Summary of changes to the 2021 Canadian Electrical Code
November 3, 2022
Top 20 changes you need to know about the 2021 Canadian Electrical Code
Effective October 1, 2022 a new version of the Canadian Electrical Code will be adopted in BC. This code highlights the minimum safety requirements for the installation and maintenance of electrical equipment.
These are the top changes you’ll need to know about when performing regulated electrical work as of October 1, 2022:
Section 0 Voltage definition
Higher threshold for low-voltage installations from 750 volts to 1000 volts AC and 1060 volts DC.
2-032 Damage and interference
Revision to formalize the requirement to evaluate equipment that has been wetted.
6-206 Electrical equipment location
Revision to reduce the risk of flood damage to electrical equipment.
6-212 Wiring space in enclosures
Permission to install CTs in service equipment.
6-300 Installation of underground service conductors
10-612 Installation of bonding conductors
Re-insertion of rule from the 2015 Code regarding important safety bonding requirements.
12-022 Cables or raceways installed in roof decking system
Addition of rule prohibiting the running of cables or raceways on the topside of the roof deck below the roof membrane.
12-910 Conductors and cables in conduit and tubing
New tables and new method to calculate conduit fill.
12-2202 Insulated conductors in cable tray
Changes to installation methods of cables and conductors in cable tray.
22-800 Farm buildings housing livestock
New series of rules for installing electrical equipment in farm buildings.
26-008 Sprinklered equipment
Deletion of rule requiring sprinkler protection of electrical equipment in vaults or electrical rooms.
26-652 Branch circuits below ground
New requirement to add GFCI protection for branch circuits in flood hazard zones.
26-656 Branch circuits for dwelling units
New allowance for subdivided single-family dwellings to have all fire detection devices to be energized from a single unit’s panel.
26-700 Kitchen plugs behind sinks
New allowance for receptacles behind kitchen sinks.
26-704 Protection of receptacles by a ground fault circuit interrupter of the class A type
New requirement for all outdoor receptacles to have GFCI protection within 2.5 meters of finished grade.
26-712 Sump pump receptacles
New rule requiring receptacles for sump pumps when installed within a flood hazard zone.
36-208 Interlocking of fuse compartments
Addition of safety requirements for high voltage disconnects.
58-600 Grounding of towers and stations
New rules for tower and station grounding.
64-900 Energy storage systems
86-304 Disconnecting means
Relaxation of disconnection requirements for EV chargers below 60 amps.
The new edition of BC Electrical Code will make one deviation from the Canadian Electrical Code: subrules 7 and 8 of Rule 66-456 (Section 66) will not be enforced in BC. Learn more about the adoption of the BC Electrical Code, 2021 edition.
In 2021 we held an online consultation about the impacts of adopting the Canadian Electrical Code in BC and any related issues. You can read a summary of what we heard during the consultation, as well as the impact assessments on our Engage page.
If you’re interested in conversations with the Technical Safety BC community and being a part of future consultations, register to get involved now.