Light Pole with Receptacle

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hbendillo

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Location
South carolina
I am currently working on a project where we are installing 120-volt receptacles on light poles. Without going into a lot of detail, the receptacle circuits may be coming from a separate service on the site from the lighting circuits going to the poles. It has to do with distances of the poles from where the lighting circuits originate. Are there any code or safety issues with this arrangement? Grounds from both the receptacle and lighting circuits will be bonded to the pole.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Chapel Hill, NC
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The only code I can think of is 225.30 which may not apply. Many will see the pole as a structure so you cannot feed the structure with more than one circuit
 

charlie b

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Lockport, IL
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Would I be right in guessing that the voltage to the site lighting is 277V or higher? If so, then I believe 225.30(D) will allow what you are describing.
 

don_resqcapt19

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Illinois
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The only code I can think of is 225.30 which may not apply. Many will see the pole as a structure so you cannot feed the structure with more than one circuit
I don't know about people, but the code clearly sees the light poles as structures. If it didn't there would be no reason for Exception #3 to 225.32
 

hbendillo

Senior Member
Location
South carolina
I have been running through different scenarios. Thinking about running a 20-amp 240 volt circuit with neutral out to the poles and tapping circuit at each pole to feed receptacles. Would mean a couple of circuits because of the distance but might work for me. Owner doesn't want another service.
 

mopowr steve

Senior Member
Location
NW Ohio
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Electrical contractor
Now waite a minute are ya'll saying that multiple branch circuits can't be run in the same pole to the next?
 

GoldDigger

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Placerville, CA, USA
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Now waite a minute are ya'll saying that multiple branch circuits can't be run in the same pole to the next?

You can not have multiple feeders to the garage, but I do not see a prohibition against multiple branches. Although I do agree that the requirements for a local ground as well as EGCs from the main building when therevis more than one branch does make grounding a little weird to wire. :)
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Now waite a minute are ya'll saying that multiple branch circuits can't be run in the same pole to the next?
Possibly not 225.30 (A) thru (E) tells us what is acceptable beyond one branch circuit or feeder to a separate building/structure. (D) may allow your application. Also consider that a multwire branch circuit is considered to be one branch circuit.
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
Bench circuits and phase colors

Bench circuits and phase colors

At my co workers job the inspector said the mc color ( black,red,blue) has to be the same as the " phase color",,, from the panel to the end of the circuit.
I don't think there's such a thing as the correct phase color in the NEC.
We had the same problem in Austin. What type of code allows the ahj to insist on this.?
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
At my co workers job the inspector said the mc color ( black,red,blue) has to be the same as the " phase color",,, from the panel to the end of the circuit.
I don't think there's such a thing as the correct phase color in the NEC.
We had the same problem in Austin. What type of code allows the ahj to insist on this.?
What type of code? It is called inspector's shirt pocket rules:roll:

There may be cases where NEC does require you to identify according to phase or system, but there are many possible ways to do that and NEC doesn't specify any particular method that must be used.

Wire color is one of most popular ways to do that, and because it is how some always do it they may think that it is a rule that it must be that way, inspectors included.
 

GoldDigger

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What the NEC does tell us is that (when there is more than one voltage system in use at a site) the colors or other markings used need to be posted so that anybody working on the system can see what voltages correspond to what markings. But it does not even require, AFIK, that the phase marking be consistent.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
What the NEC does tell us is that (when there is more than one voltage system in use at a site) the colors or other markings used need to be posted so that anybody working on the system can see what voltages correspond to what markings. But it does not even require, AFIK, that the phase marking be consistent.
By consistent I assume you mean doesn't need to be same as what others commonly use on other sites.
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
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By consistent I assume you mean doesn't need to be same as what others commonly use on other sites.
Actually, I mean that the markings used (usually two plud white for the 120/240 example) only need to identify them as part of the 120/240 system and do not always have to use the same colors for L1 and L2. Chose red or black, or use black for both.
JMO.
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
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I think that depends on which code cycle you are on. In some cycles you are required to identify the conductors by phase as well as 'system'

I also think that it is worth remembering that the whole identification requirement is triggered by the presence of more than one voltage system at the site.
 
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