Code Change Summary: New code section pertaining to reconditioned equipment.

In the past, the NEC^® has not prohibited installing used, reconditioned electrical equipment, but Section 104.9.1 of the International Building Code requires the following:

104.9.1 Used materials and equipment. Materials that are reused shall comply with the requirements of this code for new materials. Used equipment and devices shall not be reused unless approved by the building official.

Reconditioning of electrical equipment means restoring something to operating conditions. Typically, when this is permitted by the NEC^®, the equipment is required to be rebuilt to the most current UL standard which would be used for new equipment.

Reconditioning differs from the normal servicing of equipment that remains within a facility, or replacement of listed equipment on a one-on-one basis.

Section 240.88 is new in the 2020 NEC^® and provides a list of overcurrent devices that can and cannot be reconditioned. One requirement is that the original listing mark must be removed. The idea is to ensure that a false impression is not given that the original listing mark covers the reconditioning of the equipment.

When a listing mark is placed on new electrical equipment before it leaves the factory, that listing mark attests that the equipment complied with the applicable standards at the initial time of manufacture. Once the equipment leaves the factory, is field installed and then rebuilt, there’s no way that the original listing label can be relied upon as a way to verify that the rebuilt equipment continues to comply with the newest version of the applicable standard.

Many equipment rebuilders have an agreement with a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) such as UL and are approved to remove the existing listing label upon refurbishing and replace it with a similar label that will include the word “rebuilt” or similar as part of the new listing label. This ensures that those responsible for installing and inspecting are aware that the product was rebuilt and compliant with the newest applicable product safety standard.

Below is a preview of the NEC^®. See the actual NEC^® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on their link to free access to the 2020 NEC^® edition of NFPA 70.