Section 20.08.120 New construction or rewiring

The following are the minimum requirements for new construction or rewiring and are applicable to all types of buildings.

a. Utility installed underground service laterals may extend inside the customer's building and will be exempt from National Electrical Code ampacity requirements provided there is no more than seven feet of conductor inside the building.

b. Service conductors shall be installed in electrical metallic tubing or rigid metal conduit on the exterior of the building and in rigid metal conduit on the interior of the building.

EXCEPTION: The service conductors may be installed in rigid nonmetallic conduit for the riser to the outdoor meter enclosure for underground services or where installed underneath the concrete basement floor or encased in two inches of concrete or masonry.

a. All service grounding electrode conductors installed shall be copper. When there is a metallic water supply, the ground shall terminate on the street side of the water meter and be clamped on the customer side of the water meter.

b. The minimum sized grounding electrode conductor for any service shall be No. 6 Copper.

a. The distribution panel for an existing single-family dwelling containing up to 2,000 square feet of finished floor area, or area likely to be finished, shall be at least 100 ampere, three wire, single-main disconnect type, with space for at least eighteen breakers.

b. The distribution panel for an existing single-family dwelling containing over 2,000 square feet of finished floor area, or area likely to be finished, shall be at least 150 ampere, three wire, single-main disconnect type, with space for at least twenty-four breakers.

c. The distribution panel for a new single-family dwelling containing up to 1,600 square feet of finished floor area, or area likely to be finished, shall be at least 100 ampere three wire, single-main disconnect type, with space for at least eighteen breakers.

d. The distribution panel for a new single-family dwelling containing over 1,600 square feet of finished floor area, or area likely to be finished, shall be at least 150 ampere, three wire, single-main disconnect type, with space for at least twenty-four breakers.

Definition: Finished floor area shall be defined as the area which has a finished floor or floor covering, including hallways and closets.

a. The basement may be wired either in metal-clad cable (BX) or fully grounded nonmetallic sheath cable (Romex) where permitted. In unenclosed spaces where the wiring is run at right angles to wood joists, all wiring shall be run through holes bored in the approximate center of the joists, except that the wires may be stapled to the side of the joists, sill, plate or center beam.

b. The basement shall be lighted by a minimum of one light for each three hundred square feet and one light for each room.

c. All stairways are adequately illuminated. Stair lights shall be controlled so it will not be necessary to use stairs in the dark.

d. All electrical appliances which require a heavy-duty or special outlet shall be connected to separate and individual circuits with an approved flexible cord including an approved grounding cap having the same configuration as the grounding receptacle. Appliance cords shall not exceed six feet in length.

If not wired direct, all garbage disposals, small sump pumps, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, shall have grounding-type cords with a matching grounding receptacle provided.

All garbage disposals shall be controlled by a wall switch and may be connected to one of the kitchen small appliance circuits.

f. All structures with more than twelve dwelling units shall be wired in an approved raceway system.

g. Service entrance cable (SE), as defined in Article 338 of the National Electrical Code, shall not be used for services or feeders. Service entrance cable (SE) shall be permitted for interior branch circuits only where the fully insulated conductors are used for circuit wiring and the uninsulated conductor is used for equipment grounding purposes.

a. All wiring for electric light and/or power hereafter installed in churches, schools, theaters, motels, hotels, lodges, nursing homes, and buildings classified as commercial or industrial and places used for public assembly of fifty persons or more, warehouses, and commercial, service, repair or storage garages accommodating more than three cars, store buildings, factory buildings and their basements shall be in an approved raceway system.

b. Temporary Wiring. Circuit breakers shall be installed for all fifteen and twenty ampere, one hundred twenty volt receptacles installed for temporary purposes. Note: This is in addition to NEC, GFCI requirements.

c. All new feeders run to distribution panels or new or larger services installed are to have all wiring and electrical apparatuses that are served by these panels or services updated to meet the minimum Sioux City electrical code.

6. Closet lighting shall conform to specifications and clearances as set forth in section 410-8 of the National Electrical Code. (Ord. 2000-9110; 97/U-6146)