Building codes exist to keep modern structures safe and prevent hazards such as electrical fires. Unfortunately, keeping up with codes can be challenging, even for seasoned professionals. Do-it-yourselfers can rarely stay on top of these rules, leading to many potential safety violations when attempting seemingly simple projects around the house.
For electrical projects, sticking to best practices is essential to avoid creating a dangerous situation in your home. If you're trying to tackle a project yourself, you may run into these three potentially serious code violations.
1. Insufficient Supports
Significant electrical projects often require routing wires over long distances, sometimes using conduits such as electrical metallic tubing (EMT). These rigid conduits may seem relatively sturdy and self-supporting, but they cannot travel for long distances without straps or support from framing members. Electrical code typically requires these supports are regular intervals.
If you aren't familiar with running these conduits or the requirements of national and local codes, you may leave your runs insufficiently supported. While this can work over the short term, it leaves these conduits vulnerable to damage that can potentially create a short or cause other significant issues.
2. Receptacle Position
Installing a new receptacle seems like a relatively easy job, but there are numerous pitfalls to avoid. In addition to ensuring your new receptacle has proper grounding and wiring, you also need to consider its physical position in the wall. Your local electrical codes may limit exposed material (such as drywall) around your receptacle as well as the depth of the receptacle against the wall plate.
Overcutting holes for your receptacle or placing your electrical box too deep in the wall can potentially create fire hazards. These situations expose the terminals on the sides of the receptacle to the material in your wall. The exact amount of allowable exposed wall material can vary by local codes, so it's crucial to understand what's necessary for your area.
3. Oversized Circuit Breakers
Diagnosing the underlying cause for a circuit breaker that keeps tripping can be tricky. If you don't have experience with electrical work, you may not know where to begin or even if you've successfully tackled the problem. Unfortunately, many homeowners resort to installing larger breakers, which is both a code violation and incredibly dangerous. Oversized breakers can result in electrical fires on faulty circuits.
Remember that electrical codes exist to protect your life and your property. Electricians understand how to complete repairs and other electrical projects while producing work that meets all required codes. If you aren't familiar with the requirements for your project, it's best to leave the job to a professional electrical contractor.
Share25 April 2022
When you hear the word "electrician," what comes to mind? Some people imagine a contractor holding a sparking wire in their hands. But in fact, electricians do their best to avoid sparking and zapping anything. They spent a lot of time learning how to avoid such issues as they can be dangerous, leading to fires and injuries. Electricians do work hard to run wires through homes, install outlets, and mount lights. The just aim to do so without zapping anyone! If you'd like to learn more about electricians and their work, then you're invited to read the articles on this blog.
