# Ugly's book



## JasonCo (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm thinking about buying the new 2017 version of Ugly's handbook. Just wondering if anyone has it yet, and how in depth is it? I've never owned one before or even looked into one, so I have no idea if it's a good buy. 

Last week my Journeyman and I was putting in a panel and he was thinking it has to be 3 foot away from a door, but I went ahead and got my phone out and looked it up and its 30 inches, 3 foot clearance in front of you. But width wise 30 inches from the side of the panel to the side of the door. Anyways... Does the Ugly's book give this sort of information?

Just unsure how in depth the book really is and was curious. It's around $20 on Amazon so I thought i'd ask before buying it. I have the 2017 code book but a little handbook would be nice. I'm just an apprentice but it would be nice to bust that thing out on the job and figure things out on my own without always asking or getting on my phone.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I own one 

It cost nothing, it is a worthwhile book, just can't understand the hemming and hawing over a book. 

Buy it try it and if not for you pass it on.


----------



## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

Just get it, you won't regret it. It's way cheaper than the NEC handbook.


----------



## JasonCo (Mar 23, 2015)

joebanana said:


> Just get it, you won't regret it. It's way cheaper than the NEC handbook.


Yeah I considered getting the handbook but its basically the same size as the codebook! If not larger. I would of bought that instead of the codebook but my school requires I have the codebook. I think the handbook is a bit more user friendly though. 

But yeah I might as well just buy it. Wouldn't hurt...


----------



## Eddie702 (Aug 7, 2015)

Ugly's is well worth the $20. 

Clearance width wise is 30" minimum or the width of the equipment, whatever is less. No distance from a door as far as I know

Clearance in front depends on voltage and whats on the other side, grounded, live or not grounded. 36" is the most common but you have to look it up


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

JasonCo said:


> I'm thinking about buying the new 2017 version of Ugly's handbook. Just wondering if anyone has it yet, and how in depth is it? I've never owned one before or even looked into one, so I have no idea if it's a good buy.
> 
> Last week my Journeyman and I was putting in a panel and he was thinking it has to be 3 foot away from a door, but I went ahead and got my phone out and looked it up and its 30 inches, 3 foot clearance in front of you. But width wise 30 inches from the side of the panel to the side of the door. Anyways... Does the Ugly's book give this sort of information?
> 
> Just unsure how in depth the book really is and was curious. It's around $20 on Amazon so I thought i'd ask before buying it. I have the 2017 code book but a little handbook would be nice. I'm just an apprentice but it would be nice to bust that thing out on the job and figure things out on my own without always asking or getting on my phone.


That ain't no Journeyman........


----------



## JasonCo (Mar 23, 2015)

Eddie702 said:


> Ugly's is well worth the $20.
> 
> Clearance width wise is 30" minimum or the width of the equipment, whatever is less. No distance from a door as far as I know
> 
> Clearance in front depends on voltage and whats on the other side, grounded, live or not grounded. 36" is the most common but you have to look it up


What I found interesting after I looked it up is that it has to be 36 inches away from the exposed live parts, I forgot exactly what it said but it has to be 36 inches away from the bus bar for example, not the outer shell of the panel. I thought that was interesting. But to be safe I'd just make sure it is 36 inches away from the panel itself. The 30" width rule applies to the outer shell only and has nothing to do with the inner guts. Anyways, just thought that was interesting!


----------



## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Jason now that you know about that , could you please go door to door to all engineers and architect's offices in America and get them to stop designing ten foot long by 5 foot wide electrical rooms in buildings . Thank you in advance.


----------



## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Just buy it already. It's better than giving a lot of money to the NEC, that's for sure.


----------



## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

It's 36" in front of the panel for working space and access, and life safety wants another 6" making it 42" so you have room for am, that plus an air pack. And it gets wider with other equipment configurations. This has nothing to do with whether it's exposed or not. I've been in some German build Krupps crap that is only 24" with MCCs on both sides because it was MSHA where they get away with that stuff because it's not a regulatory requirement. Believe me, you NEED 36" at times. Try taking the handle and door off both sides then disconnecting all the wiring and pulling buckets from the side just to snake one out to work on it. It's a load of crap. Never thought until I dealt with German engineering that I thought NEC or CEC was basically law whether it's a requirement or not.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk


----------



## JasonCo (Mar 23, 2015)

macmikeman said:


> Jason now that you know about that , could you please go door to door to all engineers and architect's offices in America and get them to stop designing ten foot long by 5 foot wide electrical rooms in buildings . Thank you in advance.


