which code book should you be using [Music]
so if you've been doing this a while or if you haven't I suppose you'll realize that there's
a lot of additions of the national electrical code and it's because every three years it's
updated so the standard for which code cycle you are on maybe different depending on where you're
at so a lot of places will try to adopt the most current code Cycles right now we're in the 2023
code a lot of places have yet to adopt that they might have started adopting it like this September
or they might wait until next year sometime so the authority having jurisdiction or the
ahj in any given area usually it's the city the city will decide what code cycle that the entire
area is on they're going to say all right we're going to September 1st we're gonna adopt 2023.
there are still places in the country right now that are on the 2017 they're on the 2020. they
might be on the 2008 in some cases so it's really dependent on in your area whatever code cycle
y'all are on so I got a question recently somebody was like well I'm going to test you know so in the
next couple of years I'm going to be testing for my journeyman license I'm an apprentice what code
book do I study and it's actually a really good question because depending on your situation you
may go to test and you've been studying the 2020 because that's all everybody around you has been
using and then all of a sudden they integrate the 2023 and now you're like oh crap I got this whole
new book that I've got to study my recommendation for y'all is I tend to always go from the newest
code book I like to get in there really start to understand what is in the 2023 so I know what all
of the changes are typically where I'm at they they adopt things rather quickly like there's
usually about a year lapse in most of the places there are some places that are still like one or
two cycles behind but if you're doing things to the most modern code you're gonna be okay
you're gonna probably be over protecting things but the problem becomes when you go to test you
don't want to give wrong information or wrong answers because they're on some code cycle and
you've been studying a different code cycle so if you're on that weird cusp where you know in
a couple years there's going to be a new code cycle then I would just study both honestly
um it's not going to hurt you that much to have two different code books and open both of them
and see what both of them say and you'll know the changes from one to the other there might be
things like in the 2023 code that says this change will not be adopted until January of 2025 you know
but the last code cycle the 2020 is not going to say that so you just there's a lot of little
nuances and things that change between them so it can kind of be a little bit confusing but again I
say that you should get used to whatever your city uses and really know that for sure look online
check with your city and see when they plan on change changing and making adoptions and if they
don't if they're going to continue using a current code cycle or an older code cycle for a long time
then you don't have to worry about studying all of the newer code I would still know it it's really
good idea to always be kind of on the up and up with the newest latest and greatest code but
you need to consider what you're going to be tested on and that's the most important thing
for your ability to pass the test to get your license and then once you've got your license
yeah I would always go to the newest book and just always keep the newest book so that you're
you're in the know about what all the newest things are there's a lot of times that you'll get
an older code book and the new one comes out and they've entirely moved articles from one portion
of the book all the way to a different portion of the book a whole bunch of definitions that
you used to be able to go into a certain part and see all these words are not there anymore in the
new book so now they're all like in the beginning which honestly makes more sense in my opinion but
there's uh certain things that might not be in one that are in the new one so you might have
an entirely new articles this happen a lot with like over voltage protection or surge protection
there's an entirely new section 242 in code that if you're using an older code cycle it's not even
in there so you're you're going to be missing out on information so anyways all of that to say I
would always try to keep you know when when the new one comes out go buy the new one so at least
you've got it but if you're studying I would study whatever you're going to be tested on for the sake
of the test but also be in the know about all of the other stuff I know it's irritating like in
all reality I know exactly where you're sitting right now and it sucks to have to constantly be
knowing all of these new books because a lot of times it's just the same information they
just move stuff around or they change one word or they add a comma or something like that you
know a lot of the changes really aren't that um crucial of changes that you need to know but
there is a lot of times there's new materials that are being manufactured and so to figure
out how do we Safeguard people and equipment and everything with the new materials in mind that's
why they have to update it as often as they do and unfortunately the electrical industry there's so
much technology there's so many things changing all the time that it has to be changed as often
as it is so you'll end up being like me I think I'm missing I'm missing my 2011 and my 2005.
Actually I don't even have my 2023 in here uh it's at my house so um but yeah I've got three
more code books Plus I've got handbooks I usually when a new code book comes out I will buy the book
and then I will go by the handbook as well so the handbook's really awesome because there's a lot
of extra information in here there's things are colored because there's extra notes there's all
kinds of pictures in here actually like pictures from the field and drawings and all kinds of stuff
so it just gives you a whole lot more information than this standard code book that has no pictures
just words and charts but in most places too when you go to test you're gonna be tested on the the
code book itself a lot of places most places won't let you bring the handbook in because
it's an unfair Advantage because you've got extra information in there that everybody else doesn't
have so they kind of keep things on a general basis same for everybody just use the code book
so hope that answered your question use the book that your your city's using you can go online
like I know with Texas you can go to tdlr.com Texas department of licensing and regulation
um but our tdlr.gov I think whatever you can look and see what current code cycle you know the City
of Austin is in specifically and then if you're working in Pflugerville and Georgetown Round
Rock You Know Bee Cave Lakeway all of these other areas they might be on different code Cycles so
as you're becoming licensed especially if you're going to become an electrical contractor you need
to know where each place is and what book they're under because it can change whether or not you're
failing and passing inspections so love you crazy people thanks for watching see in the next one