Compressed Air Auto Drain Installation

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Electrobe

Member
All, I see these auto drains installed all over the place. Many of these do not seem like safe installations since the valve is permanently installed and the cords are not routed safely. Many are in wet locations and routed to a 120V receptacle without in-use covers. Are these installations a NEC violation or is there something that allows the use of the cord and plug for these installations? If allowed, what are some ideas for making this safer?

Thanks in advance!

IMG_5341 (638x800).jpg
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
What do you think is unsafe about them?

Just because there might be some water in the area does not make it a wet area. Take a look at what constitutes a wet area in the definitions section of the code.
 

Electrobe

Member
What do you think is unsafe about them?

Just because there might be some water in the area does not make it a wet area. Take a look at what constitutes a wet area in the definitions section of the code.
This is a wash down area and the cord is not protected from damage. It does not meet the requirements of 400.10 for use of a cord and seems like it would be a violation since it is a substitute for fixed wiring as per 400.12. Is there another section of the code that would allow this?
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
This is a wash down area and the cord is not protected from damage. It does not meet the requirements of 400.10 for use of a cord and seems like it would be a violation since it is a substitute for fixed wiring as per 400.12. Is there another section of the code that would allow this?
Is the outlet routinely saturated with water?
Location, Wet. Installations underground or in concrete slabs
or masonry in direct contact with the earth; in locations subject
to saturation with water or other liquids, such as vehicle washing
areas; and in unprotected locations exposed to weather.

I don't see how this cord is "unprotected". It is not like it is laying on the floor being run over by forklifts.

You don't think that either 400.10 (A)(7) or 400.10 (A)(6) applies?

These things tend to be in high vibration areas and often need to be taken apart for maintenance.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Looking closely at the solenoid valve, it looks like the cord is not made to be replaced with a hard-wiring method, so your complaint is really about the receptacle, and perhaps cord routing.

Perhaps having the receptacle mounted higher above the valve would be preferable.
 

Electrobe

Member
Is the outlet routinely saturated with water?


I don't see how this cord is "unprotected". It is not like it is laying on the floor being run over by forklifts.

You don't think that either 400.10 (A)(7) or 400.10 (A)(6) applies?

These things tend to be in high vibration areas and often need to be taken apart for maintenance.
I may be wrong but in my opinion cords should only be used when there is no other wiring method that will work for the application, never as a "Substitute for fixed wiring". For this application I wouldn't think 400.10 (A) (7) vibration would apply but 400.10 (A) (6) may apply if 6-mo to 1-yr is considered "frequent interchange". Hard wiring with seal tight and adding a disconnect would make this a safer installation but would cost much more.

I am okay with leaving this and saying it meets 400.10 (A) (6) "frequent Interchange" but is seems like almost anything could be considered frequent.

Thanks for all the feedback!
 

Electrobe

Member
Looking closely at the solenoid valve, it looks like the cord is not made to be replaced with a hard-wiring method, so your complaint is really about the receptacle, and perhaps cord routing.

Perhaps having the receptacle mounted higher above the valve would be preferable.
These auto drains could be purchased without a cord if needed. I think mounting the receptacle closer to the valve would also make it better and lower the risk of cords getting pinched against the steel. Thanks
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
I may be wrong but in my opinion cords should only be used when there is no other wiring method that will work for the application, never as a "Substitute for fixed wiring". For this application I wouldn't think 400.10 (A) (7) vibration would apply but 400.10 (A) (6) may apply if 6-mo to 1-yr is considered "frequent interchange". Hard wiring with seal tight and adding a disconnect would make this a safer installation but would cost much more.

I am okay with leaving this and saying it meets 400.10 (A) (6) "frequent Interchange" but is seems like almost anything could be considered frequent.

Thanks for all the feedback!
Again, I would aks what is "unsafe" about this installation. One can argue it might or might not be code legal, but I don't see anything especially unsafe.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
If the autodrain has a factory cord & plug it is pretty much out of NEC jurisdiction much like an appliance cord.
 

Electrobe

Member
If the autodrain has a factory cord & plug it is pretty much out of NEC jurisdiction much like an appliance cord.
I think it still needs to be UL listed and approved for the application to meet the NEC, this is from Europe and may not be listed. Maybe the corded version is not listed but the hardwired version is? (like many other corded devices).
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator & NEC Expert
Staff member
Location
Bremerton, Washington
Occupation
Master Electrician
Is the outlet routinely saturated with water?


I don't see how this cord is "unprotected". It is not like it is laying on the floor being run over by forklifts.

You don't think that either 400.10 (A)(7) or 400.10 (A)(6) applies?

These things tend to be in high vibration areas and often need to be taken apart for maintenance.
What do the instructions say for the device?
Water heaters are hard wired and is a violation to wire with a cord male plug and receptacle.
Yes it could be a violation of art 400.
Simple solution is to put male plug on cord and GFCI receptacle.
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator & NEC Expert
Staff member
Location
Bremerton, Washington
Occupation
Master Electrician
I have wired lot of that type solenoid valve, European DIN design. The part that plugs on to solenoid can be ordered with a female hub and pig tails . Set a j box near the solenoid valve and hard wire. Will need a lockout on circuit somewhere .
 

MTW

Senior Member
Location
SE Michigan
A different idea that may or may not work for your layout.
I had a customer in an very old plant with a hodgepodge of compressors, aftercoolers, refrigerated dryers, oil and water separator tank.
It had air line trunk 3" piping that fed four buildings and a couple of storage tanks. The trunk and distribution piping installation was horrendously installed and modified over the years and more resembled, plumbing drain P traps than a trunk line arranged to drain.

In one of the buildings we had installed a production line for making refractory cement. The equipment kept malfunctioning due to water, oil and rust clogging the valves on the dust collectors cleaning solenoids and the robot packaging line. The air lines and equipment had at least a dozen of the small automatic drain valves you show, scattered about. Problem was it still didn't drain the lines, some due to the piping holding water in trap sections, and the drain valves were clogging due to oil and rust particles. Those automatic drains usually have 1/4" NPT fittings and the internal port openings are 1/8". Way too small to pass the rust chunks and oil sludge that the old pipes contained.

The solution that I used was to make a drain manifold with one timer and one solenoid that had ports large enough to pass the rust chunks and sludge from the old equipment. Collect all of the water, chunks and sludge to one location using 3/8" ID tubing. Then run the the output from the manifold to the oil and water separator, to properly dispose of the oil and drain off the water. Some of the equipment had it own internal automatic drain solenoids and some that just had static drain ports. So the automatic drain manifold was built to accommodate both types.

Partial example at the start.
Existing Time Drains.jpg

Completed installation.
Reworked Drain Arrangement.jpg

Manifold Detail.
Manifold Assembly.jpg
10 Automatic drains replaced (chords eliminated) all waste collected back to a central disposal location.
It's been working fine for the last 13 years.
 
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