Disconnect location

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Hi- I am seeking assistance in clarifying a technical issue regarding a main disconnect.

Scenario: Commercial building (art gallery) located approx. 160' from power/property line has the meter/main disconnect at the power pole (service is overhead and panel is directly below the transformer).
The feeders are underground to the building and terminate in a sub panel which is located immediately inside at the point of entrance. The main disconnect is within sight and is easily identifiable but is not mounted on the building itself. Is this permissible?

Any authoritative answers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! ;)
 
Disconnect location

Hi- I am seeking assistance in clarifying a technical issue regarding a main disconnect.

Scenario: Commercial building (art gallery) located approx. 160' from power/property line has the meter/main disconnect at the power pole (service is overhead and panel is directly below the transformer).
The feeders are underground to the building and terminate in a sub panel which is located immediately inside at the point of entrance. The main disconnect is within sight and is easily identifiable but is not mounted on the building itself. Is this permissible?

Any authoritative answers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
On the Building?

On the Building?

The real issue is whether or not the main disconnect has to be mounted on the building? Can it be within sight but not actually on the side of the structure?
Thanks
Adam
 
Push comes to shove

Push comes to shove

The above mentioned scenario has created quite a stir in the jurisdiction it is located in. While rather common, the new code official says that NEC 225.32 intends for the disconnect to be on the building. Any thoughts?
Thanks
Adam
 

cpal

Senior Member
Location
MA
where are you located? For example the definition of within sight may be a violation in Mass.
 

charlie tuna

Senior Member
Location
Florida
after reading this i am faced with the same situation. i have a service board with three main disconnects which feed different buildings within sight of the service panel board location. the house which is being built is fed by a 150 amp service disconnect switch on the service panelboard. do i have to mount a disconnect on the new house???
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Neither 230.70(A)(1) nor 225.32 require that the outside disconnect be close to or within sight of the building. It appears that the code rules permit the outside disconnect to be anywere you want to put it. I don't think that is the intent of the code rules, but that is what they say.
Don
 

George Stolz

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
Occupation
Service Manager
Rich, welcome to the forum. :)

Please post questions once, in the area you think they fit best in. Most of us look at the forum using the Daily View, so posting in several places gets confusing.

I think there are more replies on this thread, so maybe the discussion should be over there. :)
 

volt102

Senior Member
Location
New Hampshire
230.70(A)(1)The service disconnecting means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors.

Check! Service disconnect is outside!

225.32 Location The disconnecting means shall be installed either inside or outside of the building or structure served or where the conductors pass through the building or structure. The disconnecting means shall be at a readily accessible location nearest the point of entrance of the conductors. For the purposes of this section, the requirements in 230.6 shall be utilized.

Check!
The feeders are underground to the building and terminate in a sub panel which is located immediately inside at the point of entrance.

Sounds fine to me

Jim
New Hampshire
 

W6SJK

Senior Member
Is it permissible? Yes.

As you know, a service disconnect for a structure has to be outside or immediately inside the building. "Outside" where? - has been the subject of much discussion, as to a requirement for the service disconnect to be within a given distance from the building and still count also as the disconnect for the building. You have provided a disconnect for the building, so you have covered yourself. There is no limit as far as the code is concerned as to how far the service is from the building. Neutral bonding occurs at the service disconnect. The neutral is NOT bonded at the subpanel, but the usual grounding electrodes are required.
 
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stevearne

Senior Member
Location
Rapid City, SD
duplicate threads

duplicate threads

I have merged the two threads into one at this location to avoid confusion, please do not start duplicate threads.
 

hillbilly

Senior Member
I was installing a 2HP sewage pump the other day and I hard time finding the breaker panel for the house.
The owner was not home, so the plumber and I did a search. While looking, I walked outside to look for the meter hoping that I could get a reference point on the panel, and I couldn't find the meter either, it wasn't on the house.
I finally found the BP hidden behind a ironing board in a small laundry room closet.

The panel was over filled (56 circuits!, full of piggybacks) so the plot suddenly thickened.
I went in the basement and found where the service lateral emerged from the ground. It was 4 conductor USE (spliced to SER in a JB) so I knew that the Main was outside somewhere (there was also a disconnect in the house panel).

I started looking for the meter/main, and finally found it mounted on a POCO pole, on the street in front of the next door neighbors house. The neighbor had a overhead drop from the same pole. It's approx 150 feet from the house I was working in to it's main (breaker) disconnect.

I tapped the service lateral in the (basement) JB and set a small breaker panel in the basement to supply the pump.

I later asked the home owner if he knew where his main breaker was and he had no idea, so I took him outside and showed him. He's been living in this house for 20 years. All that time and no idea how to kill the power.

IMO, there needs to be a limit on how far the main can be from the house.
steve
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
How often would a HO need to open the main?

Someone competent in such things could find it if needed.

150' away on a pole in front of the neighbours house seems excessive though.

Maybe there ought to be a requirement for a sign.
 

RB1

Senior Member
I disagree with the interpretation of 225.32 that would permit the feeder disconnecting means to be located remote from the building or structure served. The wording of 225.32 is very different than the wording of 230.70(A)(1). Section 230.70(A)(1) requires the service disconnecting means to be located at the nearest the point where the conductors enter the building only where the disconnecting means is located inside the building. There is no limitation on distance from the building or structure where the disconnecting means is installed outside.

The wording of 225.32, on the other hand, requires the disconnecting means to be located nearest the point of entrance of the conductors regardless of whether the disconnecting means is installed indoors or outdoors.

Where the service disconnect is located remote from the building on a separate structure, such as a pole, the building is supplied by a feeder and the rules of Part II of Article 225 apply.

Based on the other interpretations I could supply this dwelling unit with any number or combinations of branch circuits or feeders from a remote panelboard.
 

TinyTim

Banned
Location
Outerspace
{MODERATOR'S NOTE: This member has been banned for rude and inappropriate behavior towards other members. All of his posts are being deleted.}
 
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