National Electrical Code 1999 (Paperback)

~ National Fire Protection Association (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Revised every three years, the National Electric Code (NEC) is the most widely used and accepted criteria for all electrical installations. Containing up-to-the-minute facts and safety guidelines electricians need to avoid costly errors, the NEC remains a "must-have" reference for anyone involved in electrical design installation, identification, and/or inspection--it is adopted as law by most states and cities.

About the Author

National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, Massachusetts

Product Details

• Paperback: 700 pages
• Publisher: Delmar Cengage Learning; 1 edition (September 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877654328
• ISBN-13: 978-0877654322
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #694,826 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a training manual, September 24, 1999

By A Customer

In all states that I have held an electrician's license (20 years), it was mandatory to pass an electrical exam based on the current NEC. This is an invaluable resource and a must have if you are an electrician. But it is not a training manual. Homeowners and do-it-yourselfers are best served picking up a how to electrical book based on the current National Electrical Code. There are several here at Amazon.

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars New code book not ready for prime time, September 10, 1999

By A Customer

Here's a book that begs the question, "What were these guys thinking?" At NFPA, it seems the voltage is on but nobody's home. The new large format doesn't make the book any easier to interpret or information easier to find, perpetually sore subjects among users of past code books. The text might be larger, which is fine for us aging boomers with reading deficiencies, but that's not a good enough reason to radically alter a long-established format. Further, it seems NFPA intended this edition for office use, not field use. Those of us who carry the books in our trucks have ready-made spots for the old 5x7.5 editions. This big book is klutzy and subject to vastly more damage in everyday use.

And finally there's the price of this "deluxe" edition. The 1978 code book was $8, the 1996 book was about $35. There is simply no justification for the 1999 book, a virtual requirement for every informed electrician, to be scraping the $50 level. Will somebody please check the NFPA's grounding?

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1999 NEC a more readable safety standard, March 4, 1999

By A Customer

The National Electrical Code (NEC)is published every 3 years by the National Fire Protection Association. It is offered as the minimum safety standard for electrical installations, but is not a law until adopted by the respective state or municipal governing body. The 1999 NEC has undergone some major revisions since the 1996 edition in order to improve the readability and understandability of a document which is not written in lay-mans terms. The NEC states that it does not intend to provide a design specification nor an instruction manual for the untrained. This re-write has been successful in helping to clarify and improve many areas, particular Article 250 on Grounding. Many exceptions have been removed from the 1996 version and re-written into a "positive" text in the 1999 edition, helping to reduce some of the confusion. The larger format of the 1999 NEC makes it easier reading, and makes the tables much more usable.

Certainly, additional study and supplemental references are essential in order to fully comprehend the meaning of the NEC and the intended application in our every day wiring installations. As a certified electrical instructor and licensed electrial inspector, I use the NEC every day and have found that the 1999 edition is an improvement over the 1996 edition.