067397
Educational Program
A number of members, and non-members, showed up early for some additional free training, courtesy of Southwire. Southwire’s representatives may be back–perhaps next year–to address one of our meetings; this is up to our new Education Coordinator. However, this report is not about the pre-program but about what took place at our meeting on May 19.
Harry Langway had lined up another fine presentation:
Meters
and Electrical Measurements.
Besides giving us a hell of
a show, and providing solid information, attending this yielded
paid-up IAEI members another full two hours of CEUs, as
authorized by the IO.
Question: When we need to rely on meters to keep ourselves safe and make sure that installations are functioning properly, who do we want go to to get the lowdown about meters--someone who's had a course or two, and otherwise figured things out by the seat of his pants, or someone who knows meters inside out?
Brian Blanchette is not only a technically astute head who thinks things through, does his own research, and is not overly shy about sharing the results. He also is accessible and personable, and a more-than-competent writer and teacher. Ideal’s Tests and Measurements Manager, the man designed some of the meters on the market today. It is very hard to find somebody with his experience.
Brian discussed the correct way to use various digital meters,
but started his talk in such a way as to accommodate even
walk-ins who might not have the background of people who’ve
studied, been in the trade. He began with basic electrical
theory, and quickly went on to the implications of voltage drop.
He thinks of impedance more in terms of available fault current
than of VD, because that is key to protective equipment being
enabled to function. He moved on to line-to-neutral voltages, and
a damned sight more–including some big surprises, pearls
dropped along the way. Even members of the audience who might
have felt lukewarm toward hearing a spiel focusing around one
particular manufacturer’s line of meters had plenty to
gain.
Ron Greenfield from O.T. Hall accompanied Brian. In
addition to his day job as a sales representative, he is an
instructor with the I.E.C. We heard an amusing dialogue between
him and Pete, who has bought several meters from him. Brian,
Pete, and of course Ron spoke with one voice on the need for
inspectors and contractors to buy the various meters, and
adequately sophisticated versions of them, to be able to scope
out their jobs adequately.
Time to provide some details. Brian mentioned combination-type AFCIs early on, talking about how the first two brands available–Cutler-Hammer and Square D had very different designs from the later introductions, manufactured by Siemens. The latter also include those they manufactured but branded as G.E. and Murray.
Whatever their design, AFCIs, like any other protective devices, require enough current to flow to cause them to operate within the critical time frame, however the latter is specified. This is where the critical nature of available short-circuit current comes in. This factor brings us to the main approaches to minimizing impedance: reducing the number of series connections, each of which is going to be characterized by a certain amount of impedance; and sizing conductors appropriately for length of run. Furthermore, in performing distance calculations, he reminded us of the need to consider the full round-trip length of a each circuit, not just the one-way distance.
While the present generation of testers require the presence
of voltage to get an adequate picture of circuit condition, Brian
noted that the IEEE standard is phrased in different terms:
recommending that we keep the total impedance over the length of
any one conductor–that’s conductor, not round-trip
circuit–to a quarter of an ohm. Ron chimed in to point out
that some prefer to keep conductor impedance within a
more-generous limit: one ohm.
This does not need to be left
so abstract. For one example, consideer this: 14 AWG copper runs
2-2 ½ ohms per 1000 feet.
Now consider an older or at least cheaper single-family residence. Suppose there is no central air conditioning. Suppose also that one 15 amp circuit wired in 14 AWG cable takes care of the receptacles daisy-chained all over the house. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. If there’s no central air, it’s very likely that if there’s any money at all there’s a window air conditioner in a bedroom. Quite commonly, that bedroom will be located at or near the tail end of the circuit. Now we have a relatively high-impedance circuit with a compressor trying to draw up to six times its normal current each time it starts. What happens if we retrofit the house with AFCIs? They may be almost useless.
Brian also expressed dissatisfaction with the tests presently in ANSI/UL standard 1699. Rich Berman, P.E., our U.L. Regulatory Engineer, said this when he viewed the comment after the meeting:
“. . . it is correct that the proper way to test an AFCI device is to push the AFCI TEST button. AFCI indicators can be a convenient way to determine if an AFCI is on a circuit, but some AFCIs may not trip when subjected to the pulses from an AFCI indicator. [Ideal Industries’s tool for checking AFCIs technically is “an indicator,” not “a tester”; as Brian noted, the only official way to test an AFCI is to push its TEST button] If the AFCI stays energized when used with an AFCI indicator, it does not mean that the AFCI is bad and should be replaced. UL 1699 does not require the AFCI to trip when subjected to the pulses of an AFCI indicator.
An AFCI is not an overcurrent protective device [this is not to deny that an AFCI circuit breaker is an OC device], and is designed to recognized unwanted arcing faults. One of the tests includes a razor cut on an insulated conductor (called the point contact arc test; technically, the "razor" cut blade is specified in the standard as 0.05 in. (1.27 mm) thick which is not a razor. Sharpening to an razor edge is optional if agreeable to all concerned.), but there are several tests for operation inhibition and unwanted tripping, including inrush current, normal operation arcing, non-sinusoidal waveforms, multiple loads, lamp burnout, and immunity (EMC, RF, etc.).”
Let's get back to Brian's warning about the limited value of AFCI protection on a long multi-outlet branch circuit that ultimately feeds a window air conditioner. One of the assumptions intrinsic in the design of all AFCIs, he warned us, is the availability of at least 300-400 amps of short-circuit current. Later in the evening, he commented that a decent residential short-circuit current availability figure is 300-600 amps. One You-tube.com site, he commented, used to show a homemade, 120 volt arc furnace fed by non-defective AFCIs that fails to show any inclination to trip. To forestall disbelief in the possibility of such a project, he commented that for jollies he himself created a arc furnace connected to a household circuit as a kid, using carbons from a D cell (shaped as needed) wrapped with copper wire, a dish of saline solution, and not a whole lot else.
Brian was not saying that AFCIs are useless, or a bad idea. He put it this way, after the meeting was over: “. . .it is very difficult to reliably filter out nuisance trips without filtering out real events. . . I am pretty sure the things can be effective. The commercialization of the product was not necessarily kind to the technology, but then, it rarely is. . . Nothing is perfect, and the Combination Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter breaker does detect arcs that other breakers cannot.”
