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The Code Question of the Day (CQD) is NECA and ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine’s flagship National Electrical Code (NEC®) public forum for the industry. The daily distribution of Q&A generates a lively dialogue and shares relative Code-based practical responses.
June 10, 2026
Hello CQD. My understanding is that the NEC requires torque to be applied to electrical connections. Is there a specific section that tells us the required torque value, or does that come from the equipment? And what does the inspector actually want to see on the job site? All the best, Sandra P.
June 9, 2026
Hi Code Question of the Day – Here’s my situation: 75 kVA transformer, 480V primary, 208Y/120V secondary, located 15 feet from the panel it feeds. Can the secondary conductors be run without overcurrent protection at the transformer under the tap rules in Section 240.21(C)? Thanks, Jorge M.
Hello Jorge, yes — a 15-foot run qualifies under the 25-foot secondary tap rule, but three conditions all have to be met. Under Section 240.21(C)(2), the conductors must have an ampacity not less than the secondary current rating of the transformer; they must terminate in a single circuit breaker or set of fuses that limits the load to that ampacity; and they must be in a raceway or otherwise protected from physical damage. For a 75 kVA, 208Y/120V transformer, the full-load secondary current is approximately 208 amperes — that is the minimum conductor ampacity required to use this tap rule.