FAQ
64
continued from page 62
Material taken from the National Electric Code
®
 is reprinted with permission 
from NFPA 70
®
, 2023 edition. National Electrical Code
®
, Copyright 2022, 
National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. All rights reserved.
NEC
®
 Text 
(1) The rearward projection of the device or equipment shall 
not extend beyond the centerline of the wiring knockout or 
other entry.
(2) The clearance from the box wall to the installed device 
or equipment shall be not less than 13 mm (1/2 in.).
Expert Analysis 
A new sentence has been added at 314.24(B) to clarify 
that conductor sizes 12 or 10 AWG, entering from the 
center portion of the rear of a box opposite to the 
equipment, the minimum clearance shall be increased 
to 1/2 in.
In addition, a new subsection has been added to 
314.24(C) to address the protection techniques where 
devices or equipment are mounted in boxes having 
side-wiring entries. The protection techniques include 
the rearward projection of the device or equipment shall 
not extend beyond the centerline of the wiring knockout 
or other entry, or the clearance from the box wall to 
the installed device or equipment shall not be less 
than 1/2 in. The term side applies to any wall of a box 
other than the one opposite to the opening.