The question of how you know whether an AFCI is defective he answered easily: push the TEST button. If it trips, it’s good. This is a much more reliable test of whether it is defunct than trying to trip it with an external arc, because of issues of circuit impedance. To the greater surprise of many in the audience, he noted later that he has found consistently that AFCIs are good for about 75 trips– the number must include those caused by pushing the TEST button. After this, they won’t trip when you push the TEST button, and are due for replacement. How effective they will be in responding to a particular arc fault is another matter, depending on design of AFCI and circuit.
Moving back to his main subject, he acknowledged the challenges in testing circuits fed by them. As he described the elements to branch-circuit testing, he–and Pete--discussed the use of testers to tease out various aspects of these questions. Brian mentioned, and showed bits of, a White Paper that he wrote, titled, “The Electrician’s Guide for Testing Branch Circuits with Combination AFCI Circuit Breakers." It contains a decision tree, focusing on the use of his company’s test instruments. It was a relief to read that when the AFCI trips only in response to simulated problems in the outlets closest to the panel (or only in some outlets generally, but not all), the problem is most likely caused by loose wires or connections–or by tests made at faulty (high-impedance) wiring devices. Another interesting comment, at least for people who have not discussed design with representatives of various manufacturers, was that he has found different AFCI circuit breakers respond differently at low current levels. One point he emphasized was his reason in naming it “The Electrician’s Guide. . . “ rather than the inspector’s: most testing has to fall on the installer, not the inspector. Pete had talked of coming in, red-tagging jobs for violations, and leaving, repeatedly, until contractors finally reached the point where they tested their own work adequately before calling for inspection.
On a more-general note, Brian commented that most of the testers we are likely to be carrying are rated as Category 3 or higher–and they need to be. This rating means that they have been certified as safe up to 600 volts, good for testing anything normally found indoors. Category 2, on the other hand, is suitable only for use at a branch circuit outlet itself, and not upstream.
He went over the elements in testing branch circuits in some
detail. To summarize, you review:
1) The physical structure of
the circuit, which includes confirming correct polarity at
outlets;
2) The quality of the voltage supplied;
3)
Neutral-to-ground voltage, which varies depending on load and
circuit impedance–the latter hinging in part on distance
along the wiring from the common bounding jumper;
4) Voltage
drop; and
5) Possibly actual impedance.
He also urged the use of thermal imagers to answer certain questions, noting that the price of at least some new units has plummeted. The discussion of thermal imaging–in some but not all cases related to the sorely-uneven balancing of loads, especially loads characterized by triplan harmonics, across phases--led to a comment about three-phase neutrals. He emphasized that these often are inappropriately downsized, even though doing so may follow the rules for derating that is permissible when they are not considered to be carrying significant current. In fact, though, they should be increased, to compensate for carrying sizable additive current from more than one phase.
The only standards addressing Total Harmonic Distortion set standards for maximum voltage, even though voltage distortion exists as a response to current distortion–to loads. In very large systems, up to 8% THD may be acceptable; almost everywhere else, 5%. In hospitals and airports, though, 3% is the maximum. The solution to these problems in three-phase systems is twofold: don’t put all of the distorting loads on one phase; and oversize the neutral.
The examples were quite entertaining. On one job Pete’s meter reported a false ground. Rather than check for bad connections at one place and another and another, searching slowly upstream, he was able to go to the panel, where the neutral conductor’s termination was loose. On another site that turned out to be suffering from just this problem, Brian used imaging to determine that it was what caused a panel overheat badly. With each turn to the inadequately secure screw–and it took several--the readings returned closer to normal. “Don’t retorque, because you’ll extrude the wire”? This case was an exception.
Switchgear normally is rated for installation in maximum 40 deg C ambient environments, and loads are permitted to add up to 30 deg C additional. When a conductor is glowing, what do you do? One bank’s system did just this, and if they had shut it down, the data in their computer system would have been lost. While they hastily downloaded it, the bank’s carbon dioxide fire extinguishers were paraded to the panel by a bucket brigade of employees, moderating the temperature just enough until they could close it down.
Backing off from the horrible examples, Brian talked in more general terms. Fortunately, he noted, most problems are the result of gross mistakes, such as neutral-ground bonds downstream of the Main Bonding Jumper. This is worse, he noted, when it occurs in single-phase wiring utilizing the neutral, because with three-phase at least there is the possibility of some return current flowing through the other phases. Perhaps another corollary of the concept that the causes of most problems are gross is that meters don’t have to slice the second too fine in their sampling. That yielded this aphorism: “No instantaneous readings carry quality information.”
In discussing what sort of readings can be useful, he touched on the difference between normal meters and those testers that can report peak current. This led him to an aside on the history of electricity generation and the dispute between Edison and Tesla, with Westinghouse as Tesla’s sponsor. Edison proved that AC could be dangerous, claiming that there was no measuring AC, and setting limits. An excellent showman, he demonstrated this not with a dog-and-pony show but with rather more of a circus. He electrocuted an elephant using AC, and later donating an AC electric chair to the State for executions.
Tesla responded by developing a system to measure AC. It couldn’t be simple averaging, because if you average a quantity that alternates evenly between the same level above and below zero, you get zero. Instead, he conceived of RMS (Root-Mean-Square) figures, and figured out how to measure them.
Oh, there was lots more, but . . . you had to be there. The meeting ran past 9 PM, though not quite as long as some. Our remaining meetings this year will take place on Tuesday, September 15 and Tuesday, November 17.
Next Most Recent Meeting
This is the report of the meeting March 17, 2009.
Attending: around 20 people, including at least 5 Inspector members, 5 Associate members, and 8 or 9 nonmembers, apprentices who showed up for part of the evening, at the urging of their instructor, Membership Chair Robert Welborne. Unfortunately, the roster disappeared in the course of fax transmission from Past President Wayne Robinson, who stood in for Secretary-treasurer David Shapiro, who was sidelined by vertigo due to an inner-ear malfunction. A number of long-time members who don’t often attend made it in, and several reported afterwards on how valuable they found the mini-seminar.
The group enjoyed a fine two-component presentation by Michael Johnston, former IAEI Director of Codes and Standards, who now holds a similar senior position with NECA. The first part reviewed grounding and bonding of separately derived systems. The second element looked ahead--extensively--at Proposals for Article 250 of the 2011 NEC that seem likely to be accepted.
