ICC F18 Residential Electrician Exam (2014 NEC)

7 questions, 12% of the exam

Key Concepts

Working space (110.26(A)) - Depth: Table 110.26(A)(1) — for 0–150 volts to ground, minimum clear distance is 914 mm (3 ft) for Condition 1, 2, or 3. The 3 ft 6 in. and 4 ft values belong only to the 151–600 volt row (Conditions 2 and 3). - Width (110.26(A)(2)): the width of the equipment or 762 mm (30 in.), whichever is greater, and the space must permit at least a 90 degree opening of doors or hinged panels. - Height (110.26(A)(3)): clear from grade/floor/platform to 2.0 m (6-1/2 ft) or the height of the equipment, whichever is greater. Associated equipment above or below may extend not more than 150 mm (6 in.) beyond the front. Exception No. 1: in existing dwelling units, service equipment or panelboards not exceeding 200 amperes are permitted where working-space height is less than 6-1/2 ft. - 110.26(B): working space shall not be used for storage.

2014 NEC

Key Concepts

Service disconnect & overcurrent protection - One-family dwelling service disconnecting means: rating not less than 100 amperes, 3-wire [230.79(C)]. Not more than two 2-wire branch circuits: not less than 30 amperes [230.79(B)]; 60 A for "all others" [230.79(D)]. - Service disconnecting means: not more than six switches or sets of circuit breakers grouped in one location [230.71(A)]. - Service overcurrent device must be integral with or immediately adjacent to the service disconnecting means [230.91]. - Two to six CBs/fuse sets may total more than the conductor ampacity provided the calculated load does not exceed that ampacity [230.90(A), Exc. No. 3]. - Meter disconnect ahead of the service disconnect must be field marked "METER DISCONNECT NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT" [230.82(3)]. - Additional services permitted where capacity requirements exceed 2000 amperes at 1000 V or less [230.2(C)(1)]. GFPE required at 1000 A for solidly grounded wye systems 150 V to ground [230.95].

2014 NEC — Feeders (Articles 215, 220, 225)

Key Concepts

Feeder conductor sizing (215.2). - Where a feeder supplies continuous loads or any combination of continuous and noncontinuous loads, the minimum feeder conductor size shall have an allowable ampacity not less than the noncontinuous load plus 125 percent of the continuous load — 215.2(A)(1)(a). - Exception No. 1 to 215.2(A)(1): if the assembly, including the overcurrent devices protecting the feeder, is listed for operation at 100 percent of its rating, ampacity is permitted to be not less than the sum of the continuous load plus the noncontinuous load. - Exception No. 2: grounded conductors not connected to an overcurrent device may be sized at 100 percent of the continuous and noncontinuous load. - Grounded conductor, 215.2(A)(2): not smaller than required by 250.122 (equipment grounding conductor sizing), except 250.122(F) does not apply where grounded conductors are run in parallel. - 215.2(A)(3): feeder ampacity shall not be less than that of the service conductors where the feeder carries the total load supplied by service conductors with an ampacity of 55 amperes or less.

Key Concepts

Branch-circuit ratings and loads - Ratings for other than individual branch circuits shall be 15, 20, 30, 40, and 50 amperes (210.3). 25 A is a standard device rating under 240.6(A) but is not a recognized multiple-outlet branch-circuit rating. - Overcurrent device rating shall be not less than the noncontinuous load plus 125 percent of the continuous load (210.20(A)). - On a 15- or 20-A multiple-outlet circuit: any one cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place shall not exceed 80 percent of the circuit rating (210.23(A)(1)); total rating of utilization equipment fastened in place, other than luminaires, shall not exceed 50 percent where lighting units or not-fastened-in-place equipment are also supplied (210.23(A)(2)). - Branch-circuit conductors for other loads shall be not smaller than 14 AWG (210.19(A)(4)); fixture wires and flexible cords may be smaller as permitted by 240.5 (Exception No. 2). - Taps from a 50-ampere circuit to ranges, wall-mounted ovens, and counter-mounted cooking units: ampacity not less than 20 amperes, taps no longer than necessary for servicing (210.19(A)(3) Ex. 1). - The neutral of a 3-wire branch circuit to a range (demand per Column C, Table 220.55) may be smaller than the ungrounded conductors but shall…

Key Concepts

Flexible Metal Conduit (Art. 348) - Maximum size: FMC larger than metric designator 103 (trade size 4) shall not be used — 348.20(B). Minimum: smaller than trade size 1/2 not permitted except trade size 3/8 for the listed uses, including lengths not exceeding 6 ft for utilization equipment — 348.20(A). - Securing/supporting: securely fastened within 12 in. of each box, cabinet, conduit body, or other termination and supported at intervals not to exceed 4-1/2 ft — 348.30(A). - Exception No. 2 (flexibility needed after installation, measured from last secure fastening): 3 ft for trade sizes 1/2–1-1/4; 4 ft for 1-1/2–2; 5 ft for 2-1/2 and larger. - Exception No. 4: not exceeding 6 ft from the last point of secure fastening for connections within an accessible ceiling to luminaires or other equipment; listed FMC fittings permitted as support. - Not more than the equivalent of four quarter bends (360 degrees total) between pull points — 348.26. - All cut ends trimmed to remove rough edges except where fittings that thread into the convolutions are used — 348.28. - Angle connectors shall not be concealed — 348.42. - Where flexibility is necessary to minimize vibration or to allow…

5 questions, 8% of the exam

Key Concepts

Luminaire locations - Clothes closets: a surface-mounted incandescent or LED luminaire with a completely enclosed light source, on the wall above the door or on the ceiling, needs 300 mm (12 in.) clearance to the nearest point of storage space — 410.16(C)(1). The 150 mm (6 in.) figure belongs to 410.16(C)(2) through (C)(4) (surface-mounted fluorescent and recessed types). - Bathtub/shower zone: no cord-connected luminaire, chain- or cord-suspended luminaire, lighting track, pendant, or ceiling-suspended (paddle) fan in a zone 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally and 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold — 410.10(D). - Lampholders in wet locations must be listed for wet locations; in damp locations, listed for damp or wet — 410.96.

Luminaire support, lamps, lampholders - A luminaire over 3 kg (6 lb) or exceeding 400 mm (16 in.) in any dimension shall not be supported by the screw shell of a lampholder — 410.30(A). - General-use incandescent lamps: no medium base over 300 watts, no mogul base over 1500 watts; special bases above 1500 watts — 410.103. - Pendant conductors: not smaller than 14 AWG for mogul- or…

Key Concepts

Article 680, Part I (general) - Low Voltage Contact Limit (680.2): 15 volts (RMS) sinusoidal ac; 21.2 volts peak nonsinusoidal ac; 30 volts continuous dc; 12.4 volts peak for dc interrupted at 10 to 200 Hz. - Cord-and-plug-connected equipment (680.7(A)): for other than storable pools, fixed or stationary equipment (other than underwater luminaires) may use a flexible cord not exceeding 900 mm (3 ft). The cord must contain a copper EGC sized per 250.122 but not smaller than 12 AWG, terminating in a grounding-type plug (680.7(B)). - Electric pool water heaters (680.9): heating elements subdivided into loads not exceeding 48 amperes, protected at not over 60 amperes; conductor ampacity and OCPD rating not less than 125 percent of total nameplate-rated load. - Underground wiring (680.10): not permitted under the pool or within 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally of the inside wall unless needed to supply permitted pool equipment. - Maintenance disconnect (680.12): readily accessible, within sight, at least 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally from inside walls.