Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

[GradyV]

I have been told by two different local inspectors that my installation was not in compliance with the code.
I am using a 100 amp all in one, service enclosure that has a meter socket (No Main) and #6 spaces for branch circuits. The first installation that I was required to change had three 20 amp 1 pole circuit breakers feeding three 20 amp GFCI receptacles for a temporary service on a home site. I had to re-wire one of the GFCI's and double it up with one of the other circuit breakers in order to comply with the rule 408.36 (panelboard shall be individually protected on the supply side by not more than two main circuit breakers or sets of fuses). This type of panel comes UL listed & approved as service equipment and has no provision for a main, however it has only six spaces for circuit breakers in order to comply with 230.71.
The inspector is under the assumption that all panels, regardless of location or use should be either a (lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboard) or a (power panelboard).
I belive that service equipment is a category in itself! Is this correct?
The second time it became an issue, I used the same service (all in one)to feed a two pole 100 amp circuit breaker to feed a Mobile Home, with a two pole 50 amp receptacle and a single pole 20 amp circuit breaker feeding a GFCI receptacle.
Both receptacles were factory installed inside the all in one. The inspector regarded this panel as a (lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboard).
Definition: I was informed that any load with only a return path on the neutral was considered a lighting & appliance branch circuit, therefor the circuit feeding the receptacle is the only device in the panel meeting the criteria of a lighting & appliance branch circuit and one circuit breaker in a six circuit panel is greater than 10% of the circuits, again making it a lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboard.
Is this a correct assessment of this definition and application?

Confused:
Since many of the all in one service enclosures currenty in production by Milbank and Midwest Electric, come UL approved and factory build in a illegal configuration according to my local inspectors.

Please shed some new light on this issue, I would really appreciate it.

Thank You

 

[websparky]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Tell your inspector to read a little farther in the book to better understand what he is reading.

408.36(B)
Exception: This individual protection shall not be required for a power panelboard used as service equipment with multiple disconnecting means in accordance with 230.71.

 

[pierre]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Your inspector is correct in his assessment of a lighting and appliance panelboard.
Your panel is actually controlled by the requirements put forth in Art 230. The breakers are part of section 230.71. Each is considered one of the "shall consist of not more than six switches or sets of circuit breakers".

He sounds pretty knowledgeable and like he is trying to do the right thing, he just needs to think out of the box a little.

There must be label somewhere inside the equipment that says the enclosure is suitable as service equipment, show him that and section 230.71.

edited for some pretty bad spelling

[ November 21, 2005, 08:35 PM: Message edited by: pierre ]

 

[curt swartz]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Dave, How could this be considered a power panelboard? By installing the single pole 20 amp breakers in this type of panel it becomes a lighting and appliance panelboard. A lighting and appliance panelboard must be protected by not more than 2 overcurrent devices.


408.34 Classification of Panelboards
Panelboards shall be classified for the purposes of this article as either lighting and appliance branch-circuit panelboards or power panelboards, based on their content. A lighting and appliance branch circuit is a branch circuit that has a connection to the neutral of the panelboard and that has overcurrent protection of 30 amperes or less in one or more conductors.

(A) Lighting and Appliance Branch-Circuit Panelboard A lighting and appliance branch-circuit panelboard is one having more than 10 percent of its overcurrent devices protecting lighting and appliance branch circuits.

(B) Power Panelboard A power panelboard is one having 10 percent or fewer of its overcurrent devices protecting lighting and appliance branch circuits.

408.36 Overcurrent Protection
(A) Lighting and Appliance Branch-Circuit Panelboard Individually Protected Each lighting and appliance branch-circuit panelboard shall be individually protected on the supply side by not more than two main circuit breakers or two sets of fuses having a combined rating not greater than that of the panelboard.

 

[marc deschenes]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Not a code guru by any means, but I think what you have is service equipment and falls under 230.
I think it helps to read the definition of service equipment.

SERVICE EQUIPMENT, The necessary equipment, usually consisting of a circuit breaker(s) or switch(es) and fuse(s) and their accessories , connected to the load end of service conductors to a building or other structure , or an otherwise designated area , and intended to constitute the main control and cutoff of the supply.

Perhaps you could provide some information from the manufacturer, It seems as if it were built specifically for this application.

 

[GradyV]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

FYI
The product # that I purchased recently is a Milbank U5100-XL-55
It is called a metered surface mounted power outlet.
WEB Link
http://www.milbankmfg.com/Catalogs/RV%20Millennium%2006%2004.pdf
Page 6 & 7

 

[curt swartz]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

The panel you used is designed to be supplied from a feeder that has overcurrent protection not from unprotected utility service conductors. The meter provision is for private use not utility use.