Financials and Seminars
We are operating without an
updated Board of Directors. In accordance with our bylaws, this
means our present Board remains in place. While out books
continue to pass the annual audits, we also do not yet have an
approved budget overseen by a budget committee. The information
submitted by David Shapiro previously in the draft budget remains
relatively accurate at this point, although we are better off by
what we netted from Wayne Robinson’s first Code Update
seminar.
Unfortunately, the Grounding and Bonding Seminar he
offered in April was not sufficiently subscribed, and had to be
cancelled. Checks were returned, with thanks.
At present, we
are searching for a new bank account, as our long-term account
has instituted a maintenance fee that we could easily incur each
month for falling below the minimum balance. While at first GMAC
Bank seemed very promising, David, as chapter treasurer, has been
forced to consider it the least safe bank he has ever dealt with,
only in part because their representatives repeatedly failed to
keep agreements. As of late April, David is still in the process
of determining whether either of two other banks, with local
branches, can serve our needs.
This is the report of the George Washington Chapter meeting January 20 at 8511 Pepco Place, Capital Lighting and Supply’s warehouse and training center, courtesy of Capital’s VP Marketing, Ken Cain.
Attending:
6 Associate members;
2 Inspector members;
Plus our presenters–3 visiting nonmembers
We got started around 6:30, after a pleasant half-hour or so of informal conversation–following on a very homey period, for a few early arrivals, of even more informal conversation in the lobby with Ken Cain, who has extensive experience in this industry. Ken, incidentally, had left a number of flyers in the meeting room, inviting us to join a free half-day product training session to take place at their facility.
Without any delay at all, Harry Langway, our Program chair, welcomed Mark Phipps of manufacturers’ representative Electrical Sales Associates, Inc., and his colleague Tom Kidwell introduced our speaker, Dave McBain of Littelfuse, who had flown in the day before to avoid the Inauguration traffic.
Training
The first item we concentrated on was arc flash and arc blast–the big reasons to reduce available energy at points of access to an electrical system. Dave displayed one slide showing daunting numbers: good fuel for those of us who want to make a point to scoffers about the importance of doing things right.
More than 1000 annual deaths due to electrical accidents;
More than 2000 workers sent to burn centers each year with severe burns due to arc flash/blast;
Among qualified workers, 80% of injuries and fatalities due to arc flash/blast; and
Annual costs to employers and the nation.
We proceeded to learn all sorts of things about fuses, and overcurrent/life safety protection generally, including but certainly not limited to series-rated systems, and to current-limitation generally.
He started out with some very brief film clips showing arcs. One was a 30-second video caught on a meatpacking plant’s security camera over the weekend of 5-6-03. We saw three untrained, unprotected men--wearing nylon on their heads to keep stray hairs out of foodstuffs. It showed the flash, it showed the men staggering afterwards, confused, with the nylon melted to them. One didn’t even realize that his shirt was aflame.
Electrical workplace safety requirements associated with arc flash/blast come out of NEC 110.16, requiring labeling; the OSH Act, CFR 29 1910; and NFPA70E. 70E tells how to calculate arc flash.
IEEE 1584 is an optional guideline, an alternate means that can be used to calculate some arc flash calculations. Most programs of protection are offered at work sites, by employers. Dave mentioned that Proctor & Gamble has an internalized program re training for protection against arc flash/blast; makes it one of the better places to work.
Current-limitation
Current-limiting means letting at most ½ of a cycle’s energy through before interruption is completed.
Non-current-limiting means letting at most 6 cycles through.
This is, of course, with AC loads. He went to the trouble for us afterwards to confirm that they are similarly, though not equally, effective with DC loads. In the words of Kenneth Cybart, Littelfuse’s Senior Technical Engineer, “DC circuits are harder to extinguish than AC circuits. How quickly a fuse reacts to DC short circuits or DC arc flashes depends on the X/R ratio of the DC circuit. We would have to test our fuses at different X/R ratios and DC voltages to see how quickly they can extinguish the current, and minimize the energy. But, in general, AC current limiting fuses react faster in DC circuits than non current-limiting fuses. The IEEE and NFPA are now working together to come up with mathematical formulas to determine how much incident energy a worker may be exposed to under DC conditions, but the results may not be known for a while.”
Ken also pointed out that generic arc flash warning labels, while still meeting the requirement in NEC 110.16, are inadequate for compliance with the 2009 edition of NFPA 70E. The latter calls for warning labels field marked with incident energy available or required level of PPE.
Even with AC, protective devices offer differing levels of current-limitation. Their RK1 fuse, for example, lets through less than their RK5 (though it fits the same fuseholder).
Most of today’s fuses are tested for up to 200kAIC. Some old ones are manufactured to a different standard: 5 or 10kAIC. Dave asserted that CBs let through more energy the bigger the fault, fuses less.
Utilities, of course, give you the starting point for any AIC calculations. Harry Langway noted that PEPCO will give you fault current, but he has not been successful at pulling similar information out of BG&E.
Resources
Dave mentioned two helps for people in the field. 1-800-tecfuse is Littelfuse’s technical help line, which ring you through directly to a person who will field your fuse-related question, whether you are dealing with their fuses or not.
He also mentioned a service his company offers, performing fault-current analyses at facilities.
Handouts
He also distributed a few handouts, theoretically focused solely on fuses, but some in fact applicable more generally. For instance, the Littelfuse brochure (Form PF992) “Using Current-limiting fuses to increase short circuit current ratings of industrial control panels” has a great sketch on P. 4 (which we were shown as a slide) showing graphically how a current-limiting device reduces let-through energy.
He also plugged their elevator (shunt trip) panels, and their (Selective) “coordination panels,” which include breakers (yes, really!–single pole C-H Quiklags) containing integral series fuse protection, designed for use to help comply with requirements for certain Special Occupancies, Conditions, or Equipment. In the 2008 edition, these are: Healthcare Essential Electrical Systems (NEC 517.17(C)), Elevators (NEC 620.62), Emergency Systems (NEC 700.27), Legally Required Standby Systems (NEC 701.18) and Critical Operation Power Systems (NEC 708.54); also for use in orderly shutdown, as an option for Electrical System Coordination NEC (240.12(1).
There was a product selection guide . . . all the sorts of things that you would expect from a manufacturer given the opportunity to address an audience.
Finally, he handed out a few sets of “collector cards,” plastic-laminated forms, a little like unbound Codechek (TM)s. These of course are thoroughly oriented around Littelfuse products, where applicable, but the coverage extends beyond those, with a few pages, for example, devoted to PPI.
