California Journeyman Electrician’s Preparation & Study Guide
Chapter Preview

Introduction | Table of Contents | Back Cover

PREFACE

This study guide, or course, has been written by Bob Norris, a California Electrician, for California Electricians. The State of California has recently passed legislation to require anyone doing electrical work within the State to have a state license. Until now the only person doing electrical work and required to be licensed was the Electrical contractor (C10). Most States require and have required for a number of years all electricians to be licensed. Different states have names for their licenses. The State of Oregon has a number of different Electrical licenses; to name a few, General Apprentice, General Journeyman, General Supervisor. These three are required to be licensed if they perform construction electrical work. If the electrician works in a manufacturing plant the classification is called Plant Electricians, and they also have a class of license, Plant Apprentice, Plant Journeyman, and Plant Supervisor. The General license allows the holder to switch back and forth from a manufacturing plant to construction. The Plant license holder is locked into doing electrical work only in manufacturing plants where he or she is regularly employed. There is another license for electricians which is called the LME Limited Maintenance Electrician. This person is entitled to repair, maintain or replace only in a  manufacturing plant where he or she is regularly employed. He or she can only repair, maintain or replace. The license does not allow to install. Most small manufacturing plants have LME electricians who also perform other maintenance duties besides electrical.

REQUIREMENTS

In order to successfully study this course we recommend that you use a looseleaf copy of the 1999 NEC® are available from Building Tech Bookstore, Inc.

Tip#1: If you have a softcover edition of the Code it is possible to convert it into a looseleaf edition simply by taking it to your local copy shop and request that they first cut the spine off and then 3-hole drill the pages so that they may fit into a regular 3-ring binder. Request, if possible, that they drill the holes 5/16" which bind less than smaller size holes. Place these pages in a 3-ring binder and proceed with the section on rearranging your code book.

Tip#2: It is possible to create your own tabs; many stationery stores sell blank C3-50 tabs for $5.00, or Building Tech Bookstore, Inc., sells Clear Fast-Tabs© in sets of 24 or 48, which cost $5.50 & $7.50 respectively. You should assemble your tabs by writing the chapter numbers, articles & tables yourself, choosing which are most appropriate to your studying for your exam. Unfortunately, the 1999 NEC® Fast-Tabs© from BTB are no longer available, The Clear Fast-Tabs© mentioned above are listed on the "Electrical Publications" product list in the back of this book.

Studying this course will enable the student to understand the importance of the "NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE®" as it reflects safety in the use of electricity, The student will understand the "NEC®" in areas of definitions, working clearances, branch circuit requirements, equipment grounding, conductor ampacities, box fill regulations, motor and control requirements, load calculations, tables and many other rules in the area of safe use of electrical power, The student will study and review the "NEC" and receive an educational background, which should enable him or her to successfully pass the electrical portion of the State of California Certification Examination for a General Journeyman license.

Important Note:
Taking a timed test is where every second counts. Rearranging can significantly speed your use of the Code.

THE BENEFITS OF REARRANGING YOUR CODE BOOK

Rearranging your code book will help you when taking a test or looking up information when it is needed. Open your book to page 6-7 and open the binder rings, then take out pages 7-16, close the rings and open to page 619, open the rings and place 7-16 in the back of the book. Open the book at page 621 open the rings and remove pages 621 through 644 and place these pages in the front of the book right after the Table of Contents, page 6. Now you are ready to use your code book having the Index and Table of Contents in front where they belong. Now is the time to install your Fast-Tabs©, keeping in mind that they Index is in front instead of at the back of the book. Be sure to follow directions when installing the tabs.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE®

APPLICATION

Before you can use the National Electrical Code, you must understand that it is designed for and intended to be used by experienced persons, such as electrical contractors, inspectors, qualified electricians and electrical engineers, The Code is not intended to be used as an instruction or teaching manual. The stated purpose of the NEC is "the practical safeguarding of persons and property from hazards arising from the use of electricity". To avoid becoming obsolete recommended changes are evaluated each year by twenty subcommittees, and the entire Code is updated with a new edition every three years.

Introduction | Table of Contents | Back Cover