Page 22 - GSABA Builder Brief June 2020

Continued from previous page
Effective
September 1, 2020
NEW RULES ARE
8 NEC 230.85 All homes must have an 11 NEC 410.2 & 410.16 “Clothes Closet
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emergency disconnect on the outside of the structure so emergency personnel can turn off the power from the outside. The panel may still go indoors, in a garage for instance, but this new disconnecting means must be on the exterior.
Storage Space” is now defined. They then go on to describe what kind of light fixtures can be within 6 or 12 inches of that space. They also describe some fixtures that are allowed to be installed inside that space under certain conditions.
12 NEC 422.16(B)(5) When the cord servicing the dishwasher goes through a hole in an
NEC 406.9(C) GFCI protected outlets
in bathrooms cannot be installed in a new “zone” as described in the code. Briefly, this new no outlet zone is 3’ horizontally and 8’ vertically from the top of the tub or shower stall. This will create some design challenges when vanities are close to this space and you are still required to have an outlet within 36” of the sink.
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adjacent cabinet, the cord shall be protected by use of a grommet or bushing at the hole.
NEC 440.32 The A/C compressor circuit is sized at 125% of what is needed. Therefore, the power requirements for the A/C unit outside will need to be known before the electrician does his rough.
NEC 406.12 Tamper resistant outlets are now mandatory in garages and accessory structures.
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JUNE 2020 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION
For more information about the changes coming in the 2020 NEC I would recommend a copy of the “NEC 2020 Analysis of Changes” book available through many different sources. I hope you find this helpful and that it might guide you in this ever-changing world of home building.
Dave Yelovich is the Compliance Officer at Tilson Homes. He is Chairman of the Education Committee at the Greater Houston Builders Association. Dave is also a Code Committee member for the Texas Association of Builders as well as the National Association of Home Builders.