Other Activities
With so many absent due to the inauguration, we addressed no business–neither nominations and election, nor review of new and clarified requirements from the International Office, nor consequent selection of a budget committee, nor discussion of possible bylaws changes, nor publicity activities for the seminars that are planned. The required Treasurer’s Report was made available in writing, but only Jim looked it over. One member took home a scholarship application, promising to bring additional copies to our next meeting. Our March meeting, presumably, will serve as our Annual Meeting. If we lack a quorum probably it will make sense to handle the necessary votes by mail.
Code Puzzlers
Here are the next couple of Code questions and answers, as promised.
1) Ampacity Exception A 200 amp MBR service panel serves a single-family dwelling. A generator also serves it, but not as a separately derived system. It’s only a 3-wire transfer switch; the neutral remains isolated from ground, as the cable used is 2 AWG aluminum SER. The switch feeds a 125 amp panel for which we need to select a main. The load fed via the transfer switch is 80 amps or less. Can we apply 310.15(B)(6) and use a 100 amp main?
No--this is not the entire load.
2) That Sense of Isolation Section 210.8(B)(5) Exceptions 1-5 permits removal of GFCI protection, to avoid greater hazards. Are isolated power systems required here? Are such systems defined?
No: permitted, certainly, but not required. Isolated power systems’s specs are only explicitly discussed, in considerable detail, in one location.
IO Distribution:
In 2008 (overlapping with the end of
2007) we received $669 from the IO. (In 2007, overlapping etc.,
$734)
In 2008 we expended $90 for bookkeeping, thanks to the
generosity of Pam Panizari. Ditto previous years.
In 2008 we
expended ~$90 on copying and mailing. (2007, $266.)
In 2008,
like 2007, we expended $17.45 to renew our domain registration
and forwarding service. (I donated the actual hosting, with a
page on my web site.)
In 2008 year we paid $89.46 toward a
partial “I am Safety Smart” kit from the IO, with
Peter Bowers and David Shapiro promising to cover the rest of its
cost. (In 2007 we contributed $100 toward the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society as a memorial for Art Hesse.)
In 2008 we paid
$1263 to send me (& wife) to the Eastern Section Annual
Meeting, where I provided our representation on the Board of
Directors. Lodging, including deposit: $9; registration, $300;
one-way gas $27; One meal $28. In 2007 I ate the costs, because
the chapter was rocky financially.
In 2007 we also paid $70
for groceries, for meeting refreshments. This experiment was not
deemed worth repeating. In some previous years, Dick Bissell, who
has since retired from the industry and dropped out from IAEI,
periodically donated trays of meatballs.
Realistically, I don’t know what we might take in to balance the books.
Here’s what I can say, rather dourly, based on what I do know:
Income:
So: IO Disbursement, $700.
Pete Bowers offered to kick in
a third of the cost of the “I am Safety Smart” kit,
which amounts to . . . $89-odd.
Expenses:
Judiciously, $50 for copying and mailing, IFF we don’t
have to mail paper ballots to our inspector members to get a
critical vote, and don’t do a mass paper mailing of a
meeting flyer, but just send out paper meeting notices five times
a year to those few members who don’t use the web.
$18
again for domain registration.
$1500+? for representation at
the Board meeting. Our rules say its normally the responsibility
of our secretary to represent us there, and our tradition has
been to cover the full cost of attendance for secretary and
spouse. 2007's meeting was a lot closer to us geographically than
2009's will be, and I see the associated expenses other than
travel rising, not staying level. I have asked the Green Mountain
Chapter for any information they can provide, but have heard
nothing so far. I know that I may not be comfortable personally
covering the costs of representing us.
$100 Surprises. I
suggest this as a minimum cushion to cover unanticipated
miscellany.
Total Expenses anticipated ~$1700.
Income anticipated ~$ 790. at best plus future seminars' net.
Net: - ~$900 shortfall
(Whoops.)
The December 2008 IO distribution turned out to be $289.-
Present status:
Petty cash ~$0
Checking ~ $1005.-
So we seem to have liquidity. Round it down to $900 to cover miscellany, including the annual auditing fee. However, this figure still is somewhat illusory. . .
We owe: $525- for prepaid seminar registrations by Charles Johnson, Pete Bowers, and Jim Yeoman. True, none of them is insisting on repayment, and at least some have generously invited us to treat the registration fees as contributions. Still, we do owe them, at the least, the ability to apply the money toward future seminars–figures to be subtracted from our anticipated gross income.
Preliminary Status Evaluation: Cash flow deficit anticipated: ~$0. minus any future seminars' net.
Theoretical cash flow deficit:$525. minus any future seminars' net.
~$500
.
We own a small box of 2005 Code books and one 2005 Code change book (changes from the 2002 NEC, of course). Value maybe $400.
Net status if we liquidate that resource at valuation as well: $500-$400= ~$100 deficit -February seminar net.
Potential Additional Sources of income:
Pete generously
offered to teach a master exam prep class co-sponsored by the
local IEC chapter and us; this could bring in money–easily
enough to cover the potential deficit. This did not happen.
Wayne
very generously offered to co-sponsor a number of seminars,
publicized by notices to his many former students, and split the
income with the chapter–potentially thousands. As a result
of the one that took place, we are not facing a serious deficit.
Still, as of early March, 2009, while many have expressed
interest, this is not yet true of sign-ups.
Further successful seminars could put us handily ahead, back where we were some years ago.
Hence the budget I offer must consider a theoretical deficit on the order of $500, minus future seminars' net, if we don’t generate additional income as we have in the past.
There are two simple ways I see of resolving this and balancing the numbers, in the event that the theoretical should turn into the actual. One is to rely on the good grace of those who registered for seminars that had to be canceled–all loyal members--and just not concern ourselves about that $500. The other is to set Eastern Section participation on hold. If we indeed bring in more income, fine; proceed as planned, or even get behind more educational and charitable activities. If not, either I see whether I personally can eat the cost of going there, as I did last year; or a substantial part of it. Either would be harder this year. Another is that we find someone from this area who plans to go anyhow and then we figure out a way that will allow him or her take my place; or we simply don’t take our place at the meeting.
There might be ways I can shave the cost, too. This year, for example, some hotel slight-of-hand enabled me to save us over $100 in room costs. It was perfectly legal and ethical, and fortunately, minimally inconvenient. Conference hotel: $255/night; hotel next door, $143/night for the night before the conference, when I had to be in town in order to make the morning’s board meeting.
