ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Do You Remember Your First Code Book?

Do you still have your first electrical code book, and how much has been added since that edition?

My first code was the 1965 NYC Electrical Code!

My 1st code book at the Voc. high was the 1978. I wish I still had it. I do know that the last couple of editions moved things around quite a bit. Also they use point instead of slash for code numbering. I still remember the first thing the teacher told us as he handed us that code book, he said; "This is the code book, it's like the bible for electricians, and when you read the word SHALL it means MUST!"

1981 was my first addition!

Joe, your not really going to make us list all of the changes since our first edition are you? If so I'm dropping this class.

Curt

My first one was the '71. My next one was the '75. There should have been a '74, but for some reason it was not completed on time and they skipped '74 and went to '75. I don't have copies of either of those two. The oldest copy that I have that I have used is the '78.
Don

1981 NEC was also my first code book. This was my first hands-on reference and install NEC.

Still have it somewhere in my archives!

The covering was Dark Green and the fonts on the cover were light green for "National", "Electrical", "1981" and the letters "nec" inside the circle. "Code", the circle and the lightning bolt were white. Font style was like an Italic and Bold Serif Font - except for "nec" which was more like a typical regular Arial / Sans Serif font.

Per added items:

Using Article 250 as an example, I can remember large gaps between sections, along with a few other things!

Comparing Art. 250 between 1996 and 1999, a simple one is that 250-7 disappeared in 99, and I remember it from learning the 81 version, plus remember it from the 96 version.

Off hand, comparing what I see in the '99 NEC T.O.C. to what I Think I remember from the '81 NEC, Here might be a few Articles added:

324, 331, 343, 411, 490, 504, 525, 552, 553, 605, 625, 690, 695, 705, 725, 727, 770, 780, 830 - with many alterations and a few deletions of Articles.

P.S. I use 99 NEC currently since everything around me is based on 99 - such as CEC 97.

Scott s.e.t.

my bro ( Wirenuttt) gave me an 84', could'nt figure a thing in it at the time....

NFPA may still have the 1978 NEC through the present edition. Call the NFPA order department in Quincy, Massachusetts.

I still have my first, but I also have my grandfathers complete from present to 1959 and a few others in the fortys and the oldest is 1933. Talk about changes in the code.

I apprenticed under the end of the '65, but the first NEC I owned was the '68, as I tested for my first journeyman's under the '68. Somehow that book got left behind.

Highlights of changes. . .

Romex was still available with tar (bituminous compounds) in the jacket and the ground wire was #16.

TW was the dominant conductor for raceways.

GFIs were not required.

Aluminum branch circuit wirng was not a problem.

Wirenuts could splice aluminum and copper conductors.

CO/ALR devices didn't exist.

Supplemental grounding at the service was not required (most commonly, the ground rod).

Joe;
In reponse to finding old code books throught the NFPA. Thanks, I'll look into that. Be nice to have a collection from 1st to latest on the shelf.
~Ange