Haha yes agreed! Some electrical rooms are WAY too small. It's hard to add subpanels and transformers later on when we're doing a project and it's needed.


----------



## JasonCo (Mar 23, 2015)

paulengr said:


> It's 36" in front of the panel for working space and access, and life safety wants another 6" making it 42" so you have room for am, that plus an air pack. And it gets wider with other equipment configurations. This has nothing to do with whether it's exposed or not. I've been in some German build Krupps crap that is only 24" with MCCs on both sides because it was MSHA where they get away with that stuff because it's not a regulatory requirement. Believe me, you NEED 36" at times. Try taking the handle and door off both sides then disconnecting all the wiring and pulling buckets from the side just to snake one out to work on it. It's a load of crap. Never thought until I dealt with German engineering that I thought NEC or CEC was basically law whether it's a requirement or not.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk


Table 110.26(A)(1) Working Spaces
110.26(A)(1) "Distances shall be measured from the exposed live parts or from the enclosure or opening if the live parts are enclosed."

Idk, the code book confuses me half the time! So I guess sense a bus bar is enclosed inside of a panel, then you would measure from the enclosure or opening (front of panel). So I guess you do measure 36" from the front of panel? Unless the live parts aren't protected by an enclosure? Then you would measure off the live parts...


----------



## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

JasonCo said:


> What I found interesting after I looked it up is that it has to be 36 inches away from the exposed live parts, I forgot exactly what it said but it has to be 36 inches away from the bus bar for example, not the outer shell of the panel. I thought that was interesting. But to be safe I'd just make sure it is 36 inches away from the panel itself. The 30" width rule applies to the outer shell only and has nothing to do with the inner guts. Anyways, just thought that was interesting!


Here, a picture is worth a thousand words:


----------



## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

JasonCo said:


> Table 110.26(A)(1) Working Spaces
> 110.26(A)(1) "Distances shall be measured from the exposed live parts or from the enclosure or opening if the live parts are enclosed."
> 
> Idk, the code book confuses me half the time! So I guess sense a bus bar is enclosed inside of a panel, then you would measure from the enclosure or opening (front of panel). So I guess you do measure 36" from the front of panel? Unless the live parts aren't protected by an enclosure? Then you would measure off the live parts...


Yes. If you go to a Code class these days and notice 90% of the people in the room are lawyers, that's a hint why the Code is the way it is these days. I try to inject some sense into it when I can.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk


----------



## catsparky1 (Sep 24, 2013)

Ugly's also has a wealth of information on other subjects no just our trade related .


----------



## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

It's been my _'go to'_ book since i was a wee spark










:vs_cool:
~CS~


----------



## DesignerMan (Jun 13, 2008)

Yes it is definitely worth the money.
I have several- think my most "up to date" one is 2011...


----------



## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

It costs less then a cup of ”Kopi luwak” coffee.
Well worth the investment.


----------



## bill39 (Sep 4, 2009)

I love my Ugly’s book but mainly use it for the formulas and examples. Most of them never change.

I know, some will say those formulas are all on the internet and why not just use a smartphone.

Simply put, for me it’s quicker using Ugly’s.


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Here, a picture is worth a thousand words:


Just remeber that the 30" doesn't have to be centered.


----------



## active1 (Dec 29, 2009)

There are a lot of good things in the Ugly's book not covered in the NEC.
I have a few different versions of Ugly's.
For code questions I'm much more comfortable looking things up in the NEC because that's what I'm used to. 
While I think every job site or work truck should have a copy of the NEC & amendments in force. The trouble is many don't.
It's too much for an installer to carry the NEC on a job IMO.
I still liked having one in my vehicle at times.

We used to joke about the electricians that couldn't pass their exams, didn't know how to use the code book, and only relied on the uglys book as "ugly electricians".

Keep in mind the original intent of the Uglys was quick reference notes that evolved into a small book. In the past I've done the same by shrinking a number of the code charts & references relevant to our work and putting on the bottom of a clip board.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I'd never recommend the Ugly's for a code resource. For that reason, any version of the Ugly's will due, since the bulk of the text and illustrations never changes. Use if for stuff you might not use all the time, like maybe how to wire a 3-wire stop-start station or the Ohm's law chart or something. The Ugly's is great for the trivial things of the trade you might not have memorized- i just don't see it as an ideal resource for code issues.