I not only represent our chapter but chair the section’s bylaws committee, and provide secretarial assistance to the American Council on Electrical Safety (ACES), which is IAEI's guest. However, the Bylaws committee has two other members, and even with respect to the committee, my participation is not essential. (After all, if we should request a change in our chapter’s bylaws, we have to be recused from participation in that particular decision by the committee.) As for my support of ACES, it is not a chapter matter, and is provided only as available.
If we subtract what was paid toward canceled seminars, we come very close to even, assuming that IO disbursements don’t drop.
If we subtract the entire figure budgeted for Section participation, we do come out ahead for the year.
I do believe this covers us against reasonable contingencies.
Submitted February 2009.
Leave the Capitol Beltway at Exit 11A onto Route 4,
Pennsylvania Avenue South/East.
Now go about a tenth of
a mile and then turn Left at the first light, Westphalia
Road.
Next, take an almost immediate Right (just before
the Citgo gas station) onto Pennsylvania Avenue’s Service
Road.
Just as a location pointer, Sunbelt Rentals is located
at 8400 Pennsylvania Ave.
Drive directly by Sunbelt Rentals
and take the next Left, onto Pepco Place.
Travel to the
end of Pepco Place - Past the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of
Carpenters, about 1/10th of a mile, and drive into our host’s
parking lot. Parking is immediately in front of their building,
on either side.
George
Washington Chapter meeting November 18 at our new location, 8511
Pepco Place, Capital Lighting and Supply’s warehouse and
training center, courtesy of Capital’s Jordan Laycook.
Attending:
6 Associate members;
3 Nonmembers;
3
Inspector members;
Plus our presenters--2 visiting Inspector
members
We got started around 6:30, with a brief facility tour. After this, Chapter President Jim Wooten prayed, and then decided to put off the scheduled business meeting in order to proceed with the evening’s featured speakers.
Code Making Panel (CMP) 7 Member John Cangemi, from UL, and CMP 1 Chairman Gil Moniz, from the National Electrical Manufacturers’ Association (NEMA), kept us glued to our seats. They talked with us for the better part of three hours about not only the 2008 NEC but the evolution of the rules, going back multiple Code cycles; and also about product standards, listing, CE marks, and products that need to be installed and inspected despite the lack of explicit Code coverage or Listing.
Some rules, they noted, have requirements that flipped back and forth form one Code edition to the next. Swimming pool power is one example, with GFCI protection required or not depending on the use of hard-wiring versus twist-lock receptacles in progression from 1999 through 2008.
Gil’s first challenge of the evening came when he casually mentioned that New York State enforces different electrical codes depending on whether a job is residential or commercial. David Shapiro asked how this contrasts with the situation in Ohio, which received rather bad press in IAEI News. Gil explained that historically in Ohio, a review committee had examined and then recommended acceptance of each NEC revision, as representing the best doctrine available. This time, however, politics had intervened after the fact, causing them to backpedal. In New York State, on the other hand, the legislature has accepted the International Code Council’s documents, the International Construction Code (ICC) and International Residential Code (IRC). The IRC defers to the 2002 NEC where issues are not addressed in the IRC, while the ICC has been updated explicitly to reference the 2005 NEC.
Jim commented that this would be a horror for an inspector; Gil agreed. Furthermore, he added, all license tests are based on the 2008 NEC, which isn’t applied at all to inspections. Gil followed this with an example where complying with the NEC will leave a job in violation of the Code in force. The ICC’s Existing Building Code relaxes the electrical requirement for locating receptacles. On the other hand, to address service it defers to the IRC proper. Here comes the problem. Consider a building with a stone foundation, and a service at the bottom level. The NEC relaxes the requirement for headroom at 200 amp or smaller services in existing buildings. However, if you are replacing service equipment under the IRC, there’s no such exception.
Another example he pointed out where some irregularity is found is Philadelphia. Pennsylvania adopted the ICC for electrical work, but Philadelphia enforces the NEC. One little step they happened to omit is to apply to the Department of Labor and Industry for an exception to the statewide rule.
In Maryland, Gil noted, electrical inspection is generally in good shape in terms of its basic reference document: at least the NEC is the accepted standard. This is thanks to the office of the State Fire Marshal. Wayne Robinson noted that there is a lot of pressure on the Fire Marshal to budge, though.
Here is where Gil and others started to discuss the politics of safety. One meeting in Rochester, he noted, was packed with firefighters in uniform seeking to have a sprinkler requirement added to the IRC. Even the building officials who might have supported the requirement voted against it because they felt uncomfortable with the pressure from this group. The next time, in Minneapolis, even more firefighters attended the meeting, but not a uniform was to be seen. This time the sprinkler proposal passed, and so the 2009 IRC finally incorporates this requirement.
Pete Bowers noted how politics screws up safety efforts in DC similarly. For 15 years advisory committees have looked at ways to improve the situation, and he’s sat on most of them. He’s seen how those with power resist giving up authority, even when they don’t have the expertise to make the best decisions.
Now Gil moved on to an issue that has come up as the result of utility policies around the country. Increasingly, utilities shift substations from their own ownership and responsibility to that of their larger customers. In consequence, jurisdictional inspectors become responsible for passing on these installations. Formerly, the work was guided by the National Electrical Safety Code, the NESC. Most jurisdictions, though, do not specifically adopt the NESC into law. While Section 90.2 used to have a fine print note suggesting that we look to the NESC for guidance, even this is gone. What’s an inspector to do?
One answer we were offered is to ask the owner what ANSI standard the equipment was built under. Ultimately, where the NEC is mum, we need to evaluate whether its installation complies with that standard. If the manufacturer is known and reputable, a call to them will supply lots of handy information. The manufacturer will be able to identify the project name, and locate the drawings and the engineer responsible for them.
John pointed out that going to the AHJ for initial concept review helps a lot. None of the inspectors present, though, offered that service. Wayne noted that regardless of which side of the service point high-voltage equipment is located on, he lays responsibility for such equipment installed in Prince George’s County on the serving utility. Tony Crimi said this is what Eaton generally sees.
Continuing to look at Article 90, Gil talked about the changes from the 1993 NEC forward in the description of what installations are not covered. Is there a laundry list plus an fpn, no fpn, does it add locations covered by whatever agreements putting them under utility control, or, in accordance with a proposal by Wayne accepted in the 2008 code, remove the term “or other agreements” so that any lighting installation that a utility wants exempted from NEC coverage and AHJ inspection at least has to be covered by an easement registered with the County. Gil noted that there are quite a few proposals to change it again.
