Interpreting Article 409 and Table 409.3

[brycenesbitt]

Article 409 covers "industrial panelboards". What's it really trying to do? Table 409.3 has a very specific list:

409.3 Other Articles
In addition to the requirements of Article 409, industrial control panels that contain branch circuits for specific loads or components, or are for control of specific types of equipment addressed in other articles of this Code, shall be constructed and installed in accordance with the applicable requirements from the specific articles in Table 409.3.

Table 409.3 Other Articles

Branch circuits 210

Luminaires 410

Motors, motor circuits, and controllers 430

Air-conditioning and refrigerating equipment 440

Capacitors 460.8, 460.9

Hazardous (classified) locations 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505

Commercial garages; aircraft hangars; motor fuel dispensing facilities; bulk storage plants; spray application, dipping, and coating processes; and inhalation anesthetizing locations 511, 513, 514, 515, 516, and 517 Part IV

Cranes and hoists 610

....

And a few more.
Not on this list are:

• Lighting controllers (unless that's what's meant by Luminaries)
• Pool controllers (Unless that gets under pumps)
• Pipe Organs
• Injection facilities that are "non-anesthetizing"
• Fueling stations
• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) & Energy Storage
• .... and thousands of other applications....

So what am I to make of that? If an industrial panelboard contains branch circuits for my pipe organ is the design free, or is it additionally governed by NEC Article 650? If I'm doing Luminaires are the internals dual regualted?

Is this article an attempt to dual regulate industrial panel board internals (e.g. UL plus NEC)?
If so why only for those specific areas of pratice?


I did find one history article that claimed Article 409 was a reaction to sloppy SCCR / AIC calculations in field use of ICP's:

https://library.e.abb.com/public/913dee8062274abc852573a300773c41/1SXU000046G0201.pdf

On the ground Article 409 seems to cover much of the same ground ICP's do anyway, except with stricter wire bend ratios.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

The "other articles" rules are being deleted from the code as they provide no value. All of the rules in Chapters 1-4 always apply, and if the installation is covered by one of the Articles in Chapters 5-7, those rules also apply. In the 2023 code 409.3 says:

409.3 Other Articles.
In addition to the requirements of this article, industrial control panels that contain branch circuits for specific loads or components, or are for control of specific types of equipment addressed in other articles of this Code, shall be constructed and installed in accordance with the applicable requirements from those articles.

That section does not even exist in the 2026 code.

 

[brycenesbitt]

My installations are under the current in force code, and 409.3 is in force. Thus the issue and question.
The code official and I both scratching our head at what, if anything, to make of the table. Was there an intent
to treat things on the list, and not on the list, differently? Is there any commentary available?

I'm sort of treating the table as an informative annex indicating that you might want to look elsewhere in the code.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

My installations are under the current in force code, and 409.3 is in force. Thus the issue and question.
The code official and I both scratching our head at what, if anything, to make of the table. Was there an intent
to treat things on the list, and not on the list, differently? Is there any commentary available?

I'm sort of treating the table as an informative annex indicating that you might want to look elsewhere in the code.

Yes treating as information and not a code rule is the correct way to look at it.
There was never an intent to limit the application of code articles that apply. It was only intended to call attention to some other articles that might apply.
If something is not in 409.3, it does not mean that that something does not apply.

The panel statement for the 2023 code when the table was deleted says: "

Statement:

Table 409.3 is removed because the information is redundant to the requirements of 90.3."