----------



## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

JasonCo said:


> I'm thinking about buying the new 2017 version of Ugly's handbook. Just wondering if anyone has it yet, and how in depth is it? I've never owned one before or even looked into one, so I have no idea if it's a good buy.
> 
> Last week my Journeyman and I was putting in a panel and he was thinking it has to be 3 foot away from a door, but I went ahead and got my phone out and looked it up and its 30 inches, 3 foot clearance in front of you. But width wise 30 inches from the side of the panel to the side of the door. Anyways... Does the Ugly's book give this sort of information?
> 
> Just unsure how in depth the book really is and was curious. It's around $20 on Amazon so I thought i'd ask before buying it. I have the 2017 code book but a little handbook would be nice. I'm just an apprentice but it would be nice to bust that thing out on the job and figure things out on my own without always asking or getting on my phone.


Does the NEC not come with a little pocket reference book? The CEC does. Just like the UGLY’S book, has many frequently used tables and rules but also much more.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

eddy current said:


> Does the NEC not come with a little pocket reference book? The CEC does. Just like the UGLY’S book, has many frequently used tables and rules but also much more.


Those little pocket summaries are all over the place, generally free at the supply house, from vendors, at code change classes, etc. Not put out by the NFPA, but people make them.


----------



## JasonCo (Mar 23, 2015)

eddy current said:


> Does the NEC not come with a little pocket reference book? The CEC does. Just like the UGLY’S book, has many frequently used tables and rules but also much more.


No it didn't, although the 2014 and the 2017 codebooks I've bought in the past came from my school's website (IEC). I've actually never even seen that little handbook, not sure if NEC even has one. 

By the way, my Ugly's book came in the mail today, just ripped the package open and am checking it out now. So far it seams amazing. For such a small book it covers a huge % of the code book it seams. Going to throw it in my tool bag, glad I'll have something like this on the job now. This is the one I bought. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/128411936X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Two pocket books I always had reasonably nearby were the Ugly's book and the Benfield manual. I can bed conduit as good as anyone, but the Benfield book gives you the scoop on the weird problem-solving bends you might not do on a regular basis. I've probably given away a dozen copies of each to people if I was trying to teach them stuff. It's easier to show them in the book, and if they seem genuinely interested, I just hand them the book to keep.


----------



## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

MDShunk said:


> I'd never recommend the Ugly's for a code resource. For that reason, any version of the Ugly's will due, since the bulk of the text and illustrations never changes. Use if for stuff you might not use all the time, like maybe how to wire a 3-wire stop-start station or the Ohm's law chart or something. The Ugly's is great for the trivial things of the trade you might not have memorized- i just don't see it as an ideal resource for code issues.


Ugly's is a great reference, but, as you've inferred & is said in the Ugly's book, it doesn't take the place of the whole standard (NEC). Nothing takes the place of a working knowledge of the NEC.


----------



## AXG89 (Sep 24, 2017)

*Motor overload/heater sizing- UGLY's*

These are pictures of 2 different pages in the UGLY'S ELECTRIC MOTORS & CONTROLS book. In the page with the table, if you do the math. The heater ampere is FLA x 1.15. In the other one it tells you to multiply FLA x 1.25 for motor OL protection sizing. Can someone please explain the difference.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

You can go up to 1.25, but 1.15 is more traditional, is really all they're saying. 

I tend to pick overload heaters from the manufacturer's overload heater chart and not the book anyhow. There's a lot more choices.


----------



## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

Also has to do with art 430.32 whether you use 115%,125%, 130% & 140%.


----------



## Switchgear277 (Mar 18, 2017)

They gave us one in the ibew school. It has the Neca njact logos on it .

Was the guy that wrote the book a ibew member


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Switchgear277 said:


> They gave us one in the ibew school. It has the Neca njact logos on it .
> 
> Was the guy that wrote the book a ibew member


The Ugly's book has had private brand labeling of every sort on it from time to time. I had one at one point with a supply house name printed on the cover.

Edit: just checked the two I have at hand. One has an NFPA logo and one has a US flag where private labeling can go.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I should have just checked their website. It says free custom cover on orders of 1,000 copies or more.


----------



## ElectricianNewbie (Jul 8, 2015)

eddy current said:


> Does the NEC not come with a little pocket reference book? The CEC does. Just like the UGLY’S book, has many frequently used tables and rules but also much more.



hi, i'm newbie in electrical industrial world, could you share this (pdf/doc) to me? Many code make me confuse and so hard to thinking :vs_mad::vs_mad:


----------



## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

ElectricianNewbie said:


> hi, i'm newbie in electrical industrial world, could you share this (pdf/doc) to me? Many code make me confuse and so hard to thinking :vs_mad::vs_mad:


It is for American systems not British. It is also copyrighted, so, you need to buy it if you want it from Amazon.


----------



## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Bird dog said:


> It is for American systems not British. It is also copyrighted, so, you need to buy it if you want it from Amazon.



