We're back with the third installment in our "Apprentice's Guide" series of training e-books that highlight some of the most popular articles from EC&M contributor Harold De Loach, master electrician, electrical trainer/instructor, and founder/director of The Academy of Industrial Arts L.L.C.. The first e-book, "Apprentice's Guide to Entering the Electrical Industry," collected the best advice, tips, and tricks for anyone new to the trade. The second, "Apprentice's Guide to Calculations," focused on different types of electrical calculations. Both can be found in the e-book library available in the Members Only section of our website.
For this e-book, we chose to highlight training articles from Harold that focus on different cable and tubing requirements in the National Electrical Code (NEC). We kick off with an article about what Harold calls "one of the most essential Chapter 3 wiring methods for residential electricians." That wiring method, of course, is service entrance cable. This piece is a great introduction to Art. 338 requirements and sets the stage for the rest of the articles in this e-book.
Our next article on page 6 is called "The Apprentice's Guide to Electrical Metallic Tubing" where Harold looks at another essential wiring method. Following that article is a guide to metal-clad (MC) cable and then a guide to non-metallic (NM) sheathed cable. All of these articles are filled with great information regarding installation best practices.
Finally, we close out this compilation with "The Apprentice's Guide to Informative Annex C" on page 15. This piece offers a nice overview of Annex C, in which Harold explains why an apprentice (or any electrical worker for that matter) needs to be familiar with this part of the NEC. There are also a lot of tables and figures you can refer to at a glance.
Whether you're an apprentice or more experienced electrical professional, I know the information in this e-book will be useful for you. Read through it, and keep it handy for whenever you need a quick reference to the many different types of cable installations found in the NEC.
These articles reference the 2017 NEC because the Philadelphia area—the jurisdiction where Harold De Loach teaches and works—still operates under that version of the Code.