Wayne expressed concern over agreements regulated solely by a Public Utility Commission (PUC), because PUC appointments are political, members being selected by the governor.
Gil moved forward now to Article 100. “Clothes Closet” now is defined, under the 2008 NEC. However, to Gil it is clear that this definition can be applied to inform the judgment of inspectors working under earlier versions of the NEC, because it is a definition, not a new rule.
David broke in here, asking where else this approach makes sense: is it limited to Article 100 definitions? We agreed that it is not. Wayne mentioned that NFPA 20 rules for fire pump controllers now are written more clearly than they had been. Because this is clarification, not revision, he feels comfortable applying the later version of this as well.
We went down a side path here for a few minutes. David’s original counter-example to Gil’s point about new definitions informing earlier versions of the Code was the rule requiring circuit labeling that is specific enough to be useful and reliable. Gil said that as a contractor, he used to spread out all equipment instructions on the kitchen counter, and make notes for a circuit directory on the cardboard box that the loadcenter came in. At night, he’d take this home and type up a directory. (Tony came in for some chiding from the floor over the inadequate space manufacturers provide for circuit identification.)
Pete interrupted, saying that this was the practice of an older generation. Nowadays, the cardboard would be ripped up, and installation instructions trashed. Gil countered that in his experience sitting on the board of the local vocational school over the last three years the kids have been topnotch, engaged. What a difference. This is true in all three classes (years). Previously he found only two or three interested kids to a class, with the rest of the students very disappointing to a committed instructor. Pete commented that this latter, frustrating case has represented his experience in various teaching contexts. Gil noted that he knows of one large contractor who keeps a behavioral scientist on retainer to get employees socialized to act the way they should be expected to.
Someone made a crack about circuit directories in foreign languages. Gil responded that the New York City code explicitly states that they must be in English–not that there’s anything wrong with adding information in additional languages.
Bonding and grounding came next, with a reminded of the difference between the two, and a note about the new definition of “neutral.” Pete asked the reason for the resistance to adopting into Code a standard color code for ungrounded conductors. Gil said that such a standard was removed quite a while back--from the 1964 Code--because there were somewhat differing systems in actual use at the time. Also, it doesn’t account for larger conductors that commonly are sold simply in black. Besides coloring, tagging with numbers or letters is a reasonable option. However, whatever the system, it needs to be posted at each panelboard.
Wayne saw every benefit to requiring a consistent system of identifying all conductors by system and phase not only in feeders, as now required by Section 212.15(C), but also in branch circuits. Gil pointed out a disadvantage: should this become Code, if you discover that the loads are imbalanced, and want to swap some circuits between phases, you would have to change the conductor colors.
We next talked about grounding electrodes and grounding electrode conductors. Wayne, like many of us, never has seen an actual installation using a chemical electrode. Pete has installed some of these for data centers that specified ground resistance of less than one ohm, but has never been asked to come back to replenish the electrodes’ depleted chemicals. Wayne knows of some that have monitors which will notify you as the electrodes’ resistance rises. Gil mentioned that cellular phone towers include such maintenance as part of their standard operating procedure.
John took over now, to talk about the UL White Book and product standards. He pointed out Flexible Lighting Products, which are found on Page 160 of the 2008 volume. It says that they are not intended to be relamped, field-modified, or permanently mounted. An important distinction needs to be made between these and decorative lighting strings, the holiday lights intended for temporary use--not to exceed 90 days.
The idea of not being designed for permanent mounting means that you are not supposed to take Flexible Lighting Products apart to screw them in place, similar to Relocatable Power Taps (which actually were discussed a bit later). The latter used to be known as “Temporary” but “Relocatable” was a preferred term–to clarify that they are not suitable for use on construction sites along with other temporary power uses. Their keyhole openings mean that they remain capable of being lifted and moved. Incidentally, while they might contain surge arrestors, unless they are labeled as transient voltage surge suppressors and specify the protection they offer in terms of the voltage level, they have not been investigated for any protection of this sort. What one of these is investigated for is having the size of conductors and other components corresponding to the rating of the receptacles it contains, so that a Listed Relocatable Power Tap won’t be dangerously overloaded by equipment designed with plugs fitting its receptacles. Wayne noted that this type of product used to ignite when its Metal Oxide Varistor(s) died. John agreed, and mentioned that solid-state equipment tends to suffer “avalanche breakdown.” He noted that nowadays they meet one new requirement, to withstand a certain number of surges; and another, to have a safe end-of-life mode.
John noted that he had some trouble recalling the category applying to “flexible lighting products.” He pointed out that if you access it online, you find one improvement over using the index to the printed White Book: word-search capability. The 2008 White Book is cross-referenced to both the 2008 and the 2005 versions of the NEC.
The issue of tamper-resistant receptacles came up as we were given the opportunity to examine some unusual receptacle covers. These were designed to give a standard duplex receptacle an appearance closer to a decora receptacle, in part by sitting in front of its two faces. The problem with this is that attachment plugs need to fit into a receptacle far enough to make adequate contact, and this restricts covers from blocking more than 1 mm. of their length from entering. Part of the history of this, it turns out, has to do with the holes traditionally found toward the ends of flat plug blades. These used to mate with dimples inside the corresponding spring metal blades inside receptacles, to ensure positive contact. Metallurgical developments made these unnecessary, so the requirement for inserting full blade length to match them up has been supplanted by functional tests. Nonetheless, UL was uncomfortable with listing such covers. Similarly, to date no covers (as opposed to receptacles) have been brought to UL that satisfied all the requirements for tamper-resistance.
The question of tamper-resistant IG and clock receptacles was raised; our presenters were not aware of any being available. Gil noted that there are listed poke-through floor fittings whose covers block the receptacles’ fronts to protect them. The reason these carry the UL label is that each of these is investigated as a unit–box, receptacle, and cover.
Next Wayne brought up a concern about listed equipment whose installation, to his mind, clearly violates the NEC. He takes issue with panelboards that contain breakers for both normal sources and standby or emergency sources, with no separation. In case of fire, he fears, connection to both is likely to be lost. Richard Panizari has come up against this concern of Wayne’s–and Wayne’s the man who gets to say yea or nay. Gil kept arguing that the breakers in these units, at least those that serve the alternate sources, are not disconnects but isolating switches, and therefore exempt from the requirement for separation.
