Does this sound code compliant?

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cyriousn

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ME / CT
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EE & BIM
I am working on a rennovation of an old church and I have a funny feeling that what I saw was not even close to code compliance. It was a 120/208Y system and man did they work some magic in this place.

On the Main Distribution Panel there is a 60A-3P breaker which then gets fed into a 3P disconnect where only two of the Poles are being switched at that point. The third pole is covered with some sort of black plast cover. From there the all of the feeders go into a room about 100 feet away where they enter some sort of mini panel where there is a 100A 2pole breaker and a 1pole 30A breaker. The feeders from the 100A 2pole breaker go into a 120/240 panel. The feeders from the 1pole 30A breaker does not say what it is feeding, it has an orange label that says, do not turn off, 24 hour circuit.....anyone have any comments on this mess? I need to find a way to upload pics or post them somewhere for you guys to look at to give you a better idea as to what I am describing.
 
cyriousn said:
I am working on a rennovation of an old church and I have a funny feeling that what I saw was not even close to code compliance. It was a 120/208Y system and man did they work some magic in this place.

On the Main Distribution Panel there is a 60A-3P breaker which then gets fed into a 3P disconnect where only two of the Poles are being switched at that point. The third pole is covered with some sort of black plast cover. From there the all of the feeders go into a room about 100 feet away where they enter some sort of mini panel where there is a 100A 2pole breaker and a 1pole 30A breaker. The feeders from the 100A 2pole breaker go into a 120/240 panel. The feeders from the 1pole 30A breaker does not say what it is feeding, it has an orange label that says, do not turn off, 24 hour circuit.....anyone have any comments on this mess? I need to find a way to upload pics or post them somewhere for you guys to look at to give you a better idea as to what I am describing.
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I don't see that anything you are describing is specifically prohibited by the code. Its a little odd, and its possible there are other issues that might be a problem, but what you have described, in and of itself, does not appear to be a violation.
 
Part of your description has me a bit confused. May I ask if there is a neutral and a ground wire going with the feeder from the first panel to the disconnect, and from the disconnect to the ?mini panel,? and from that panel to the 120/240 panel? If so, I don?t see any code violation, unless you have an actual 240 volt load on the 120/240 panel. It would be getting only 208 volts, not 240, and that is likely to be less than the manufacturer requires.
 
To post pics you need a Photobucket account or some other hosting site.

Its free and only takes a few minutes to set up.

Once you upload pics to your PB site you just click/copy the "direct link". In your post/reply you will see an "insert image" icon. It's pretty self explanitory.


Maybe Junior members can't post pics???? I don't know.

Email them to me and I'll post them.

(Moderator’s Note: Edited to remove email address. If you wish to send an email message to this person, then first send a Private Message via this Forum, and ask for the email address.)
 
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Sorry all for taking so long and not posting the pics...

Charlie B I believe you are correct. The nuetral and ground are along with it. If my memory serves me right most of the loads are resistive and I guess that would just bring the amperage up a bit and perhaps shorten the life cycle of some things???

Danz yes it seems like many hands have been on this electrical system from the pencil written notes on the panels that somewhat tell where the breakers/feeders serve...the company I work for is doing a rennovation for a church which will require and upgrade from an old 400A servce to at least an 800A.
 
First time poster long time reader.
I have been ask many times to cut cost for the church. Use used panels and boxes. Almost always donating my time. And many times material.
I am not proud of the work. And have no pictures. But Always Safe, To code and I would be willing to sleep there any night. (And most sunday mornings)
 
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