Gasoline Fuel-up Station

[pduarte69]

Hello, We have a Few Fuel Up stations around our county for fueling up our Fleet Vehicles, Both Diesel and Unleaded Gasoline. Our magnetic card readers electronic equipment used to enable users to fuel up are in a weatherproof enclosure and are plugged in to an electrical outlets. We have experienced much damaged with power surges. The power supplies for the electornics are AC to DC power converters and are usually the first equipment to go bad. We want to install power conditioning equipment as close to the equipment as possible and would also like to install a Uniteruptible power supply (UPS). I need some assistance in ensuring everything is up to code and the equipment can be protected.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Speedskater]

Sometimes modern electronic devices with Switch Mode Power Supplies (SMPS) do not interface well with UPS's and Inverters. Heck, my battery charger for my hand tools has a warning "CAUTION - Do not use any DC to AC power inverters. Charger will be damaged".

 

[TT009]

Is there a reason why you would want to put a UPS in? If you think it is a power surge mabye try putting a surge protector in at the panel or at the outlet.

How far is your dispenser from where the branch circuit originates? You may be damaging your converter from a voltage drop on the circuit.

514.11(A) Any circuit supplying equipment associated with the dispenser or the dispenser must be simultaneously disconnected along with the neutral supplying the equipment.

514.11(C) You also must have an emergency disconnect installed at a location acceptable to the AHJ between 20 and 100 feet from the dispenser. The emergency disconnect is designed to disconnect power to the controller, dispenser, or any equipment associated with the dispenser.

 

[ohrick]

I am a bit confused about your equipment. We do gas stations and commercial fuel facilities. The fuel island terminal (outside card reader and keypad) is most likely in a classified location and should be hardwired in. You could put a surge suppesor on the power going out to the FIT. I often plug the site controller into a UPS but that is inside out of the classified location. Are your dispensers and FIT on seperate circuts?? You could have problems if you share circuts especially if you have a suction dispenser.