We moved on to a discussion of bonds, grounds, and neutrals. We agreed that bonding conductors, like grounding electrode conductors, can be bare–or covered with insulation of any color. Gil reminded us that grounded conductors of corner-grounded systems are not neutrals.
Gil helped confirm an interesting point for Wayne: supplementary overcurrent devices do not have to be considered in selective coordination. His perspective is that essentially they are part of the equipment.
During the course of the evening Wayne, notably, identified a number of violations in the IAEI Archives pictures used to illustrate the talk: violations that were not at all what the pictures were intended to illustrate. Our presenters acknowledged that this happens often.
We moved on to Section 240.86(A), where Gil noted that one aspect often is overlooked: using series-rated protective systems whose combinations are selected under engineering supervision, rather than by the manufacturer, is permitted only in existing installations.
On we went to the unfolding of another set of rules from 1999 forward: the need for two entrances, and for panic hardware, in electric rooms. Pete commented that at one point, “sharpies” would install 800 amp and 1200 amp equipment side by side, so as not to have 1200 amp equipment and trigger the rule. Wayne noted that panic hardware is cheap, so what’s the big deal? Gil responded that the problem is door swing. Replacing a door is not so simple, when it opens into a corridor needed for evacuation, one that doesn’t have room to accommodate the door’s swing out.
We had a comment on Labor being the source for a couple of rules. Some rumbling was heard in response, but Gil said they had documented “bodies”; the CMP examined the cases and found them legitimate. One is the internal all-conductor disconnects for two-ended fluorescents. Here Wayne, surprisingly, chimed in with support. He’s not known as a softie, but in this case he agreed: it’s worth the trouble to kill all power. He spent time in a coronary care unit, he said, due to getting hung up between some badly cut BX and a ground; he commented with a smile that hitting the concrete may be what restarted his heart.
We were coming to the end of John and Gil’s slides now, and the patient audience was getting a bit restive. A question came up about wiring channels, now that Lighting and Appliance panels are no more. Tony said that in going from 40 to 60 circuit loadcenters, the wireway widths are extending from 20" to 28. Wayne gave Tony another nudge by commenting that jobs tend to sit on hold for some time waiting for engineers to come up with selective coordination designs, and they tend to end up with fuses.
With the last slide, we applauded our presenters, and Jim made some noises about a business meeting. However, most of us were getting up to leave.
That was it for the evening, which wrapped up very shortly before 10 PM. Fortunately, the IO-required treasurer’s report was handled by a list printed as part of the distributed agenda. Jim made noises about calling a special meeting of the executive board to address other business items.
NEW FEATURE! Boy, we learn a lot at the annual Code Workshops
put on by IAEI’s Sections! At the Eastern Section, one
benefit everyone who shows up on time gets is chewing over a
half-dozen or so Codes and Standards questions each morning over
breakfast. What I think is, why should you miss out on this fun
and learning? Here are a first few questions for you to ponder.
Look for more in future mailings. At each meeting, I’ll
pass out (my understanding of) the answers that the group of
mavens came up with at the Code breakfasts. For those questions
whose answers may differ depending on which jurisdiction you’re
working in, I’ll talk about at least the 2005 as well as
the 2008 NEC. The answers also go on our web site, eventually, in
the meeting’s minutes. For some Code questions, just as for
some that come up in the field, you may need to go online, or
look in your White Book, as well as into your NEC.
These
first few are chosen with our host-and our November
presenters--in mind.
1) GFPE: Articles 426 and 427 talk of providing not
GFCI but GFPE for protection of snow/ice/pipeline/vessel heating
equipment. Suppose the customer has an oddball panel, and they’re
watching their pennies. They don’t want to replace the
panel-preferably not even install a subpanel. You go to the
distributor: can one find CBs manufactured nowadays offering GFPE
that are legitimately Classified for use in other manufacturers’
panels?
Answer: Yes, potentially. Many have been submitted for
such classification and failed their tests. All major
manufacturers’ web sites will tell you where their CB s are
Classified.
2) AFCIs: Installing AFCIs on lots of
circuits may add a whole lot of unnecessarily long leads running
from them to the neutral bar or, contrarily, having to bring
circuits’ return conductors a lot further into a panel than
you have needed to in the past. Given this, is there any issue
with shortening or splicing extensions on to the neutral leads of
AFCI or GFCI or switched-neutral CBs? Also, AFCIs run a little
warm; is this panelboard going to overheat?
5) If properly
installed, they may run warmer than standard CBs, but they and it
and the wiring will stay well within design parameters. What's
more, it's perfectly legal for you to trim any excess wire from
those leads.
3) Too Clever? Underground Schedule 80,
NMRC, is damaged. The electrician wants to pull back the wires
and, rather than glue on a regular coupling to add the extension,
glue on an expansion coupling (to be buried when the floor is
patched); he believes this fitting will make the repair easier.
If he buys this instead, will he end up p’ed off because
the inspector has to reject the work, or is this use in keeping
with the Listing of an expansion fitting?
No violation. The
Listing of expansion fittings says nothing to restrict this use.
This is the report of the meeting of the George Washington Chapter on Tuesday, September 16, 2008. Attendees included six associate members, six inspector members, one visiting contractor, and three allied professionals--our presenter and two associates.
At 6:38, Jim called the meeting to order and prayed. Then we got to business.
Wayne Robinson has arranged for the hospitality of Prince George's County for quite some time now, and has faced rather a struggle to do so. Tonight, despite his having reserved the meeting room for us with plenty of notice, he had to evict a different group's meeting in order to accommodate ours. He is giving up this battle.
As of this writing, we're homeless. However, Ed Holt volunteered to contact PEPCO, in the hope that we can secure the use of their meeting facility in Forestville. (N.B. See "Next Local Meeting," above, for the actual new location.)
Since it was announced, a total of eight people showed commitment to Wayne's rescheduled "2008 NEC Changes" seminar. Thud. Wayne was philosophical about this, commenting on the number of such seminars already offered by various organizations.
The one other seminar that has been talked about seriously was the Master's Exam preparation which Pete Bowers volunteered to teach, sponsored in conjunction with the IEC, at their location.
