Question about furnace disconnect

[crtemp]

Home come a gas furnace has to have a disconnect in site when a dishwasher or water heater does not? Why are breaker lockouts not okay for a furnace?

 

[joebell]

The dishwasher and water heater should have disconnects look at 422.31.

 

[Cavie]

Breaker lockout devices are allowed on dishwashers and water heaters per code. I know of nothing to prevent them on a furnace. If there is someone please let me know. I have no problem in learning.

 

[infinity]

Breaker lockout devices are allowed on dishwashers and water heaters per code. I know of nothing to prevent them on a furnace. If there is someone please let me know. I have no problem in learning.

Might be a requirement in the mechanical code or some other code. Had a fire inspector ask for a disconnect on a boiler with a red cover even though the boiler was 5' away from the circuit breaker in the service.

 

[Sierrasparky]

So does the cord serve as the disco or are we not even allowed use a cord.
I have yet to see a hardwired furnace in years.

 

[John120/240]

This has been discussed & cussed adinfitium. One method used here is a handy box with a single receptacle for the line side. For the load use a 3 ft pigtail. During a power outage you can plug the pigtail into an extension cord from a generator. This has satisfied the AHJ for means of disconnect.

 

[Sierrasparky]

This has been discussed & cussed adinfitium. One method used here is a handy box with a single receptacle for the line side. For the load use a 3 ft pigtail. During a power outage you can plug the pigtail into an extension cord from a generator. This has satisfied the AHJ for means of disconnect.

Same here

 

[Gregg Harris]

This has been discussed & cussed adinfitium. One method used here is a handy box with a single receptacle for the line side. For the load use a 3 ft pigtail. During a power outage you can plug the pigtail into an extension cord from a generator. This has satisfied the AHJ for means of disconnect.

That would be a code violation. Furnaces and air handlers have a UL 1965 listing as a permanently wired appliance a cord would be a violation of


422.16 Flexible Cords. (A) General. Flexible cord shall be permitted (1) for the connection of appliances to facilitate their frequent interchange or to prevent the transmission of noise or vibration or (2) to facilitate the removal or disconnection of appliances that are fastened in place, where the fastening means and mechanical connections are specifically designed to permit ready removal for maintenance or repair and the appliance is intended or identified for flexible cord connection.

As fare as a circuit breaker with locking capability within sight is code compliant.

 

[kwired]

Might be a requirement in the mechanical code or some other code. Had a fire inspector ask for a disconnect on a boiler with a red cover even though the boiler was 5' away from the circuit breaker in the service.

I just did a project where we installed new boilers in a couple school buildings. I think the "Emergency Power Off" requirement is triggered once the BTU capacity of the boiler reaches a certain level. On this project they wanted "EPO" switches near the entrances to the room. If the room had more than one entrance then there needed to be a switch near each entrance. These were not "disconnect" switches for the purpose of servicing, LOTO, etc, but "Emergency Power Off switches. I also have an industrial customer with a process steam boiler that a few years ago we had to put similar switches at entrances. We have seen the combustion area doors blown open before on this install, you do not want to have to enter that room to hit an EPO under those conditions, the EPO's on that install are outside the boiler room right next to the entrances. 125 PSI steam inside at least a 10,000 gallon vessel (not sure just what the capacity is but it is a huge vessel) is nothing you want to be close to if something ruptures, and the BTU output of the burner is nothing to disregard either should something go wrong with it.

This has been discussed & cussed adinfitium. One method used here is a handy box with a single receptacle for the line side. For the load use a 3 ft pigtail. During a power outage you can plug the pigtail into an extension cord from a generator. This has satisfied the AHJ for means of disconnect.

I guess if AHJ wants to accept that, then so be it. There is such a thing as small transfer switches that would be NEC compliant.