Ball Field Lighting

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augie47

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Location
Tennessee
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State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
A supplier advised the contractor that disconnects & ballasts for the lighting poles he is installing must be 10ft above ground. I am unaware of any such Code . Have I overlooked a requirement ?
(Flood plane is not an issue)
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Article 600.6 may be the answer but 10' is not the answer. This 2014 nec

(A) Location.(1) At Point of Entry to a Sign Enclosure. The disconnect
shall be located at the point the feeder circuit or branch
circuit(s) supplying a sign or outline lighting system enters
a sign enclosure or a pole in accordance with 600.5(C)(3)
and shall disconnect all wiring where it enters the enclosure
of the sign or pole.
Exception: A disconnect shall not be required for branch
or feeder circuits passing through the sign where enclosed
in a Chapter 3 listed raceway.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
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Here are 2 graphics from mike holt

ry%3D400
ry%3D400
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
A supplier advised the contractor that disconnects & ballasts for the lighting poles he is installing must be 10ft above ground. I am unaware of any such Code . Have I overlooked a requirement ?
(Flood plane is not an issue)

The only thing that comes to mind is if you had aerial conductors then the conductors would have to maintain clearance, but not discos, etc.

EC may want to have a follow up with the supplier.
 

david

Senior Member
Location
Pennsylvania
A supplier advised the contractor that disconnects & ballasts for the lighting poles he is installing must be 10ft above ground. I am unaware of any such Code . Have I overlooked a requirement ?
(Flood plane is not an issue)

are the ballast separate from the light fixture? Did the supplier indicate it was a code reason?
 

Dennis Alwon

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Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
But if the pole is supplied with a feeder and the disconnect(s) is also a branch circuit overcurrent device....
Bob is not talking about the feeder. The question was for a disconnect for the light. Obviously if you set a panel with a feeder there would be a disconnect but one is not required for the light
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Bob is not talking about the feeder. The question was for a disconnect for the light. Obviously if you set a panel with a feeder there would be a disconnect but one is not required for the light
Correct, but tried to bring up something that could possibly be overlooked, so we now need to clarify if disconnect in question in OP is simply a disconnect or if it serves other purposes.

Seems to be common around here on ball fields to have more lights on the pole then one can handle with a 50 amp circuit and lighting branch circuits are limited to 50 amps, so there is usually a breaker panel at the base of pole with multiple circuits feeding to the lights.
 

augie47

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Location
Tennessee
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State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
OP will not know details until inspection.
Question was posed by contractor after supplier made the statement.
 

Dennis Alwon

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Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
If the disconnect is 10' off the ground then is it compliant for 110.26 but I do see the value of having it up high or near the light- if one is installed
 

Greg1707

Senior Member
Location
Alexandria, VA
Occupation
Business owner Electrical contractor
disconnect at point of entry

disconnect at point of entry

I don't understand the two illustrations. The first states the disconnect must be at the sign or pole. The second says if not with in sight it must have lock?
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
I don't understand the two illustrations. The first states the disconnect must be at the sign or pole. The second says if not with in sight it must have lock?

The two illustrations represent (1) and (2) of the same section. You can meet any one of the conditions and be OK.
To meet (1) you have to do as shown in first illustration.
To meet (2) you have to do as shown in the second illustration.
 

don_resqcapt19

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Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
If the disconnect is 10' off the ground then is it compliant for 110.26 but I do see the value of having it up high or near the light- if one is installed
Probably just to limit public access to the switch.

I was at a high school football game a number of years ago where the disconnects were accessible to the public and someone turned off one of the two feeder disconnects killing 1/2 of the lights while a game was in progress.
 
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