(6) disconnect rule for multiple occupancies in a shopping center

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Kalos

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I have a project in an existing shopping center with an underground service lateral feeding a trough that supplies (5) meter disconnects. (no main disconnect is present) (1) of the occupancy services has a CT meter and Ct box mounted under the trough with no disconnect present. (the disconnect is located in the interior of the tenat space) We need to install (2) new 200 amp services for (2) new tenant spaces which brings the total number of disconnects (7).

I brought up the (2) obvious points with the engineer- 1) The disconnects are not grouped and 2) there are more than (6) disconnects.

The engineer believes that 230.2 & 230.40 exception #1 makes this OK. I admit this is a bit unclear to me. Can someone help explain why this is alright?
 
Each occupancy is permitted to have a set of service entrance conductors and each set of service entrance conductors is permitted to have up to six disconnects. The issue becomes the wording in 250.71(A) which limits you to six disconnects per "service" at any single location.
 
Thanks Don. What is the general understanding of the last sentence in the first paragraph of 230.71A -"There shall not be more than six sets of disconnects per service grouped in any one location" ? In the case I gave above- there will be more than (6) disconnects present in the grouped location. However, if each tenent meter/disconnect is considered a seperate service, then there is only (1) disconnect per grouped service.

How do building departments generally interpret this? What does Mr Mike say?

I just want to have a proper understanding of this section.

Thanks,

Robert
 
I don't think many inspectors would permit it, but I would. More than six service disconnects at a single location is better, in my opinion, than 5 or 6 sets of six scattered around the building.

When we have multiple sets of service entrance cables for multiple occupancies, we only have a single "service" per the code. That is why many inspectors would require a main for your application.
 
Kalos said:
Thanks Don. What is the general understanding of the last sentence in the first paragraph of 230.71A -"There shall not be more than six sets of disconnects per service grouped in any one location" ? In the case I gave above- there will be more than (6) disconnects present in the grouped location. However, if each tenent meter/disconnect is considered a seperate service, then there is only (1) disconnect per grouped service.

How do building departments generally interpret this? What does Mr Mike say?

I just want to have a proper understanding of this section.

Thanks,

Robert
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No each one is not a service it's the number of services provided by the POCO. So if they have a set of service entrace conductors coming into the room and into a pull section then you would only be allowed the six meters
 
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