Main Disconnect

[Joe Cool]

If my main disconnect is outside the house
because my breaker panel in the house is more than 8 feet
from the service entrance, can I still have a second main
breaker installed in the panel so that power can also be shut off
from inside the house?

 

[Smart $]

If my main disconnect is outside the house
because my breaker panel in the house is more than 8 feet
from the service entrance, can I still have a second main
breaker installed in the panel so that power can also be shut off
from inside the house?

Yes, but it will not be the service disconnecting means, so you cannot land any GEC's there, nor can the neutral and grounding conductors, buses, enclosure be bonded.

 

[charlie b]

Yea. What he said. To that I will add the (probably unnecessary) detail that the N-G bond has to take place at the outdoor disconnect.

 

[Joe Cool]

Yes, but it will not be the service disconnecting means, so you cannot land any GEC's there, nor can the neutral and grounding conductors, buses, enclosure be bonded.

Thanks!
Now must see if I am understanding this correctly.

My GEC will be landed in outside disconnect panel only, and bonded to neutral.

From the outside panel, my equipment grounding conductor will run with
my current carrying conductors to the in-house panel.
This same equipment grounding conductor running with the feeders to the in-house panel,
will be connected to the ground bar only with no bonding screw or jumper at the in-house panel.

I hope that I am understanding so far.
Does that mean my plumbing bonding conductor must be
connected in the outside disconnect?

 

[infinity]

Thanks!
Now must see if I am understanding this correctly.

My GEC will be landed in outside disconnect panel only, and bonded to neutral.

From the outside panel, my equipment grounding conductor will run with
my current carrying conductors to the in-house panel.
This same equipment grounding conductor running with the feeders to the in-house panel,
will be connected to the ground bar only with no bonding screw or jumper at the in-house panel.

I hope that I am understanding so far.
Does that mean my plumbing bonding conductor must be
connected in the outside disconnect?

Yes and there is no 8' rule in the NEC. The AHJ gets to decide what the term nearest means.

 

[Smart $]

Essentially correct, but going to add some notes for clarification.

My GEC will be landed in outside disconnect panel only, and bonded to neutral.

GEC's can be connected at any point along the service entrance neutral conductor. FWIW, some POCO's prohibit connections in the meter base, some require at least one there, and some don't care either way.

Does that mean my plumbing bonding conductor must be connected in the outside disconnect?

It can be connected there, but not limited thereto. It can also be connected to grounding electrode conductor where of sufficient size, or to the one or more grounding electrodes used.

I'm assuming this is a piping system which does not qualify as a GEC.