National Electrical Code Articles and Information

Code Quiz: Article 404

Based on the 2014 NEC

Questions and answers written by Mark Lamendola, who has worked as a master electrician, electrical inspector, and design engineer. Mark is an IEEE Senior Member, and the Code article author for Codebookcity.com. Since 1996, he has been writing National Electrical Code articles for electrical trade magazines and has an extensive portfolio of hundreds of NEC articles.

Article 404 provides the requirements for switches. At first blush, this seems silly. A switch. Big deal. Handle goes up, lights go on. Handle goes down, lights go off. But it isn't really that simple.

1. How must all three-way and four-way switches be wired?
   

2. The 2014 NEC added a whole new set of requirements for switches controlling lighting loads [404.2(C)(1) through (7)]. What, in summary, are these about?
   
3. Does it matter if you install a single-blade knife switch in the inverted position? Why or why not?
   
4. What's the voltage limit between snap switches and other devices?
   
5. What's the rule on installing faceplates?

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