EPO for data center

[vicdog]

Can anyone confirm if the EPO for a data center with raised floor must remove power from the conductors in the room? For example, there is a panel with a main breaker and branch breakers to the CRAC units. Can the EPO trip the main or does it have to trip the upstream feeder?

Thanks

 

[iwire]

Check out 645.10

The EPO only has to remove power from the electronic equipment in the room.

As a side note a data center is not required by the NEC to have EPO unless you want to use Article 645. If you wire the room without using 645 you do not need the EPO.

 

[jerm]

and read this article about 645

http://www.csemag.com/article/CA6290839.html

This explains 645 very well

 

[dbuckley]

And I second that article - please, as an IT person, do not fit an EPO.

If you must fit an EPO, then please use a shunt trip arrangement, and not a series contactor.

 

[dereckbc]

I design data centers, and we avoid article 645 and EPO's like the plague. The author of the article is a member here and a personal friend of mine. He goes by the username RON

 

[ron]

Uh oh, now the cat is out of the bag.

By the way, I often design data centers without EPO's. Who needs the headache.

 

[dereckbc]

Sorry Ron, I should have asked you first. My bad.

 

[sandsnow]

and read this article about 645

http://www.csemag.com/article/CA6290839.html

This explains 645 very well

Ron, good job on mythbusting Art. 645. There are so many designers who think that an EPO is necessary.

 

[paul]

I've been round and round with a couple guys at work about this in a huge data facility that's all wired via 300 methods. I finally gave up and told them to install the EPO's if that's what they wanted to do.

 

[iwire]

Ron, good job on mythbusting Art. 645.

Sure is, it should be mandatory reading for designers of those spaces. :smile:

 

[jrannis]

We had an EPO on a site that no one was sure of what it controlled. Everybody had their own idea of what it actuall did.
Some thought it turned off the CRAC units, some thought it killed all of the power...
One day I opened it up and found that the conduit that was feeding it was empty.
I didnt say anything right away.
We were having a walk through with all of the bigshots and the guy showing them around was telling them all about the EPO button and how it controlled the whole universe.
I walked up and asked where the bathroom was, he pointed toward the exit. I then pushed the EPO like it was a way to release the door to get out. All I could hear on my way out was a loud NNOOOOO!!! I didnt look back.

 

[jerm]

The author of the article is a member here

I read that as "The author of the Article" [645] the first few times. I see now that he's the author of the article I posted the link to... Doh!

 

[sandsnow]

We had an EPO on a site that no one was sure of what it controlled. Everybody had their own idea of what it actuall did.
Some thought it turned off the CRAC units, some thought it killed all of the power...
One day I opened it up and found that the conduit that was feeding it was empty.
I didnt say anything right away.
We were having a walk through with all of the bigshots and the guy showing them around was telling them all about the EPO button and how it controlled the whole universe.
I walked up and asked where the bathroom was, he pointed toward the exit. I then pushed the EPO like it was a way to release the door to get out. All I could hear on my way out was a loud NNOOOOO!!! I didnt look back.

Hilaious!!!!! Wish I could have been there!!!

 

[peter d]

We had an EPO on a site that no one was sure of what it controlled. Everybody had their own idea of what it actuall did.
Some thought it turned off the CRAC units, some thought it killed all of the power...
One day I opened it up and found that the conduit that was feeding it was empty.
I didnt say anything right away.
We were having a walk through with all of the bigshots and the guy showing them around was telling them all about the EPO button and how it controlled the whole universe.
I walked up and asked where the bathroom was, he pointed toward the exit. I then pushed the EPO like it was a way to release the door to get out. All I could hear on my way out was a loud NNOOOOO!!! I didnt look back.

*best story ever*