Another boat dock question!

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davedottcom

davedottcom

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Is an outdoor panel on a residential boat dock required to have a Main Breaker?

Am I right in saying it does not require a Main breaker but it is required to have a disconnect? 225.31

Dave
 
davedottcom said:
Is an outdoor panel on a residential boat dock required to have a Main Breaker?

Am I right in saying it does not require a Main breaker but it is required to have a disconnect? 225.31

Dave
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It is a separate structure supplied by a feeder, so art 225 part II applies to it.
 
davedottcom said:
Yes, article 225.31 is in Part II.
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A main disconnect is required - it can be part of the panel or in a separate enclosure.

I should add you can have up to six main disconnects - back up to 225.30 - but you can only supply the structure with one feeder in most cases.

A main lug panel with no more then six breakers installed is still compliant. Back when we still had "lighting and appliance panelboards" you would needed to have a single main in most instances if supplying any 120 volt 15 or 20 amp circuits.
 
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Ahhhh, so a Main lug panel with only (2) circuit breakers would Not require a single-Main breaker or an additional disconnect. The 2 circuit breakers ARE considered acceptable disconnects?


kwired said:
A main disconnect is required - it can be part of the panel or in a separate enclosure.

I should add you can have up to six main disconnects - back up to 225.30 - but you can only supply the structure with one feeder in most cases.

A main lug panel with no more then six breakers installed is still compliant. Back when we still had "lighting and appliance panelboards" you would needed to have a single main in most instances if supplying any 120 volt 15 or 20 amp circuits.
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davedottcom said:
Ahhhh, so a Main lug panel with only (2) circuit breakers would Not require a single-Main breaker or an additional disconnect. The 2 circuit breakers ARE considered acceptable disconnects?
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Since the removal of the term lighting and appliance panelboard yes. Before then (2005 NEC I think) it depended on what those breakers served.

Common example I once had pointed out was baseball field lighting - was common to have 5 light poles with 50 amp 120/240 feeders to each pole. They would use a main lug panel and have the 5 service disconnects - was code legal. Then someone would come along and want to add a 120 volt receptacle to that service panel - now they turned it into a lighting and appliance panelboard just by adding that one circuit and it required a main. A way around that was to supply a sub panel then the 120 volt receptacle circuit from there - though it seemed pointless. But today it would be ok without the sub panel.
 
I understand...Great. This site is so much more enjoyable when people give me the answers I want to hear! :D
Thanks for the explanation/example...very much appreciated.



kwired said:
Since the removal of the term lighting and appliance panelboard yes. Before then (2005 NEC I think) it depended on what those breakers served.

Common example I once had pointed out was baseball field lighting - was common to have 5 light poles with 50 amp 120/240 feeders to each pole. They would use a main lug panel and have the 5 service disconnects - was code legal. Then someone would come along and want to add a 120 volt receptacle to that service panel - now they turned it into a lighting and appliance panelboard just by adding that one circuit and it required a main. A way around that was to supply a sub panel then the 120 volt receptacle circuit from there - though it seemed pointless. But today it would be ok without the sub panel.
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If the installation is under the 2011 or earlier codes, it is likely that you can't use a panel with 6 breakers as the means of disconnect for a second building or structure.

These older codes required that the disconnecting means for the second building or structure be "suitable for use as service equipment" The listing for many panels said that the panel is "suitable for use as service equipment" only where a single main breaker is installed.

The 2014 code removed the requirement that the disconnect be "suitable for use as service equipment".
 
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