A/C compressor + a Kitchen question

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tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Two items up for graps today.

Photo shows an A/C compressor. From what I can see (basement was finished) - non-rigid conduit is connected directly to compressor (draped along the rear wall of the home) - disconnect box is "wired" to another connection on the compressor. I have always seen the power go to the local disconnect, then to the compressor. Any insight into this?

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a352/TonyPE/IMGP0781_edited-1.jpg

2nd topic: Saw a receptacle in a kitchen on the backwall of a kitchen cabinet - inside a pantry type of cabinet that contains sliding drawers. The receptacle also contained the GFCI reset for countertop outlets outside of the pantry cabinet. I've looked at other posts - could not find anything close to this. Again, any insight or specific code references that I can find on this?
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
tonype said:
Two items up for graps today.

Photo shows an A/C compressor. From what I can see (basement was finished) - non-rigid conduit is connected directly to compressor (draped along the rear wall of the home) - disconnect box is "wired" to another connection on the compressor. I have always seen the power go to the local disconnect, then to the compressor. Any insight into this?

I believe this install to be a mess. First off the flex is looped over 360 degrees-- violation of 356.26 or 350.26. I would think that wiring the unit with the feed and then going to the disco is compliant but I am not sure of that. You can disconnect the compressor but there may be a code section that says the unit must be disconnected. I will have to look.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a352/TonyPE/IMGP0781_edited-1.jpg

tonype said:
2nd topic: Saw a receptacle in a kitchen on the backwall of a kitchen cabinet - inside a pantry type of cabinet that contains sliding drawers. The receptacle also contained the GFCI reset for countertop outlets outside of the pantry cabinet. I've looked at other posts - could not find anything close to this. Again, any insight or specific code references that I can find on this?

Doorbell I will be back.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I'm back-- The receptacle inside the cabinet is compliant but a major PITA with a GFCI there. It would not satisfy the requirements of 210.52 for a countertop recep if one should be required.
 

tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Dennis Alwon said:
I believe this install to be a mess. First off the flex is looped over 360 degrees-- violation of 356.26 or 350.26. I would think that wiring the unit with the feed and then going to the disco is compliant but I am not sure of that. You can disconnect the compressor but there may be a code section that says the unit must be disconnected. I will have to look.


.

Is there an increased risk of this unit being "hot" even with the disconnect pulled?
 

tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Dennis Alwon said:
I'm back-- The receptacle inside the cabinet is compliant but a major PITA with a GFCI there. It would not satisfy the requirements of 210.52 for a countertop recep if one should be required.

Isn't there some safety concern, since drawers are movable?
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
tonype said:
Is there an increased risk of this unit being "hot" even with the disconnect pulled?

The wires to the unit housing may be hot but not to the compressor motor-- if it were wired correctly.
 

cloudymacleod

Senior Member
tonype said:
Is there an increased risk of this unit being "hot" even with the disconnect pulled?
it could be, i would use caution. to me they fed the unit before the disconnect, in which, will make the disconnect useless and the breaker in the panel will be the disconnecting source, in which, would be a code violation. but i don't get this install though. where is the feed for the disconnect, thats what i'm confuse about that pic? r they using the unit as a raceway?
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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cloudymacleod said:
it could be, i would use caution. to me they fed the unit before the disconnect, in which, will make the disconnect useless and the breaker in the panel will be the disconnecting source, in which, would be a code violation. but i don't get this install though. where is the feed for the disconnect, thats what i'm confuse about that pic? r they using the unit as a raceway?

I think they brought the fed to the disco and then ran it thru the flex to the disco. (I hope so anyway). So the flex from the disco , I am guessing, has the line and load together.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
tonype said:
Is there an increased risk of this unit being "hot" even with the disconnect pulled?
We'd have to look inside the wiring compartment to answer that question, but yes, it looks like there could be that risk.

But then, someone could even bypass the interior of a disconnect, so it's not a 100% guarantee that pulling a disco really disco's the equipment.

It's also possible that the ugly conduit contains the t-stat wiring.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Added: Looking again at the picture, I believe the flex between the disco and the unit to be a store-bought, pre-assembled whip.

tonype said:
Isn't there some safety concern, since drawers are movable?
How did we get on the topic of underwear? :D
 
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Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
Jim W in Tampa said:
power is to be killed to the unit,is it not.I would tag it
I have not check that. It would certainly be advisable to do that but am not sure the code says to the unit.

Too lazy to look.:)
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Jim W in Tampa said:
power is to be killed to the unit,is it not.
Is that an electrical requirement or a geographical one? Could the wires enter and exit the unit unbroken, break at the disco, and return?

I'm still not convinced that the power conductors are in that ugly conduit. Has the disco been opened?
 

jmd445

Senior Member
First off, the picture is of a circa 1970's ish... GE Air Conditioning Condensing Unit, not an a/c compressor. The condensing unit houses the compressor.

What I believe you are seeing is a back wired disconnect fed from the basement with a store bought (too long) whip. The other 'conduit' you see are the refrigerant lines.

Jim
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
jmd445 said:
First off, the picture is of a circa 1970's ish... GE Air Conditioning Condensing Unit, not an a/c compressor. The condensing unit houses the compressor.

What I believe you are seeing is a back wired disconnect fed from the basement with a store bought (too long) whip. The other 'conduit' you see are the refrigerant lines.

Jim

Partially true. I bet the one flex has the thermostat wire in it and I bet you are right about the back wire on the a/c.

We were just going by what the op stated. Perhaps he didn't open anything up.
 

cloudymacleod

Senior Member
Dennis Alwon said:
I think they brought the fed to the disco and then ran it thru the flex to the disco. (I hope so anyway). So the flex from the disco , I am guessing, has the line and load together.
ya, u r proably right, thats what i'm thinking also. using the unit as a raceway, but i don't understand why.
 

wireguru

Senior Member
the one long flex might have the Tstat wiring in it, but i bet that is taped to the freon lines, and the long flex powers their hot tub or something like that.
 
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