Fire Pump Service and Art 695.4(A)

[barnem1]

My reading of the above referenced article seems to indicate that no service disconnect is required for a fire pump. Is this right? Can you run from the transformer secondary to the fire pump controller with no OC protection or disconnecting means?

 

[alaskan JW]

read 695.5. If you are feeding it from a transformer the primary ocpd must be sized to protect the pump and there is no secondary ocp allowed.

 

[davidr43229]

Alaskan is correct, but further within that circuit,,,Overcurrent protection is required for the motor and a Disconnect is required and marked as such. (NEC 2005)
Just my $.02

 

[barnem1]

read 695.5. If you are feeding it from a transformer the primary ocpd must be sized to protect the pump and there is no secondary ocp allowed.

In my particular situation, the pump is fed from the utility service transformer. Primary ocp is not under my control. I do not believe that 695.5 applies.

Alaskan is correct, but further within that circuit,,,Overcurrent protection is required for the motor and a Disconnect is required and marked as such. (NEC 2005)

The reason for my question is that 695.4(A) seems to allow direct connection to the remote power source, and 695.3(A)(1) allows the fire pump to be supplied by a separate utility service. These two articles together seem to contradict Parts VI and VI of Article 230, where a service disconnecting means and overcurrent protection are mandated on services.

To provide further confusion, Article 695.6, which discusses the wiring methods for fire pumps, makes references to other articles where requirements are given for location and labeling of the service disconnecting means, as though it is assumed there is one. I can not find a place in Art 695 where it is required to install a service disconnect when a fire pump is connected to a utility transformer.

Am I missing something here?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

The rules in 230 apply unless modified by those is 695.

90.3 Code Arrangement
This Code is divided into the introduction and nine chapters, as shown in Figure 90.3. Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 apply generally; Chapters 5, 6, and 7 apply to special occupancies, special equipment, or other special conditions. These latter chapters supplement or modify the general rules. Chapters 1 through 4 apply except as amended by Chapters 5, 6, and 7 for the particular conditions.

Don

 

[augie47]

Fire Pump

Fire Pump

The ones I have inspected, the fire pump controller is rated as service equipment. With the restrictions in 695.6 and 230.6 the service conductors are often outside (or under slab) until they reach the controller.

 

[jim dungar]

I often see non-fused disconnects installed as outdoor service disconnects with the pump controller the service overcurrent device. It seems many system designers to not know that most non-fused disconnects are only rated for 10kSCA unless there is an overcurrent device upstream.

 

[barnem1]

Thanks for the clarifications.