Understanding Residential Electrical Service Calculations in the NEC®

NFPA LiNK® is your window to productivity, providing digital access to the knowledge and resources your business needs to work more productively, efficiently, and safely.
With NFPA LiNK, you can quickly and easily find the codes, standards, support, and tips you need on electrical, fire, and life safety.
This video covers residential electrical service calculations using the NFPA DiRECT® feature within NFPA LiNK. By using searchable filters, you can find illustrated situations that direct you to the code sections where they apply.
First, navigate to the NFPA DiRECT feature from your NFPA LiNK dashboard. Click the “Occupancy” filter and select “House, Townhouse, or Duplex.” Open the situation titled “Single-Family Service Calculation.”
You’ll learn about the ten steps that build to a calculated load, that is then used to determine the size of the electrical service, the service conductors, and the grounding electrode conductor. Within the NEC®, this is just one of several ways to calculate residential electrical services. Keep in mind that other variations can also be used.
Each step is clickable with guidelines for multiple scenarios. They include General Lighting, Small Appliance, Laundry, Lighting Demand Factors, Appliances “Fastened In Place,” Electric Clothes Dryer, Electric Range, Electric Heat, and Motor Load.
For more info about using NFPA LiNK to get the job done right, visit www.nfpa.org/link.