Access to A/C disconnect

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oldchap

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Greetings all! For a new residential job the A/C contractor has installed a split unit. In the basement the disconnect for the condenser unit is mounted on the air duct about 7 feet high and facing the studs of a yet unfinished interior wall about one foot away. When sheet rock is installed there will be no way to see into the open disconnect box. I'm sure that will never satisfy the homeowner but wonder is someone can direct me to the code section that I can refer him to. I don't want my wiring job rejected because of what he has done.

Thanks for your help. Rough-in inspection is set for Tues, Nov. 9

Oldchap
 
ceb58

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
oldchap said:
Greetings all! For a new residential job the A/C contractor has installed a split unit. In the basement the disconnect for the condenser unit is mounted on the air duct about 7 feet high and facing the studs of a yet unfinished interior wall about one foot away. When sheet rock is installed there will be no way to see into the open disconnect box. I'm sure that will never satisfy the homeowner but wonder is someone can direct me to the code section that I can refer him to. I don't want my wiring job rejected because of what he has done.

Thanks for your help. Rough-in inspection is set for Tues, Nov. 9

Oldchap
Click to expand...

Agreeing with Gus on the code references but I would ask why is the HVAC people setting the disconnect? Here the HVAC guys know that the elect. sets the disco and wires into the unit. If they refuse to move the disco and it fails I would be quick to point out to the inspector that the HVAC guys were to blame and they could correct the violation not you.
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
The odd thing is how do you deal with clearances in a crawl space or hung ceilings etc. Sometimes you just can't get the clearances for disconnects.
 
Chamuit

Chamuit

Grumpy Old Man
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
augie47 said:
110;26(A) and possibly 404.8(A)
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404.8.A Exception 2 in the 2005 allows for the disconnect to be higher.

But, in a residential setting I would only fall back on that for bizarre or exceptional situations not as a common practice.
 
acrwc10

acrwc10

Master Code Professional
Location
CA
Occupation
Building inspector
Mgraw said:
That is not what the OP says.
"In the basement the disconnect for the condenser unit..."
Click to expand...

Note the OP said,"the A/C contractor has installed a split unit.
In a split unit the compressor is outside (and so is a disconnect). The condenser is inside (and so is the disconnect for it) two separate "split" units (one system) with two separate disconnects.
 
M

Mgraw

Senior Member
Location
Opelousas, Louisiana
Occupation
Electrician
In all my years I have not seen the condenser inside. The compressor inside is normal on geothermal units as well as other commercial units. Now technically a heat pump air handler coil becomes the condenser in the heat mode, but there is another coil outside.
 
acrwc10

acrwc10

Master Code Professional
Location
CA
Occupation
Building inspector
Mgraw said:
In all my years I have not seen the condenser inside. The compressor inside is normal on geothermal units as well as other commercial units. Now technically a heat pump air handler coil becomes the condenser in the heat mode, but there is another coil outside.
Click to expand...

You are correct, the condenser is the radiator like part that disipates heat on an AC unit. I was mistaking the evaporator coil, the inside unit, for the condensor.
 
O

oldchap

Member
acrwc10 said:
Note the OP said,"the A/C contractor has installed a split unit.
In a split unit the compressor is outside (and so is a disconnect). The condenser is inside (and so is the disconnect for it) two separate "split" units (one system) with two separate disconnects.
Click to expand...

This describes the setup. Thanks to all of you for your input. As for why the A/C contractor installed the electrical, this was done before we knew it was happening. The general contractor who was constantly on the job didn't challenge, and the electricians were working on another level of three in this 4100 sq. ft. residence. Poor coordination. I find many specialty contractors attempt to do everything, including some very questionable electrical work. In this area of TN the only inspections required are for electrical and septic systems.
 
jwelectric

jwelectric

Senior Member
Location
North Carolina
I would ask myself a couple of questions.
First can I see the disconnect from the air handler?
Second can I operate the disconnect?

Then I would see no problem. I don?t think that 110.26 would apply because this is a branch circuit and there would be no reason for anyone to do anything to this disconnect while it is energized. One could simply disconnect the branch circuit at the point where the branch circuit originated.
 
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