110.26(C) Entrance and Egress question

[cppoly]

In 110.26(C) Entrance to and Egress from the Working Space for Large Equipment requiring an entrance/exit on each end of the working space if

1) the equipment is over 6' wide and rated 1,200A or more

Question: is this referring to a single piece of equipment or collectively? For instance, if a room has several equipment 10' wide but only rated 1,000A or if a room has several equipment 5' wide but each rated 2,000A, would either of these rooms need two entrance/exits?

2) the equipment is the service equipment, is over 6' wide, and the sum of the service disconnects is 1,200A or more.

Question: is the width collectively or for a single service disconnect? For instance, if the sum of the service disconnects are 2,000A yet each service disconnect is less than 6' wide, would two entrance/exits be needed?

 

[infinity]

If all of the equipment were 6' wide or less then it would not matter how many amps each piece of equipment is which I think is your question.

 

[cppoly]

If all of the equipment were 6' wide or less then it would not matter how many amps each piece of equipment is which I think is your question.

Thanks! Would it make sense to revise this section to specifically say a single piece of equipment? Otherwise, using the word equipment could mean either singular or multiple pieces of equipment, which leaves this open to interpretation.

 

[infinity]

I think that the more than 6' wide and 1200 amps is decently describing one piece of equipment. I think that Don actually had something to do with this code section so maybe he'll chime in.

 

[augie47]

In Mike' s"Changes to the Electrical Code 2023" he seems to be of a different opinion....

 

[infinity]

In Mike' s"Changes to the Electrical Code 2023" he seems to be of a different opinion....

The combined service disconnecting means section was added to the 2020 NEC. I believe that the OP is under the 2008. If under the 2020 or the 2023 you're correct when there are mulitple individual service disconnects. It still would not apply to non service equipment.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I think that the more than 6' wide and 1200 amps is decently describing one piece of equipment. I think that Don actually had something to do with this code section so maybe he'll chime in.

I got rid of the 6' part for one code cycle and the hazard is the same for 5'9" piece of equipment as for a 6'1 piece of equipment. The hazard is from the available power and not the physical size of the equipment. But they restored the 6' part of the rule the next code cycle.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

In Mike' s"Changes to the Electrical Code 2023" he seems to be of a different opinion....
View attachment 2573234

But this only applies to service equipment and not to large equipment in general.

Given the additional language added for service equipment in the 2023 code, I think that makes it clear the list item (1) applies to a single piece of equipment rated 1200 amps or more and being longer than 6'.

 

[augie47]

But this only applies to service equipment and not to large equipment in general.

Given the additional language added for service equipment in the 2023 code, I think that makes it clear the list item (1) applies to a single piece of equipment rated 1200 amps or more and being longer than 6'.

I'm sorry, I don't follow. Can you expound, please.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I'm sorry, I don't follow. Can you expound, please.

They took the effort to add "where the combined width is" to 110.26(C)(2)(2), but not to (C)(2)(1).

To me that says that (C)(2)(1) applies to each equipment separately and for (C)(2)(1) the rule does not apply to two 5' pieces of equipment, with any current rating, next to each other. You can have two 5' sections each rated 2000 amps next to each other without triggering this rule.

(C)(2)(2) does apply to two 5' sections of service equipment next to each other, and applies where the sum of the current ratings of those two pieces of service equipment exceeds 1200 amps.

What is not clear is how far apart can the multiple service equipments be without requiring you to sum the width. Do you always sum all of the widths for all of the service equipment in a single room?

 

[infinity]

To me that says that (C)(2)(1) applies to each equipment separately and for (C)(2)(1) the rule does not apply to two 5' pieces of equipment, with any current rating, next to each other. You can have two 5' sections each rated 2000 amps next to each other without triggering this rule.

(C)(2)(2) does apply to two 5' sections of service equipment next to each other, and applies where the sum of the current ratings of those two pieces of service equipment exceeds 1200 amps.

I agree as written that's what the intention is.

What is not clear is how far apart can the multiple service equipments be without requiring you to sum the width. Do you always sum all of the widths for all of the service equipment in a single room?

Anyone's guess with that one. More poor code language. Maybe it means along the entire room as in Mike's graphic.