 

[thinfool]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

The panel you used is designed to be supplied from a feeder that has overcurrent protection not from unprotected utility service conductors. The meter provision is for private use not utility use.

I am looking...looking...cannot find where it says this....?

 

[jim dungar]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Service equipment is not a product/device. This is a panel that happens to be used as service equipment.

408 addresses construction and requirements of panels, 230 discusses installation of service equipment.

Anyway, aren't services 60A minimum?

 

[GradyV]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

I have looked at the manufacturers PDF and can not find a listed for service equipment for the 5100 series like they give for the 5300 series.
I have e-mailed 3 different Milbank representatives and hope to get some more info on that soon.

 

[hurk27]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

I am looking...looking...cannot find where it says this....?

That is because this equipment is manufactured and UL listed as Recreational Vehicle Site Supply Equipment. Using it in any other manner is a violation of its UL listing and 110.3
This equipment is intended to be fed from a service or from the transformer of a secondary distribution system, which would have OCPD's protection on the feeders that supply it.

Much of this can be found in the NEC in article 551
551.74 clearly requires over current protection for this equipment.

 

[suemarkp]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Most panels I've seen that don't have main breakers say "suitable for use as Service Equipment when not more than 6 circuit breakers are installed and when not used as a lighting and appliance panelboard". Sometimes after this sentence there is another one directing you to the panelboards section of the NEC for clarification.

Since they have that long and drawn out sentence it seems to me that 230 and 408 are not mutually exclusive.

I'd agree with the inspector and you'd have to limit your use of breakers to those over 30A or use 30A and below double pole ones without neutral connections. A typical setup for one of these panels is a 100A feeder to a house panel, a double pole for a well pump, a double pole for an outside air conditioner, and perhaps a 40A+ double pole for feeder to an outbuilding.

I don't see a bonding screw provision for the neutral bus. Is this rated for use as Service Equipment?

 

[jwelectric]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Power Outlet. An enclosed assembly that may include receptacles, circuit breakers, fuseholders, fused switches, buses, and watt-hour meter mounting means; intended to supply and control power to mobile homes, recreational vehicles, park trailers, or boats or to serve as a means for distributing power required to operate mobile or temporarily installed equipment.

 

[hurk27]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Mark, you are correct, the panel in question is not service equipment as you would have on a normal service, but is a Recreational Vehicle Site Supply panel with a meter fitting, The meter fitting is only a way for the operators of a RV park to do site cost and billing for the renters of the site and is not used in any utility company billing as you would have on a house. This is a privately own system that is installed for RV parks, And will have the service equipment install ahead of it along with the proper OCPDs that will protect these meter panel combo's which is required in 551.74
The problem is the origanel poster is trying to use it as service equipment and as a lighting and appliance panel with no upstream overcurrent protection, Yes that was a good call as others have mention but it also violates 110.3(A)(1) as these panels are not UL listed to be directly connected to un protected service conductors.

Also these panels have the neutrals isolated from the grounding because they are intended to be used on the load side of the service disconnection means. If you look a the image in the above link on the 5100 series you will notice two bars one is mounted to the cabnet and one is mounted on plastic blocks.

Again this would be a 110.3(A)(1) violation to use this panel as service equipment.

 

[allenwayne]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Besides there not being a sticker for use as service equiptment,has anyone noticed that there is no way to comply with 225 . 38 B.There are no provisions to disconnect ALL ungrounded conductors at the meter.]rrrrr

 

[marc deschenes]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Originally posted by GradyV:
This type of panel comes UL listed & approved as service equipment and has no provision for a main, however it has only six spaces for circuit breakers in order to comply with 230.71.

I assume that GradyV has provided us with accurate information ?

 

[GradyV]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Ok I have looked at the label & listing on the 5100 series (Metered Surface Mount Power Outlet)
I have a photo of the listing label and can E it to you if you would like to see it but I can not figure out how to insert it here on the posting.

The label says "Suitable for use as Service Equipment, Mobile Home Service Equipment and Recreational Vehicle Site Supply Power in accordance with the table on the right"

The table shows the different configurations on receptacles and circuit breakers available installed from the factory.

