Cord and plug heating unit

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Santa49

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Pittsburg, ks
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retired
I feel like this has been discussed here before, but I can't seem to find it. I have an issue with our local inspector about connecting a standard residential indoor central heating unit with flexible cord (pigtail) to a 20 amp dedicated circuit and a 20 amp duplex receptacle for disconnecting means. I 'm not able to find the code article that would confirm one way or the other. Can anyone help me? Thank you in advance.
 
It’s section 110.3B. Your method is allowed if mfg instructions allow. I have seen a 4Sq box cover with switch and inlet, on FB or here?
 
This is from an older UL release and I'm not sure it;'s still valid:
UL has not Listed cord-and-plug connected central air-conditioning equipment or central heating furnaces.
 
augie47 said:
This is from an older UL release and I'm not sure it;'s still valid:
UL has not Listed cord-and-plug connected central air-conditioning equipment or central heating furnaces.
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But if you go on YouTube there are a hundred videos telling you how to wire you furnace with a cord and plug so that you can run it with a portable generator during a power failure so it must be "legal". :rolleyes:
 
infinity said:
But if you go on YouTube there are a hundred videos telling you how to wire you furnace with a cord and plug so that you can run it with a portable generator during a power failure so it must be "legal". :rolleyes:
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It it's on YouTube that's certainly definitive :)
(I've reached out to my UL contact person to see if the statement is still valid)
 
How about the wall hung central heating boilers that come with a cord from the factory? Is this question specific to warm-air furnaces/ central AC air handlers?
 
The main issue here is not the"duplex". Not the furnace only. The inspection department is insisting that it is required by NEC to hard wire these units. We will hard wire each unit, but the HVAC guys insist to install pigtails on each unit. Thus the problem. No one can(or won't) come up with a code reference to document what is correct except "the AHJ". Not a big problem, but it is a problem.
 
Santa49 said:
No one can(or won't) come up with a code reference to document what is correct except "the AHJ". Not a big problem, but it is a problem.
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Using a flexible cord as a fixed wiring method for the appliance is one issue especially when the appliance is not listed for use with flexible cords.

400.12 Uses Not Permitted. Unless specifically permitted in 400.10, flexible cords, flexible cables, cord sets, and power supply cords shall not be used for the following:
(1) As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
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I don't understand why this might be forbidden. It is like requiring refrigerators to be hard wired. I see no safety issue involved. Just that someone decided this decades ago and the code making panels are afraid to change it. I suspect part of it is that contractors want to make things as expensive as possible and harder for DIYers. But that is mostly economic in nature and has little to do with safety.
 
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