10 25 ft rule for feeders

[Robert.Perry]

I was working on putting a new HVAC unit in a small commercial building when a came upon a wire tap. I was asked to check to see if the TAP violated the 25FT rule for taps and got confused as I started to research the rule. The electrical service comes through the electrical meter then to a 200 amp disconnect. The feeder then goes approximately 33ft to a circuit breaker panel #1. There is a tap off this feeder going to panel #1 to another panel #2. This tap is approximately 15FT between the 200amp service disconnect and circuit breaker panel #1. The wire is 3/0 wire with a 1/0 neutral wire. Does this tap violate the 25ft tap rule or the 10ft rule?

Thanks, RP

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I am a bit confused. Does the feeder in question that originates at a disconnect have OCPD (fuses or breaker)???

 

[david luchini]

If I read your question correctly you don't have a tap, and therefore wouldn't need to worry about the 25ft or 10ft tap rule.

You seem to be describing 3/0 conductors from the disconnect running 15' where it is then "tapped." Then 3/0 conductors run 18' to panel 1, and another set of 3/0 conductors run some distance to panel 2. Is this correct? Or are the conductors to panel 2 smaller than 3/0?

If all of the conductors are 3/0, and the disconnect has a (200A) OCPD, as Dennis points out, then you do not have a tap.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

If all of the conductors are 3/0, and the disconnect has a (200A) OCPD, as Dennis points out, then you do not have a tap.

That's exactly where I was going.