An Electrical Inspector appointed by the City Manager shall
administer the Electrical Code.
The regulations of this code shall apply to all electrical wiring
and equipment installed, used, maintained, rented, leased or distributed
for use in the City of Dover. However, nothing herein contained shall
apply to electrical wiring and equipment in the City fire alarm and
police telegraph systems. In addition, nothing herein contained shall
apply to electrical wiring, equipment and apparatus owned, installed
or used by any corporation which is a public utility operating under
due authority granted by the State of New Hampshire for the generation,
control or distribution of electrical energy. However, any installation
made on the premises of a customer of a public utility or on utility
premises open to the public shall be in accordance with the construction
requirements of this code.
Subject to the authority and review of the Building Inspector,
the Electrical Inspector shall be responsible for the enforcement
of this code and shall have the responsibility of making interpretations
of the rules, for deciding upon the approval of equipment and materials
and upon granting the special permission contemplated in a number
of the rules. In the administration of this code, the decision of
the Electrical Inspector, as approved by the Building Official, shall
be binding except that any matter may be referred to the Building
Code Board of Appeals for final determination.
An electrical permit shall be obtained before any electrical work covered by this code, except as noted in Subsections A, B and C of this section, and in § 77-4 of this chapter, may be installed, altered or repaired.
A.
Any person, firm or corporation permanently employing one or more
skilled electricians in a place of business may procure a special
wiring permit for a period not longer than three months. A record
of all work done under this permit is to be filed weekly with the
office of the Inspection Services Division and shall be accompanied
with the proper fee.
B.
All emergency work done shall be reported in the office of the Inspection
Services Division within 24 hours from the time the work is started,
not including Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.
C.
Permits will not ordinarily be required for minor repair work, such
as repairing flush and snap switches, replacing fuses, changing lamps,
lamp sockets and receptacles, taping bare joints and repairing drop
cords, nor for experimental electrical work of a temporary nature
in testing laboratories of electrical shops, educational institutions
and the like, nor for wiring supplied with current from the secondaries
of approved bell-ringing transformers of 24 volts or less.
The Electrical Inspector shall be notified, in writing, by the
person doing the work, first when rough-in work is completed and again
when the entire work is completed. After receipt of said notice, the
Electrical Inspector shall inspect the work within 48 hours, and if
said work conforms in all respects with the provisions of this code,
he shall attach a notice of approval in a conspicuous place on the
premises, and a rough wiring certificate shall be issued.
A permit shall be valid only for the location stated in the
application and in the name of the person, persons, firm or corporation
whose name appears on the application to install the work. Permits
are neither assignable nor transferable.
Applications for permits and plans which are submitted for approval
as to the requirements of the code cannot be accepted unless they
are made out in full and they are in sufficient detail.
No electrical wiring should be covered or concealed until the
Electrical Inspector has given his/her approval. Should the Electrical
Inspector condemn any work or equipment which does not meet with the
provisions of this code, a notice, in writing, shall be given by him/her
to the person, persons, firm or corporation whose name appears on
the application or permit.
The Electrical Inspector is hereby empowered to inspect all
wiring, appliances, devices and equipment coming within the scope
of this code. When the installation of any such wiring, appliances,
devices or equipment is found to be in a dangerous or unsafe condition,
the person, firm or corporation owning, using or operating the same
shall be notified and shall make the necessary repairs or changes
in a safe condition and have such work completed within 10 days after
notification thereof or within such further reasonable time as may,
upon request, be prescribed.
A.
The Electrical Inspector shall issue a certificate of final inspection
when the electrical installation is completed and found to comply
with this code. No certificate shall be issued on any incomplete work.
B.
Rough wiring or preliminary certificates are issued when the concealed
wiring is completed and found to comply with this code.
C.
When requested, the Electrical Inspector may issue a certificate
or letter of approval for any part of an installation extended or
altered, if the extended or altered part conforms and the original
or previously existing part does not conform with the requirements
of this code.
D.
