e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
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Found on the net...
- Thread starter e57
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Massachusetts
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Seems like either a munufacturer, group of them, or someone trying to push new a product line - one yet to exist in many markets, by making it madatory to install it.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
I expect that this is a result of Paul Keleher's work with his circuit breaker analyzer. His testing showed that in many cases a residential branch circuit could not supply enough current at the end of the circuit to cause the breaker to trip in its instantaneous trip range. There is a big range of the instantaneous trip points for commonly available residential breakers. These trip points range from about 8 times the breaker rating up to 40 times the breaker rating. The proposal would require that this set point be not more than 12 times the breaker rating. It does not require a new product, just a change in the setpoint of existing products.
Now the mandatory voltage drop rule that has been proposed will require the use of some type of tester to prove that the voltage drop is within the code rules. Paul's circuit breaker analyzer will do that type of testing, but so will a number of other instruments.
It is my opinion that if we are going to have a mandatory voltage drop rule then the rule should only apply to the premises wiring system. With any type of plug in tester you will be reading the voltage drop on the complete system including the service drop conductors and the utility transformer. You can't make the EC responsible for the parts of the installation that our outside his control.
Now the mandatory voltage drop rule that has been proposed will require the use of some type of tester to prove that the voltage drop is within the code rules. Paul's circuit breaker analyzer will do that type of testing, but so will a number of other instruments.
It is my opinion that if we are going to have a mandatory voltage drop rule then the rule should only apply to the premises wiring system. With any type of plug in tester you will be reading the voltage drop on the complete system including the service drop conductors and the utility transformer. You can't make the EC responsible for the parts of the installation that our outside his control.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Who is proposing a mandatory voltage drop rule?
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Who ever wrote that content in the link of the 1st post.... On UL's website.... Bob's posting of the other second link to a forum posting link with very similar wording suggests the same author for other content on the first link??? Don's post suggests that he knows of this persons work/legislation to sell his/empolyers product?????George Stolz said:
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
e57 said:Who ever wrote that content in the link of the 1st post.... On UL's website.... Bob's posting of the other second link to a forum posting link with very similar wording suggests the same author for other content on the first link??? Don's post suggests that he knows of this persons work/legislation to sell his/empolyers product?????
I really don't think that is the reason behind his proposals...from a number of e-mails that I have exchanged with him, I believe that he is truly concerned about ground faults and short circuits not being able to pull enough current to quickly trip a breaker. With the expansion of the AFCI rule, this should not be a big issue, assuming that AFCIs actually do some of what we have been told they do. As far as selling a product there are a number of other products on the market to test voltage drop that cost far less than his $1,000 breaker tester so I don't see it as an attempt to create sales for his company.
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