Indonesia is British ?


----------



## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

ElectricianNewbie said:


> hi, i'm newbie in electrical industrial world, could you share this (pdf/doc) to me? Many code make me confuse and so hard to thinking :vs_mad::vs_mad:


what you need is the 17"th , 18'th, and probably the 19'th edition and the best practices guides.
the best practices guides can be downloaded from here

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/electrical-professionals/best-practice-guides/

i believe you would have to purchase the other editions.

hope this helps


----------



## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

gpop said:


> Indonesia is British ?


*What voltage and frequency in Indonesia?*

In Indonesia the standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electric appliances in Indonesia, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 - 240 V (as is in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa). Manufacturers take these small deviations into account. If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100 V - 127 V (as is in the US, Canada and most South American countries), you need a voltage converter in Indonesia. You can find voltage converters at Amazon. You can also consider a combined power plug adapter/voltage converter.
https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/indonesia/


----------



## cabletie (Feb 12, 2011)

eddy current said:


> Does the NEC not come with a little pocket reference book? The CEC does. Just like the UGLY’S book, has many frequently used tables and rules but also much more.



NFPA does put out two pocket guides. One for residential, one for commercial/industrial. I'm sure it overlaps quite a bit. These aren't the free versions. Ugly's guide probably has a wider range of references. The pocket guide is the text of the code. The 10% of the code you use 90% of the time. 

I bought it once. I don't think the code references followed the same order. It was supposed to be in the order you build a job.

https://www.buildersbook.com/2017-n...cial-industrial-electrical-installations.html


----------



## manchestersparky (Mar 25, 2007)

Has anyone here ever looked at or had the Dr.Watts book ??
Is it similar to Uglys or is there major differences ????


----------



## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

cabletie said:


> NFPA does put out two pocket guides. One for residential, one for commercial/industrial. I'm sure it overlaps quite a bit. These aren't the free versions. Ugly's guide probably has a wider range of references. The pocket guide is the text of the code. The 10% of the code you use 90% of the time.
> 
> I bought it once. I don't think the code references followed the same order. It was supposed to be in the order you build a job.
> 
> https://www.buildersbook.com/2017-n...cial-industrial-electrical-installations.html


I would never, ever give the NFPA a ****ing dime. Ever.


----------



## d2043 (Nov 12, 2013)

I worked on the same job as Ugly at one point. I worked at Smithers Lake unit 8 coal fired power plant, the other side of Sugarland TX. Ugly worked in the tool room and used to give us extension cords to run trot lines in the cooling pond lake at night when no one was watching.. This was in 1981 or 82 as I best remember. He was a very nice guy and smart. I was in Local 716 then out of Houston, we worked graveyard shift and I hated that. Just a little history.


----------



## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

I hadn't used the Ugly's book in a while, but in came in handy a few weeks ago. I forgot how to bend a 3-point saddle. I pulled the Ugly's out of the truck and it had a few pages with all the Benfield formulas in it. I could have just used my phone aka mini-computer like 99% of people do these days, but there's still something I really like about having reference books at hand that require no technology.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

MTW said:


> I forgot how to bend a 3-point saddle.


Bend it in the middle and saw both ends off to fit. :biggrin:


----------



## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

MDShunk said:


> Bend it in the middle and saw both ends off to fit. :biggrin:


I may have actually done that. :whistling2:


----------



## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

MTW said:


> I hadn't used the Ugly's book in a while, but in came in handy a few weeks ago. I forgot how to bend a 3-point saddle. I pulled the Ugly's out of the truck and it had a few pages with all the Benfield formulas in it. I could have just used my phone aka mini-computer like 99% of people do these days, but there's still something I really like about having reference books at hand that require no technology.


... 3 pt saddle, are you really an electrician 🧐


----------



## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

360max said:


> ... 3 pt saddle, are you really an electrician 🧐


The above sentence is an example of the Swahili language.


----------



## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

MTW said:


> The above sentence is an example of the Swahili language.


Kiti cha 3 cha uhakika, je, wewe ni umeme


----------



## MrO (Jul 14, 2018)

Eddie702 said:


> Ugly's is well worth the $20.
> 
> Clearance width wise is 30" minimum or the width of the equipment, whatever is *less*. No distance from a door as far as I know
> 
> Clearance in front depends on voltage and whats on the other side, grounded, live or not grounded. 36" is the most common but you have to look it up



This should say greater. 110.26 is where this is found. Just a heads up. It’s something that I’ve used against builders and homeowners throughout the years to get them to move their junk from in front of our panels.


----------