Where an urgent necessity for the use of electrical current in any
installation is shown to exist, the Electrical Inspector may grant
permission for the temporary use of electric current through any wiring,
apparatus or fixture for a period not to exceed 90 days; provided,
however, that the electric current may safely be used therein without
danger to life or property. Permission may be obtained for the temporary
use of electrical current during the construction or renovation of
any building.
A.
The Electrical Inspector is empowered and authorized to permit and approve the temporary use of electrical current through any wiring, apparatus or fixtures, subject to the limitations and restrictions herein prescribed in Subsection A(1), (2), (3) and (4) of this section.
(1)
No such temporary use of electric current shall be permitted in any
case where such use will be a hazard to life or property.
(2)
Wiring and equipment shall be installed for a given limited time
for a specified purpose.
(3)
No such temporary use of electrical current shall be permitted for
a longer period of time than is reasonably necessary to fully comply
with the provisions of this code, and such period of time shall be
fixed by the Inspector in the presence of the person who may desire
such temporary approval. In no case shall temporary use of electrical
current be permitted for a period of over 90 days, except for a building
in the course of construction or renovation.
(4)
A separate permit must be secured for temporary wiring or equipment.
B.
The person to whom this permit is issued will be held responsible
for the complete removal of this wiring or equipment when it has served
its temporary purpose.
All new electrical work shall conform to the requirements of
this code. When an old electrical installation or any part of such
installation is found, upon inspection, to be unsafe to life or property,
the Electrical Inspector shall require that such portion of the installation
as is found to be hazardous be reconstructed to conform to any or
all of the requirements of this code. In single-family residences
which are new or in which service-disconnecting equipment is being
replaced, the service-disconnecting means shall have a rating of not
less than 100 amperes. Apartment units with six or more two-wire branch
circuits shall also have a rating of no less than 100 amperes.
Installations which were made prior to the date on which this
code became effective and which complied with the ordinance provisions,
if any, then in effect are not to be considered as being in violation
of this code until such time as the Electrical Inspector shall have
notified the owner or person responsible for such installations of
the existence of unsafe conditions.
When any additions, alterations or renewals of existing installations
are made after the date on which this code became effective, that
portion of the electrical installation which is extended, altered
or renewed shall be made to conform to all of the applicable requirements
contained herein.
It shall be unlawful for any person in any way to cut, disturb,
alter or change any electrical wiring or to permit such electrical
wiring to be cut, disturbed, altered or changed unless done in conformity
with the provisions of this code.
The Electrical Inspector shall answer any relevant questions
concerning or give any desired information in respect to the meaning,
intent or application of the regulations and rules of this code. The
Electrical Inspector in his official capacity is not, however, empowered
to and shall not lay out work or act in the capacity of consulting
engineer for contractors, mechanics or owners.
The Electrical Inspector shall decide all questions pertaining
to the installation of electrical conductors, appliances, apparatus
and fixtures not provided for in the Electrical Code.
The Electrical Inspector shall have the right, during reasonable
hours, to enter any building on application to the individuals or
company owning or in discharge of his official duties or for the purpose
of making any inspection or test of the installation of electric wiring,
electric devices and/or electrical material contained therein.
Immediately upon notification, in writing, by the Electrical
Inspector, any person, persons, firm or corporation who or which shall
fail to correct any defect, error or deficiency on any work or indebtedness
to the Electrical Inspector within five days after being notified,
in writing, shall have no further permits issued to such person, persons,
firm or corporation until such corrections have been made, inspected
and approved or the indebtedness paid.
Any installation may be inspected, and if found to be defective
or unsafe to life or property, the owner of such installation shall
be notified to remove the defects within 10 days. In addition, the
Electrical Inspector is given the power to notify the person, persons,
firm or corporation supplying the service to discontinue the supply
of electricity until the installation complies with this code.
Service shall be supplied only to installations for which a
certificate permitting the use of electric current has been issued
by the Electrical Inspector, and a copy of said certificate shall
be filed with the supplying power company.
[Amended 2-12-2020 by Ord. No. 2020.01.08-001]
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this
chapter shall be punishable as provided in RSA 155-A:8. Each day of
said violation shall be construed as a separate offense.
