Detached garage disconnect

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CDM

CDM

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Texas
Replacing overhead feeder to a two car detached garage. The Sub panel is a 60A inside the garage. The Main service panel at the house is exterior mounted facing the garage 25' away.

My question is: am I required to install a disconnect on the outside of the garage where the sub panel feeder wires will enter the garage or since the main panel is within sight Is that considered my disconnect to the garage?
If a disconnect is required on the garage can it be a pull out A/C type or must it be a switch type?


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CDM said:
2014 and less than 6
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Think of the feed as if it is a service. Wire it just like a service except an EGC is required with the feeder conductor plus the neutral and EGC/GEC are kept separate. That said it doesn't seem much like a service, but it is what is not said that matters also.

Welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:
 
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Smart $ said:
Think of the feed as if it is a service. Wire it just like a service except an EGC is required with the feeder conductor plus the neutral and EGC/GEC are kept separate. That said it doesn't seem much like a service, but it is what is not said that matters also.

Welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:
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And the ground rod or the UFA (haha) must be connected to the equipment grounding conductor not the neutral. More like in between a service and a sub panel .
 
CDM said:
Replacing overhead feeder to a two car detached garage. The Sub panel is a 60A inside the garage. The Main service panel at the house is exterior mounted facing the garage 25' away.

My question is: am I required to install a disconnect on the outside of the garage where the sub panel feeder wires will enter the garage or since the main panel is within sight Is that considered my disconnect to the garage?
If a disconnect is required on the garage can it be a pull out A/C type or must it be a switch type?
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To answer your questions more specifically...

A building disconnecting means is required. It must be located outside or inside nearest the point of entrance of the feeder. If I were the AHJ, I would not accept the feeder breaker in the house panel 25' away as the disconnecting means. The subpanel main, if there is one, is acceptable as the disconnecting means as long as it meets the inside nearest the point of entrance criterion... or if there is no main breaker (i.e. MLO), has not more than 6 breakers.

A feeder supplied building is required to have its own grounding electrode system... connected to the feeder and building circuits EGC's at the building disconnecting means. No connection to the feeder neutral.
 
Smart $ said:
To answer your questions more specifically...

A feeder supplied building is required to have its own grounding electrode system... connected to the feeder and building circuits EGC's at the building disconnecting means. No connection to the feeder neutral.
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You sure about that? I did a standalone garage a while back, and on doing my due diligence, the NEC allows for two 20A circuits or a single multiwire circuit to be overhead on 10-3 UF with a guy wire. No ground rod(s) at the garage
 
newservice said:
You sure about that? I did a standalone garage a while back, and on doing my due diligence, the NEC allows for two 20A circuits or a single multiwire circuit to be overhead on 10-3 UF with a guy wire. No ground rod(s) at the garage
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Smart said a feeder supplied garage. What you have is a branch circuit fed garage
 
newservice said:
You sure about that? I did a standalone garage a while back, and on doing my due diligence, the NEC allows for two 20A circuits or a single multiwire circuit to be overhead on 10-3 UF with a guy wire. No ground rod(s) at the garage
Click to expand...

This would be a perfect example of just how much and also how little the code requires at times.



JAP>
 
CDM said:
If a disconnect is required on the garage can it be a pull out A/C type or must it be a switch type?
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Technically speaking, an "AC Pull Out" is UL listed as a switch.

Here is a link to an AC Pull Out...

http://www.eaton.com/Eaton/Products...l/AirConditioningDisconnects/index.htm#tabs-1

Here is a link to UL on Pull Out Switches...

http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/...n=versionless&parent_id=1073995163&sequence=1

So yes you can use an AC Pull Out as your Building Disconnect of the feeder.
 
shortcircuit2 said:
So yes you can use an AC Pull Out as your Building Disconnect of the feeder.
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That depends on what year code cycle someone is under. Up until the adoption of the 2014 that AC pull out would have to be listed as service equipment. (Are they? I don't think they are.)


Compare 2011
225.36 Suitable for Service Equipment. The disconnecting
means specified in 225.31 shall be suitable for use as
service equipment.

Exception: For garages and outbuildings on residential
property, a snap switch or a set of 3-way or 4-way snap
switches shall be permitted as the disconnecting means.
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to 2014
225.36 Type. The disconnecting means specified in 225.31
shall be comprised of a circuit breaker, molded case switch,
general-use switch, snap switch, or other approved means.
Where applied in accordance with 250.32(B), Exception,
the disconnecting means shall be suitable for use as service
equipment.
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I am fairly certain this change came from a proposal by Dennis Alwon and it seems to be a good one. It covers the reason that service equipment was required for those applications that use the grounded conductor as the grounding means while still allowing installations that have a equipment grounding conductor to use any otherwise suitable switch. :)
 
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iwire said:
That depends on what year code cycle someone is under. Up until the adoption of the 2014 that AC pull out would have to be listed as service equipment. (Are they? I don't think they are.)
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Good point. Although the UL link I provided says some may be listed as service equipment, I have never seen one.
 
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