By Brian Leavitt

NEC: Buyer beware The National Electrical Code (NEC) recognizes the popularity of reconditioned equipment and the possibility this trend will become standard practice. The 2023 NEC introduced minimum requirements, permissions, and prohibitions to protect owners, physical property, and public health, and advises owners and designers to consider the new requirements before approving reconditioned equipment, regardless of the latest code being adopted.

It’s challenging when schedule-sensitive equipment is back ordered, delayed by extended delivery dates, or discontinued. How many projects have been troubled by the scope of adding new molded case circuit breakers in existing branch panelboards only to learn supply is not available or the manufacturer has discontinued the product?

The search for available reconditioned equipment from salvaged installations begins. The appearance of an easy solution puts pressure on owners and designers to approve the reconditioned equipment to stay on schedule.

The National Electrical Code (NEC) recognized this and the possibility it could become standard practice. Its reaction? Buyer beware.

The 2023 publication offers guidance to consider prior to approval especially when the latest version has not been locally adopted. It introduces minimum requirements, permissions, and prohibitions to protect owners, physical property, and public health.

Owners and designers should consider the new requirements and criteria before approving reconditioned equipment, regardless of the latest code being adopted.

Let’s review NEC’s definitions:

• The restoration of electromechanical systems, apparatus, equipment, or components to operating conditions. Reconditioning is not normal servicing of equipment within a facility, or replacement of listed equipment on a one-to-one basis.
• The process of following a manufacturer’s set of instructions or applicable industry standards to analyze, adjust, or perform prescribed actions upon equipment to preserve or restore its operational performance.
• Retrofit kits. A complete subassembly of parts and devices for field conversion of equipment already in use.

In practical use:

• Reconditioning includes the restoration of equipment to reliable operational condition after it was exposed to fire, smoke, water, ground fault, arc-flash, or similar damage. Reconditioning happens off site — the equipment may be returned to the original facility, campus, and more commonly is sold through distribution networks to third-party end users.
• Servicing occurs in the field — it’s the maintenance and potential repurposing that happens within a facility or campus.
• Retrofit kits are an industry innovation to enhance or improve existing equipment. They are field installed and not considered reconditioned or serviced. LED retrofit kits, for example, are popular to improve energy efficiency without a complete luminaire replacement.

Reconditioned equipment may originate from salvage, decommission, or damage, according to NEC 2023. The original manufacturer and qualified remanufacturers are authorized to perform the reconditioning. The name or trademark of the manufacturer must be applied to the reconditioned equipment. The original listings are removed, and the date-of-reconditioning, the “reconditioned” label, and new listings are added. The historical activity of equipment salvage, storage, and resale without evaluation, repair, adjustment, and testing is prohibited.

The 2023 NEC prohibits reconditioning some specific equipment. Equipment is organized by individual three-digit articles in the NEC. Sub-article ###.2 Reconditioned Equipment is reserved to define permissions, prohibitions, and special criteria for each applicable article.

Permitted equipment

Equipment may be refurbished by the original manufacturer or qualified remanufacturer and should only be accepted from these sources. Owners and designers should only approve refurbished equipment pending compliance with the latest requirements. Local adoption of an earlier code does not limit the owner, designer, or inspector’s approval authority.

This equipment may be reconditioned:

Equipment	2023 NEC article  reference
Medium and high voltage circuit  breakers	245.2
Electromechanical protective relays and  current transformers	245.2
Switchboards and switchgear	408.2
Motors (electric)	430.2
Communication equipment	800.2

 

Prohibited Equipment

Some equipment is prohibited from reconditioning. Local adoption of an earlier code does not limit the owner, designer, or inspector’s authority to reject this equipment. The new requirements, permissions, and prohibitions were introduced to owners, physical property, and public health, so buyers beware —reject submittals offering this reconditioned equipment.

Equipment	2023 NEC article  reference
Ground fault circuit interruption  protection  (GFCI) for personal	210.2
Arc-fault circuit interruption (AFCI)  protection equipment	210.2
Ground fault protection CFPE equipment	240.2
Low voltage fuse holders and  nonrenewable fuses	240.2
Molded-case circuit breakers (MCCB)	240.2
Low voltage power circuit breaker  electronic trip units	240.2
Surge protection devices (SPD), surge  arrestors	242.2
Raceway systems including flexible  metal  conduit (FMC), Liquidtight flexible  metal  conduit (LFMC), electrical  nonmetallic  tubing (ENT)	Chapter 3
Insulated bus pipe (IBP) and tubular  covered conductors (TCC) systems	369.2
Receptacles, attachment plugs, cord  connectors, and flanged surface devices	406.2
Panelboards	408.2
Luminaire, lamp holders, ballasts, LED  drivers, lamps, and retrofit kits	410.2
Low-voltage lighting systems	411.2
Reactors and resistors	470.2
Equipment over 100 volts AC, 1,500 volts  DC, unless otherwise permitted	495.2
Fire pump controllers and transfer  switches	695.2
Transfer switches	700.2, 701.2, 702.2, 708.2

 

Learn more about the National Electrical Code.