Disconnect line side load side reversed

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LAYMAN JOE

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A foreman told me today that you can land the feeder cables to the load side lugs of a disconnect and the wires that feed the equipment to the line side lugs of the disconnect.

Is this a code violation? References please.
 
Code violation? I will have to look. Just not good practice? Yeah! By doing this, depending on the style of disco, Exposed parts that are normally dead may be energized and dangerous to any technician servicing equipment. Don't do it!
 
read the equipment listing

read the equipment listing

It is not a code violation if the switch geat is listed for it. Some gear is listed to be hooked up only the conventional way of "line on top and load on the bottom" Nothing that I can remember reading says you have to line the top and load the bottom. But excellent practice for the electrician who will come behind you.:roll:
 
404.6 Position and Connection of Switches.

(C) Connection of Switches. Single-throw knife switches and switches with butt contacts shall be connected such that their blades are de-energized when the switch is in the open position. Bolted pressure contact switches shall have barriers that prevent inadvertent contact with energized blades. Single-throw knife switches, bolted pressure contact switches, molded case switches, switches with butt contacts, and circuit breakers used as switches shall be connected so that the terminals supplying the load are de-energized when the switch is in the open position.

Exception: The blades and terminals supplying the load of a switch shall be permitted to be energized when the switch is in the open position where the switch is connected to circuits or equipment inherently capable of providing a backfeed source of power. For such installations, a permanent sign shall be installed on the switch enclosure or immediately adjacent to open switches with the following words or equivalent:
WARNING — LOAD SIDE TERMINALS MAY BE ENERGIZED BY BACKFEED
Click to expand...

As I stated before, depending on the style of disconnect, yes it is a violation.
 
It was an existing fused disconnect that fed a duct heater. The new location of the disconnect made the existing load side cables to short to land on the load side of the disconnect.

Hence his reasoning to land the load side cables to the line side of the disconnect.

I guess you could do it as long as you post a sign.
 
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This post brings up something that I've been curious about.

On the cheap A/C (pull out) disconnects that as lot of us use in residential, the (side by side) terminals are marked as "line" and "load".

I can't see that it makes any difference what-so-ever if the cables are reversed.

Is it to alert the service man as to which cables are feeding the disco (live)?

Or just to keep some idiot from wiring a short circuit?

It's not a big deal, but it's something that I've wondered about.

steve
 
hillbilly, ( i mean no disrespect by calling you that ;) )

From what barbeer posted, I think its to minimize how much parts are energized when the switch is open ie. the blades.

I recently opened a service disconnect to rework the feeder cables. I tested the line side to be dead and the load side to be energized. Test before you touch !
 
Anyone else notice that very recently the terminal strip type fuse holders are now labeled line and load where they were not labeled before?
 
LAYMAN JOE said:
hillbilly, ( i mean no disrespect by calling you that ;) )

From what barbeer posted, I think its to minimize how much parts are energized when the switch is open ie. the blades.

I recently opened a service disconnect to rework the feeder cables. I tested the line side to be dead and the load side to be energized. Test before you touch !
Click to expand...

I'm sure that you didn't.
After all, it's the "handle" that I chose.
I am a Hillbilly, born and bred.

I understand completely what barbeer meant, been there, done that.

My comment was about the cheap ($10) double pole, pull out disconnects used primarily in residential.
As far as exposure to the energized parts on these discos, it makes no difference which lugs you attach the "hot" leads to.

"Test before you touch"
Words to live by.......

steve
 
LAYMAN JOE said:
hillbilly, ( i mean no disrespect by calling you that ;) )

From what barbeer posted, I think its to minimize how much parts are energized when the switch is open ie. the blades.

I recently opened a service disconnect to rework the feeder cables. I tested the line side to be dead and the load side to be energized. Test before you touch !
Click to expand...


Always. (x10)
That last part was for the required characters...:grin:
 
To Finish Off The Op

To Finish Off The Op

You CAN feed the load side of a disconnect with incoming power as long as you post a WARNING SIGN? LOAD SIDE TERMINALS MAY BE ENERGIZED BY BACKFEED.

Agreed?
 
LAYMAN JOE said:
You CAN feed the load side of a disconnect with incoming power as long as you post a WARNING SIGN? LOAD SIDE TERMINALS MAY BE ENERGIZED BY BACKFEED.

Agreed?
Click to expand...



This doesn't apply to a disconnect as outlined in the OP. The OP said that the conductors were too short to wire the switch properly. This doesn't comply with the requirement that the "switch is connected to circuits or equipment inherently capable of providing a back feed source of power". Those installations, batteries, generators, etc would permit the use of the sign.
 
benaround said:
Joe,
If the words LINE and LOAD are on the disconnect, they must be followed.
Click to expand...
I agree. In answer to what Hillbilly asks, there is no real danger on the $10.00 pullout discos but they are marked Line and Load and I believe it would be a violation to hook it in reverse.
 
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