Emergency Panel

[aftershock]

I have installed an emergency panel in a residential addition. It's one of those you can buy as a kit from Lowe's or Home Depot (Has the generator, 100 amp emergency panel and all that)
My question:
The time has come to pick out what circuits the homeowner wants to have in this emergency panel.
One of the circuits is the kitchen (so his fridge wont quit working if there is a power outage). Now the fridge is on a multi conductor circuit, with the washer using one of the conductors. Now we dont need the washer on the emergency panel, but, since it is sharing the same neutral as the kitchen circuit would it still be right per code to have the kitchen circuit in the emegency panel and the washer circuit in the main panel as long as they are still using different phase of the service?

 

[ron]

Re: Emergency Panel

I think you're in a jamb. Since your modifying the circuit source, does the circuit need to come up to current code requirements.
Is a multiwire circuit considered compliant for 210.11(C)(2), as the circuit has other outlets, although only on the neutral portion of the circuit only.

If a multiwire is acceptable for above, I think that the neutral going to separate source panels means that all the conductors will not be in a common cable. 300.3(B) also meaning non-compliance

 

[aftershock]

Re: Emergency Panel

maybe this will help visualize. All circuits that are using the emergency panel still have their neutrals located in the main panel. It had a flex conduit between the 2 panels (panels sit right next to each other) and only the conductors come back over into the main panel where you make wire joints on the circuits chosen to be operated by the emergency panel.

 

[steve66]

Re: Emergency Panel

I can't quote a code article, but your neutral has to come from the same panel as the phase conductors. As a result, two phase conductors from two different panels can't share a single neutral.

I see this as one downside of sharing neutral wires. That is, you have less flexibility for moving circuits in the future.

P.S. I don't see why you can't move the fridge and the washer to the generator panel. The homeowner would just have to make sure they shut off the washer when the generator is running. (Assuming your generator panel is large enough to run the washer from the normal power).

Steve

[ February 21, 2006, 09:33 AM: Message edited by: steve66 ]

 

[ramdiesel3500]

Re: Emergency Panel

If the utility power comes back on during generator operation, the frig. will be running on generator and the dishwasher will be running on utility. Under these circumstances, the neutral is doing double duty and WILL BE overloaded. Regardless of whether it violates code, it will not work properly and could cause an overload and/or a fire!
Edit - added thought! Steve66 has the answer in my opinion. Just put the diswasher circuit in the emergency panel. However, if it is one of those panels where you can switch the individual circuits between utility and generator, you MUST tie the handles together for those two adacent circuits or you will still overload that shared neutral!!!!

[ February 21, 2006, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: ramdiesel3500 ]