wwhitney
Senior Member
- Location
- Berkeley, CA
- Occupation
- Retired
230.67 Surge Protection.
(A) Surge-Protective Device.
Allservices supplying service equipment containing branch circuit OCPDs that supply the following locations shall be provided with a surge-protective device (SPD):
(1) Dwelling units
(2) Dormitories
(3) Guest rooms and guest suites of hotels, motels, and dormitories
(4) Areas of nursing homes and limited-care facilities used exclusively as patient sleeping rooms
(5) Areas designed for use exclusively as sleeping quarters in fire stations, police stations, ambulance stations, rescue stations, ranger stations, and similar locations
(B) Location.
The SPD shall be an integral part of the service equipment or shall be located immediately adjacent thereto.
Exception: If the service supplies only feeders, the SPD shall not be required to be located at the service if an SPD is located at the load side of each feeder.
(C) Type.
The SPD shall be a Type 1 or Type 2 SPD.
(D) Replacement.
Where service equipment is replaced, all of the requirements of this section shall apply.
(E) Ratings.
SPDs shall have a nominal discharge current rating (In) of not less than 10kA.
Substantiation:
If the service equipment supplies feeders, those feeders are already subject to the SPD requirements of 215.18. And 215.18(B) specifies that the SPD shall be located in or adjacent to the distribution equipment containing the branch circuit OCPDs supplying the specified locations. Per the informational note to 215.18(B) "Surge protection is most effective when closest to the branch circuit."
Given what 215.18 covers, the only regulatory hole in SPD coverage is for branch circuits that originate in service eqiupment, without any intervening feeders. As such, 230.67 only needs to cover that case.
This change will improve clarity and limit unintentional SPD "bycatch." For example, for a service on a post that supplies two feeders, one to one of the specified locations and one to a location not on the list, the current wording of 230.67 ends up requiring SPD protection for the location not on the list. Either at the service equipment, or via 230.67(B) Exception's reference to "each" next level downstream distribution equipment, which includes the distribution equipment in the location not on the list. While presumably the intention of 230.67 and 215.18 is limited to locations on the list.
(A) Surge-Protective Device.
All
(1) Dwelling units
(2) Dormitories
(3) Guest rooms and guest suites of hotels, motels, and dormitories
(4) Areas of nursing homes and limited-care facilities used exclusively as patient sleeping rooms
(5) Areas designed for use exclusively as sleeping quarters in fire stations, police stations, ambulance stations, rescue stations, ranger stations, and similar locations
(B) Location.
The SPD shall be an integral part of the service equipment or shall be located immediately adjacent thereto.
(C) Type.
The SPD shall be a Type 1 or Type 2 SPD.
(D) Replacement.
Where service equipment is replaced, all of the requirements of this section shall apply.
(E) Ratings.
SPDs shall have a nominal discharge current rating (In) of not less than 10kA.
Substantiation:
If the service equipment supplies feeders, those feeders are already subject to the SPD requirements of 215.18. And 215.18(B) specifies that the SPD shall be located in or adjacent to the distribution equipment containing the branch circuit OCPDs supplying the specified locations. Per the informational note to 215.18(B) "Surge protection is most effective when closest to the branch circuit."
Given what 215.18 covers, the only regulatory hole in SPD coverage is for branch circuits that originate in service eqiupment, without any intervening feeders. As such, 230.67 only needs to cover that case.
This change will improve clarity and limit unintentional SPD "bycatch." For example, for a service on a post that supplies two feeders, one to one of the specified locations and one to a location not on the list, the current wording of 230.67 ends up requiring SPD protection for the location not on the list. Either at the service equipment, or via 230.67(B) Exception's reference to "each" next level downstream distribution equipment, which includes the distribution equipment in the location not on the list. While presumably the intention of 230.67 and 215.18 is limited to locations on the list.