2017 NEC 210.63

[Ohms law]

I am wondering if anyone can clarify 210.63*Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration Equipment Outlet. A 125-volt, single phase, 15- or 20-ampere-rated receptacle outlet shall be installed at an accessible location for the servicing of heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration equipment. The receptacle shall be located on the same level and within 7.5 m (25 ft) of the heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration equipment. The receptacle outlet shall not be connected to the load side of the equipment disconnecting means.

When it states shall not be connected to load side of equipment disconnecting means, can I supply a 120vac receptacle off the line side and meet code? The Make Up unit itself is 120vac and is heat only.




Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[LarryFine]

When it states shall not be connected to load side of equipment disconnecting means, can I supply a 120vac receptacle off the line side and meet code? The Make Up unit itself is 120vac and is heat only.

Absolutely, as long as the receptacle is protected from over-current.

 

[Ohms law]

Are you saying down stream of line side of Make UP unit. Or would the branch circuit OCPD be suffice? Should I add a 15amp din mount circuit breaker or just not worry about it.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[JFletcher]

Many if not most air conditioners are going to be 25 amp and higher, 240v only circuits. Rather than getting a fancy disconnect to mount a receptacle and a breaker, or running a neutral out to your air conditioner, it's usually a lot simpler and cheaper just to run a piece of 14 gauge wire either from the nearest acceptable receptacle, or have a dedicated circuit from the panel, that hits the HVAC receptacle first, then maybe the crawl space or other exterior receptacles.

However, if it is a 15 or 20 amp circuit, 120 volt, or four wire 240-volt, then yes you could run your receptacle off the line side of the disconnect. You cannot run it off the load side because they have to pull the cut out or shut the Disco off to work on the equipment and that would kill the receptacle as well which defeats the purpose of having it there.

 

[Ohms law]

Perfect, I feel good about it. The job specs aluminum pipe

Option "A"
going up and down to cut and thread and run 50' off of existing RTU receptacle just to be within 25'.

Option "B"
Use a lift and pull wire from panel to Make Up unit, 80 to 100' away. This would be the nearest 120vac power.

I honestly have never been in this situation. I have been lucky enough to be close enough to a existing RTU with existing receptacle. Or a new unit comes with a step -down transformer from factory.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[JFletcher]

In that case it may be cheaper to get a 2000 volt amp 240 to 120 volt transformer and mount a single 15 amp breaker enclosure. I thought you were talking about a house and running a short distance of Romex or UF, not a commercial job in conduit and a fairly lengthy or comparatively expensive run.

I would think a Lift Rental alone would cost more than the Transformer and the breaker enclosure. Piping it from another existing receptacle would probably be cheaper.

Edited to add... Missed that you had 120 volts there already. If it's on a higher than 20 amp breaker,, you should be able to run a line side tap to a 15 or 20 amp breaker then receptacle

 

[Ohms law]

The most cost effective would be to go off line side of 120vac Make Up unit. As I read 210.63 i got to thinking that I have never done it before and I called a couple co-workers and they have never came off line side or thought it would be code.

Im just trying to think of any reason the inspector would not allow this. Could he say it's not part of the UL listing, I wonder.



Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Let's not forget 210.23(A)(2)

(2) Utilization Equipment Fastened in Place. The total rating
of utilization equipment fastened in place, other than luminaires,
shall not exceed 50 percent of the branch-circuit ampere
rating where lighting units, cord-and-plug-connected utilization
equipment not fastened in place, or both, are also supplied.

 

[Ohms law]

That is a good point now im SOL. What is the reason for a receptacle near a Make Up unit that only supplies heat?

Evaporative coolers don't require receptacles, correct? I know they are two different things but I understand equipment that has a compressor in it requiring a service receptacle. So why wouldn't a gas garage heater require a service receptacle?



Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[JFletcher]

Let's not forget 210.23(A)(2)

may not apply... A lot of HVAC units are set on a concrete pad, they are not fastened in place.
And a receptacle is not the same as cord and plug utilization equipment

 

[hbiss]

That is a good point now im SOL. What is the reason for a receptacle near a Make Up unit that only supplies heat?

Evaporative coolers don't require receptacles, correct? I know they are two different things but I understand equipment that has a compressor in it requiring a service receptacle. So why wouldn't a gas garage heater require a service receptacle?

As far as I know all HVAC equipment needs a receptacle within 25 feet.

-Hal

 

[Dennis Alwon]

may not apply... A lot of HVAC units are set on a concrete pad, they are not fastened in place.
And a receptacle is not the same as cord and plug utilization equipment

They are, IMO, fastened in place because of the wiring and the hvac line sets... Where does it say fastened with bolts?

 

[JFletcher]

They are, IMO, fastened in place because of the wiring and the hvac line sets... Where does it say fastened with bolts?

Without looking, I am guessing the definition of fastened is 'secured by fasteners or hardware'.

You can no more use the lines or wiring going to an HVAC unit to secure it than you can support EMT by the wire inside of it.