 

[hurk27]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Here is a quote from Underwriters Laboratories Inc.? Marking Guide Panelboards and can be accessed HERE

SUITABLE FOR USE AS SERVICE EQUIPMENT
18. These are the basic requirements that a panelboard rated 600 volts or less must meet in order to
be used as service equipment:
A. Service disconnecting means must be provided.
B. Each service disconnect provided must have a switching feature that disconnects all conductors
from the service-entrance conductors and that is suitable for use as a service disconnect. There is
one exception: the neutral service conductor can be disconnected by removing the wires from the
pressure wire connectors on the service neutral bus as noted in Section 230.75 (230?75) of the NEC.
In general, snap, toggle or similar switches, are not acceptable because their internal electrical
spacings are too small. The exception in Section 225.36 (230?84(b)) of the NEC for branch circuit
switches used to disconnect garages and out buildings on residential property does not apply to the
service disconnects in a panelboard.
Circuit breakers, either molded case, fused, or in combination with ground fault circuit interrupters,
are suitable for use as service disconnects. Other devices that are used to protect individual circuits,
circuits within equipment or appliances, or circuit protectors without on and off features, are not
suitable for use as service disconnects.
The removal of a plug or cartridge fuse from its fuseholder, while serving to de-energize the circuit,
does not provide service disconnection. Panelboard switches, pullout switches and some industrial
control switches are suitable as service disconnects. Note that pullout switches, while they serve as a fuse puller, do have switchblades and contact jaws and are tested as switches. Load Side Circuit Breakers Mfr Type Poles Amp Rating
Line Side Circuit Breakers Mfr Type Amp Rating
Interrupting Rating Symmet Amp rms Volts ac Phases
Load Side Circuit Breakers Mfr Type Poles Amp Rating Line Side Fused Switch
Fuse Class Volts ac Amp Interrupting Rating
Symmet Amp rms Volts ac Phases 8
C. Overcurrent protection suitable as branch or feeder protection must be provided for service conductors. Miscellaneous, miniature and micro fuses, thermal cutouts, relays and other
supplementary overcurrent protection are not acceptable.

I do have one question?
I noticed this which seems to confuse me on what it is actually saying:

20. A panelboard with the neutral insulated from the enclosure may be marked ?Suitable for use as
service equipment when not more than six main disconnecting means are provided? when the
following conditions are met:
A. There must be at least one combination of switching units that can be mounted to occupy all
available space for switching units; and, whether by using handle ties or similar devices, not more
than six main disconnects will result (including factory-installed disconnects).

Ok is this saying that for 12 spaces then 6 two pole circuit breakers would allow it to be used as a service rated panel, and 18 spaces 3-pole breakers, the same applies but a 42 space panel could not be used because there would not be a combination of handle ties that would keep all the spaces that can be used to under the 6 disconnect rule?
H'MMMMMM

 

[marc deschenes]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Originally posted by hurk27:

20. A panelboard with the neutral insulated from the enclosure may be marked ?Suitable for use as
service equipment when not more than six main disconnecting means are provided? when the
following conditions are met:
A. There must be at least one combination of switching units that can be mounted to occupy all
available space for switching units; and, whether by using handle ties or similar devices, not more
than six main disconnects will result (including factory-installed disconnects).

Ok is this saying that for 12 spaces then 6 two pole circuit breakers would allow it to be used as a service rated panel, and 18 spaces 3-pole breakers, the same applies but a 42 space panel could not be used because there would not be a combination of handle ties that would keep all the spaces that can be used to under the 6 disconnect rule?
H'MMMMMM

If the 42 space panel had a neutral insulated from the enclosure ,... I guess it is saying that .

 

[hurk27]

Re: Lighting & appliance branch circuit panelboards

Marc you have to read the whole part,

While most panels will come with isolated neutral bar, but that only allows it to be used as a remote panel when fed by feeders (subpanel).
Remember a panel suitable for use as Service Equipment has to have the neutral bar bonded to the grounding and cabinet, and some panels (very rare) this is permanent because the neutral bar is not isolated. these panel will have a label that says"suitable for use only as service equipment" which would prevent it from being used as above.

A Panelboard with the neutral insulated from the enclosure may be marked ?Suitable for use as
service equipment

This is an allowance to allow a panel with an isolated neutral bar to be used as service equipment but only if it meets the conditions.

A. There must be at least one combination of switching units that can be mounted to occupy all available space for switching units ; and, whether by using handle ties or similar devices, not more than six main disconnects will result (including factory-installed disconnects).

The bold type is what I was getting at. It seems the intent is to not allow any more spaces than could be filled by two pole breakers or two single pole breakers with listed handle ties, Which the most I have seen is three single pole breakers with a handle tie which would allow an 18 space Panelboard, But not a 30 space or even a 42 space panelboard?
Maybe this is why we only see the "suitable for use as Service Equipment" label in the smaller main lug panels?