30A fused disconnect on 60A circuit = violation?

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

SteamDonkey

Member
Hi,

I'm working on a project where some rooftop units (with electric heat) are being replaced with new units using gas heat, thus requiring a smaller circuit. The existing circuits are 60A CB with #6 CU wire. The units will come factory equipped with 30A fused disconnect switches. The unit MCA is 28A, and MOCP is 30A.
As long as the disconnect is sized properly for the load it appears to be code compliant, but something about having a 60A breaker upstream of a 30A switch seems wrong. Am I overlooking something?
 
The 60A CB is there to protect the #6 wire. What's downstream doesn't matter. You could have a 30A disconnect with a 1A fuse and still be fine. The downstream disconnect and fuse are sized for your load. As long as your feeder is sized to carry your load you are ok.
 
SteamDonkey said:
Hi,

I'm working on a project where some rooftop units (with electric heat) are being replaced with new units using gas heat, thus requiring a smaller circuit. The existing circuits are 60A CB with #6 CU wire. The units will come factory equipped with 30A fused disconnect switches. The unit MCA is 28A, and MOCP is 30A.
As long as the disconnect is sized properly for the load it appears to be code compliant, but something about having a 60A breaker upstream of a 30A switch seems wrong. Am I overlooking something?
Click to expand...

As long as there are fuses at the units I don't see a problem.
But check your lugs in the disconnects. They may not accept #6.
 
What you have is a 60 amp feeder and a 30 amp branch circuit tapped off of it.

You actually have additional capacity in the feeder and could tap another 30 amp circuit off of it, maybe even more depending on full load current of your compressors and how much higher overcurrent protection is for allowing starting.
 
SteamDonkey said:
Hi,

I'm working on a project where some rooftop units (with electric heat) are being replaced with new units using gas heat, thus requiring a smaller circuit. The existing circuits are 60A CB with #6 CU wire. The units will come factory equipped with 30A fused disconnect switches. The unit MCA is 28A, and MOCP is 30A.
As long as the disconnect is sized properly for the load it appears to be code compliant, but something about having a 60A breaker upstream of a 30A switch seems wrong. Am I overlooking something?
Click to expand...

Wouldn't have it been really messed up for you if they installed #10 wire from that 60 amp breaker. That would also have been legal.
 
Strathead said:
Wouldn't have it been really messed up for you if they installed #10 wire from that 60 amp breaker. That would also have been legal.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry but I'm not seeing it, outside of having a feeder tap supplying the second OCPD, but then it will have length/size restrictions unless outdoors. MOCP was 30 had it been 60 then I could see it.

Something doesn't quite seem right with the 28 amp MCA and 30 amp MOCP though. I'd expect the OCPD to be at least 125% of the MCA or at least a little closer to 125% then this is.
 
kwired said:
I'm sorry but I'm not seeing it, outside of having a feeder tap supplying the second OCPD, but then it will have length/size restrictions unless outdoors. MOCP was 30 had it been 60 then I could see it.

Something doesn't quite seem right with the 28 amp MCA and 30 amp MOCP though. I'd expect the OCPD to be at least 125% of the MCA or at least a little closer to 125% then this is.
Click to expand...


I am not sure what you are saying. Mike has several articles on sizing feeders for HVAC equipment and motors. The conductor is sized for the MCA and the breaker or fuse is sized for the MOCP. I must admit that I don't do it, unless specified by others. I size the wire to the breaker.
 
Strathead said:
I am not sure what you are saying. Mike has several articles on sizing feeders for HVAC equipment and motors. The conductor is sized for the MCA and the breaker or fuse is sized for the MOCP. I must admit that I don't do it, unless specified by others. I size the wire to the breaker.
Click to expand...

If the MOCP is 30, and the breaker is sized at 60, then the #10 wire (sized for MCA) from the breaker to the disconnect would not be allowed, unless it met one of the tap rules.
 
Strathead said:
I am not sure what you are saying. Mike has several articles on sizing feeders for HVAC equipment and motors. The conductor is sized for the MCA and the breaker or fuse is sized for the MOCP. I must admit that I don't do it, unless specified by others. I size the wire to the breaker.
Click to expand...
The answer is in your reply - "the breaker is sized for the MOCP", when I studied math in school 60 was greater then 30, did they change that in the last 30-35 years?;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top