No formal financial report was requested or presented, but David mentioned that our kitty is in bad shape. Hope flowers, though. In the past, seminars served as the primary source of money for our budget. The few dollars needed to put out mailings are more than covered by the International Office's distribution to the chapter from member dues. Besides, nowadays the cost of member notifications generally is very modest, thanks to most members' agreeing to accept email notification. However, the IO disbursement dollars are nothing like what is needed to pay for representation at Section meetings. The chapter's tradition is to cover the out-of-pocket expenses: registration, lodging (which category includes meals), and where far away, travel. Presenting any seminar, at least without importing paid speakers, carries the likelihood that we will be able to partly restore the bank account.
The last main item of business addressed before the technical presentation was an update on the Safety Smart children's program. It has taken a long time to get to this part of IAEI's purpose. The kit was ordered the day after the meeting. It arrived quickly, and as soon as training can be completed, Pete and David will look to start teaching Middle Schoolers. Because Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. no longer is underwriting part of the cost, the kit is rather more expensive than expected, but Pete and David will kick in the shortfall beyond what was authorized. Once we've taught a number of classes--90 children--supplies also will need to be replenished. Wayne volunteered to cover the next supply order out of his pocket.
In one other matter, Shirley asked the status of D.C.'s electrical inspectors. David reported, based on what he had read, that the general housing inspectors had been fired for not passing the ICC tests. Pete added the information Shirley sought (which David had not known, despite sharing Pete's distinction of being a DCRA-approved third-party inspector): Pete reported that all but two of the District's electrical inspectors are gone as well.
Kerinia Cusick. M.E. (Senior Executive, Huthwaite PR), representing the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) in our area, promised us a mini-seminar on inspecting photovoltaic installations. While a talk outline was promised, and a biography of the presenter, the well-known expert who had planned to teach us was called out of the country on urgent family business, so it was just as well that no such materials had been posted on our web site. Regardless of this, Kerinia had assured us of a valuable presentation, and this most certainly is what we received.
Bill Poulin, Director of Products and Services for BP Solar--yes, the entire shebang--has been with BP Solar and their predecessor for 29 years. He came down all the way from Frederick, Maryland to spend the evening with us. And we kept him a good, long time. What's more, Peter Lowenthal, Executive Director of the local SEIA group, who has been part of it for 20 years, joined us for the evening, and offered his knowledge as appropriate.
Even before Bill began enriching our technical education, Peter dangled additional training opportunities before us--"us" meaning any members who so choose. As details become available they will be posted at http://www.mdv-seia.org/events.html .
Since Bill's talk was oriented largely around BP's product and the NEC, Peter offered some additional perspective on what is available locally. Sun Edison is also active in our area, selling not PV equipment or even installations, but rather the power derived from PV equipment. They negotiate this in contracts with a property-owner, when they find a commercial customer with enough roof footage to make it worth their while. They install the equipment on customers' buildings, charging nothing for the installation, retaining ownership of it, and merely selling its output. An intriguing concept, concerning which it would have been fun to learn a great deal more.
Peter also talked about the support that Maryland's present
governor provides for alternate energy programs. Sun Edison's
rooftops program hinges on the tax credits to make it
economically rewarding. Bill added that not just anybody can
apply for Maryland's state energy incentive grants: the signature
of a licensed electrician is needed for the grant to be
processed.
Later in the evening, to continue on the theme of
practical economics, we were assured that the price of modules is
likely to resume its pattern of dropping over time, after having
leveled out due to a temporary shortage of the refined silicon
material needed for the crystalline-type diodes.
Bill started his technical presentation by emphasizing that PV
panels, if not the rest of the systems, are expected to last 25
years and longer. That's 25 years of supplying up to 600 Volts
DC, with much of the equipment and wiring system continually
exposed to the outdoors. Moreover, Article 690 is dealing with an
item that is putting out voltage all the time when sunlight hits
it. He reported that his company has a contract with the Home
Depot chain, and they have fired more dealers, for reasons such
as safety violations, than they have retained.
(Despite this,
Wayne still reported that he has observed pretty bad systems
coming out of PV installers working out of Home Depots.)
Bill
contrasted ANSI/UL 1703, the U.S. standard covering solar panels,
and IEC standards 61215 and 61730, the International
Electrotechnical Commission standards. UL 1703 covers safety. It
may test a panel to destruction, and if throughout this the panel
(or other component) doesn't pose a hazard, it can pass. It is
not required to function by the end of the testing. The IEC
standards, in contrast, add in performance requirements. At this
point David expressed concern about the validity of the
certification process when the IEC standards are employed. Bill
clarified the difference between two European markings,those
associated with IEC and CE standards. Furthermore, he took this
opportunity to inform us that while the European CE standards
used to allow manufacturers to self-certify compliance, he
believes that at some point in 2008 a requirement for third-party
certification was added. Subsequently, at the meeting of the
American Council on Electrical Safety (ACES) hosted this year at
the IAEI Southern Section's Annual Meeting, this appears to have
been contradicted. In fact, the European Commission has
requested--in an agreement signed on our end by George W. Bush in
April 2007, that OSHA accept a manufacturer's statement, a
Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC), represented by the CE
mark, as a substitute for testing by a Nationally Recognized
Testing Laboratory. Further information is available at the
site where OSHA published the request that the public supply
evidence-supported arguments favoring or opposing this move. The
site gives ample background too, discussing the present status of
the European model, as of late October, 2008. The Comment
Period will close on Tuesday, January 20.
Now Bill moved on to inverters. The standard applicable to them is UL 1741. One critical requirement is provision of an anti-islanding feature, which guaranteesthat they will not backfeed into a utility system that is down. All inverter units manufactured by the reputable companies are designed to handily exceed all utility requirements in this regard. When the inverters' circuits are restored after having been have been disconnected for whatever reason, they will self-start, taking a period of four or five minutes. It takes them this long to synch tightly to the utility frequency and voltage--within the tight limits to which they are designed to hold. An inverter, whether single- or three-phase, actually is designed to put out slightly higher voltage than it senses from the utility, so as to be able to feed power into the utility system and run the customer's meter backwards, as intended.
You may detect from this that Dave is quite an engaging speaker; moreover he's one with 19 years' product and Code experience under his belt to give plenty of clout to the information.
"When asked, I've been assuring members that this is just administrivia, enabling our representatives to move the organizational registration to where you'd prefer it, down where the IO is actually located. I don't know whether there are particular problems with having it registered elsewhere, but don't know of any reason for people to think twice about the proxy. Is there anything else I should know, and communicate?"
