CODE CHECK — ONE WORD CHANGED THE ANSWER Quick one. Answer in the comments before you scroll. You are running a load calculation on a single-family dwelling. The house has an attached two-car garage, unfinished, bare studs, concrete floor. Does that garage square footage go into your floor area calculation? Most electricians who learned this before 2023 will say no. That was the right answer for a long time. . . . Here is the 2020 NEC, 220.11: "For dwelling units, the calculated floor area shall not include open porches, GARAGES, or unused or unfinished spaces not adaptable for future use." Here is the 2023 NEC, 220.5(C): "For dwelling units, the calculated floor area shall not include open porches or unfinished areas not adaptable for future use as a habitable room or occupiable space." The word "garages" is gone. That is the whole change. One word deleted, and the answer flips. What is left to exclude? Only unfinished area that is NOT adaptable for future use. An attached garage is adaptable — people convert garages into living space constantly. It fails the exclusion test, so it counts. And notice what else died with that word: the finished-versus-unfinished distinction a lot of us were taught. That distinction lived inside the word that got removed. The code no longer tests for finish. It tests for adaptability. So on a 2,000 sq ft house with a 400 sq ft attached garage, you are now calculating 2,400 sq ft at 3 VA/ft2. That is 1,200 extra VA before you have added a single appliance. Enough to push a marginal service up a size. WHY THEY DID IT: garages are not habitable, but they pull real load. Freezers, compressors, openers, work lights, and now EV chargers. The code caught up to how people actually use a garage. ONE GRAY AREA: the 2023 language does not say attached or detached, and that caused arguments in the field. The 2026 cycle went back and clarified that detached garages are excluded. If you are on the 2023 book, attached counts and detached is a conversation with your AHJ.

"Is the Trades Life for You?" is a full intro course designed for anyone exploring the electrical trade — students, career changers, or someone you know who's on the fence. Share it. It's free and it's good. 👉 Is The Trades Life For You?

Welcome aboard. Quick read, then go dig into the classroom. Introduce yourself. Drop a comment below: where you're at in the trade, what you're working toward, and what you're worst at. That last one's the important one — it tells me what to build next. How levels work Courses unlock as you level up. Level 1 is first-year material, Level 2 second-year, on through Level 5. Levels 6 through 9 hold the specialty courses. You level up by showing up — posting, asking questions, answering them, helping the guy a year behind you. That's by design. The classroom is only half of what you're here for. The other half is the other tradesmen in this room. House Rules: 💡 No soliciting. No promoting your business, your course, your channel, or affiliate links. Not in posts, not in comments, not in DMs to members. This one gets you removed. 💡 Ask the question. Nobody here got good by pretending they already knew. There's no such thing as a dumb question in this room. 💡 Answer when you can. The best answers here come from members, not me. If you know it, share it. 💡 Keep it professional. Argue code all day — that's how we all get sharper. Don't make it personal. 💡 Safety first. No advice that puts a person on the wrong end of an arc flash. Cite your section when it matters. Code varies. We work off the NEC, but your AHJ and adopted code year are what govern your job. Verify locally before you pull wire. What's Coming: I'm building this out one module at a time — theory, AC vs. DC, conduit bending, motors and motor controls, and more. Watch for polls. What you vote on is what I build. Glad you're here. Let's get to work. ⚡

Thermal Imaging: What the Camera Won't Tell You — Lessons 1 and 2 just landed in the classroom. The whole course is free. You just have to be Level 3 to get in. How you get to Level 3: post, comment, and get likes. Every like on your posts and comments earns you points, and points move you up the ladder. Show up, ask questions, jump in on other people's threads — that's it. That's the whole game. Right now nobody is at Level 3 yet, so you've got time. Start climbing. Lesson 3 is in the works this week, and I'll keep stacking lessons over the next few weeks. Get your level up so you're ready when they drop. Share with friends, its free! Who's going to hit Level 3 first? 👀

First, I want to welcome all of our new members! It’s great to see The Junction Box continuing to grow. If you’re new here, the goal of this community is simple: Connecting Electrical Concepts and helping electricians and electrical trainees build their knowledge, skills, and confidence. 🔥 COMING SOON — THERMAL IMAGING COURSE I’m currently building a brand-new Thermal Imaging Course, and here’s the best part: 👉 Level 3 members will get access to the course for FREE! And reaching Level 3 is pretty easy. Skool awards you 1 point every time another member likes one of your posts or comments. ⚡ Level 1 — 0 points ⚡ Level 2 — 5 points ⚡ Level 3 — 20 points 🔓 Thermal Imaging Course So get involved! Ask questions, answer questions, share your experience, help another electrician out, and participate in the community. Every like you earn gets you closer to unlocking additional content. 🌡️ What’s Coming in the Thermal Imaging Course? I’ll be covering how thermal imaging works, how to properly use a thermal camera, what to look for when inspecting electrical systems, how to interpret thermal images, and how thermal imaging can be used in the real world. I’m currently working on the course and my goal is to have it finished by the end of this week. Either way, I’m hoping to have it drop within the next week to week and a half. So if you haven't reached Level 3 yet, now is a great time to start earning those points! 20 points = Level 3 = FREE access to the Thermal Imaging Course. 🔥📷⚡ Thanks for being part of The Junction Box. Connecting Electrical Concepts ⚡ — Todd