# Old editions of the NEC available



## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

$28 for a download of a out of date code?

To say the NFPA is out of touch is putting it mildly.


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## btharmy (Jan 17, 2009)

What a scam! I can buy old editions on eBay. The point of having an old NEC book is the fact that the BOOK is OLD. not a PDF.


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## FlyingSparks (Dec 10, 2012)

The only real purpose of having a code book that is out of date, would be to determine if an installation was code-compliant in the past.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

FlyingSparks said:


> The only real purpose of having a code book that is out of date, would be to determine if an installation was code-compliant in the past.


Plus, possibly learn why a _current _code was adopted in the first place.


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## FlyingSparks (Dec 10, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Plus, possibly learn why a _current _code was adopted in the first place.


Yeah I can see that too, I stand corrected. Still a shame they are charging $28.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

FlyingSparks said:


> Yeah I can see that too, I stand corrected. Still a shame they are charging $28.



I'd pony up the $28..................


for ALL of 'em. :whistling2:


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## I_get_shocked (Apr 6, 2009)

Never throw away a code book. You may need it to prove your previous work was compliant at the time


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## nicknamednick (Feb 17, 2014)

Joe Tedesco said:


> NFPA has the following editions as PDF files costing $28.00 for nonmembers.
> 
> 1947 Adopted by NBFU in January 1947 Approved by American Standards Association on 10/4/46 and designated as ASA C1-1946 With1949 supplementary revisions - SEE text of NBFU 1949 supplement to NBFU 70-1947
> 1951 Adopted by NFPA on 12/27/50 Approved by the American Standards Association on 3/21/51 and designated as ASA C1-1951 Text same as NBFU 70- 1951 Also published in Vol. V of the National Fire Codes 1951
> ...


@Joe Tedesco, do you know if this deal is still available and how to get it? They have the link now, but it seems to only go back to the 2011 Code. I do a lot of research and would love to have access to these records in order to trace the progression of the rules over the years.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

nicknamednick said:


> @Joe Tedesco, do you know if this deal is still available and how to get it? They have the link now, but it seems to only go back to the 2011 Code. I do a lot of research and would love to have access to these records in order to trace the progression of the rules over the years.


This post is 9 years old.


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

brian john said:


> This post is 9 years old.


Is Joe Tedesco still alive? Been a long time since I have seen a new post from him.

Edit: I need to check the date on a post myself.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Profile: Joe Tedesco, NEC Consultant


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## hornetd (Oct 30, 2014)

FlyingSparks said:


> The only real purpose of having a code book that is out of date, would be to determine if an installation was code-compliant in the past.


As soon as you get involved with rewiring old buildings, were only part of the existing wire plant can be accessed without destroying historical or community values, those old codes become very valuable. Some things that would never be allowed in any addition of the more recent editions of the US National Electric Code (NEC) can be left in place as long as the installation actually complied with that earlier code at the time the permit for construction of the building was issued. The real PITA is finding out were the records of the AHJ that existed at that time might be stored so that you can identify the correct addition. I won't pretend, even for a second, that I know any of the fine details but overheard conversations between engineers and code compliance inspectors told me that it can make a difference of several thousand dollars on the cost of the job. 

I did the alarm and control stuff for 2 museum conversions of palatial robber baron era homes to museums. Those really were challenging to do while leaving history intact and still ending up with an essentially safe wiring system. On one of those jobs I got a 100 dollar bonus; back when that was serious money in my families budget; for suggesting the use of polycarbonate sheeting to leave the original knob and tube wiring intact in the never finished basement and yet avoid any significant likelihood of visitor contact with the wires. One of the big challenges was to get the Glaziers' union to agree that the mere fact that you could see through the polycarbonate did not make the installation of the contact shielding their work. How the 2 locals worked it out is way out of my depth; as in the bosun calling out "No bottom with this line." 

Tom Horne


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