January 22, 2018 — The number of changes coming to the 2018 CE Code are fairly substantial, and while a number of them involve tweaked wording and/or definitions, there are also a fair number of what I would call “significant” changes.

One of the reasons behind all of these changes is to better align the CE Code’s Section scopes with the information actually contained in those Sections. This will help mitigate issues with changes occurring in one section of the code but not in another.

Take Section 4 where, at first glance, it appears a number of Rules have been deleted. In fact, a number of Rules involving cords and equipment wires went way beyond the scope of this Section, extending into installation methods and use of these products.

But those are actually Section 12 requirements, which is why these Rules (or parts thereof) have been relocated to the proper Sections. CE Code Rule 4-008 becomes 12-102(3), 4-020 becomes 12-122, while 4-012, 4-018 and 4-040 become Rules 12-400 through 12-406.

In previous columns I explored some of the changes occurring in Section 8 “Circuit loading and demand factors”.The last Section 8 change I want to cover involves calculated loads for service and feeder conductors.

Section 8 is all about calculated loads and demand factors, yet Rules 8-200 through 8-210 refer to the ampacity of the service or feeder conductors. The calculations performed in this Section are to determine the size of loads we are going to be place on the services and feeders for a particular installation, and whether they are continuous or non-continuous.

These calculations are made in watts; as such, our final determination of the load should be expressed in watts. From there, CE Code Rule 8-104 guides us through determining the protection requirements based on Section 14 and the rating and/or type of equipment. We then take that information to Section 4 to determine the conductor type and size, based on the installation method.

A significant alteration is the rewrite of Section 10, which resulted in the deletion of Rules 10-000 through 10-1108, and the insertion of new Rules 10-000 through 10-708. Although some Rules may have been moved to other Sections, the question “Which rule is that now?” does not apply, as all the Rules are new.

Section 10 now includes a clarification about its objective, and the individual objectives involving different types of grounding and bonding. Section 10’s objective is to establish equipotentiality between the earth and non-current-carrying conductive surfaces. It then expands into the different types of systems and how they are to be grounded, and the objective behind each method, and provides more information on bonding. The revitalized Section also includes a number of special terminology definitions to provide clarity on the different terms used in bonding and grounding, and their purposes.

The CE Code aims to keep abreast of advancements in technology and innovation to help us ensure our electrical installations safeguard people and property. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons it moved to a 3-year update cycle rather than every 4 years. Be sure to attend any code training in your area to help you stay current with the changes happening in our industry.

David Pilon has been an electrical inspector with SaskPower since 2000, and is currently the vice-chair of the Canadian Certified Electrical Inspector (CCEI) committee of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI), Canadian Section. David can be reached at dpilon@saskpower.com .

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2017 issue of Electrical Business Magazine.