Marina wiring questions

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hardworkingstiff

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Wilmington, NC
555.13(A)(1) allows flexible cables (types G,PPE,W) as a wiring method on the dock.

How far would you think you would be allowed to extend this wiring method after you are no longer over water?

Example 1, you leave the dock (floating) and suspend the cable under the ramp, then you get to the bulkhead. One method might be over the bulkhead to under a wooden walkway and just lay the cable on top of the ground in the walkway to the panel (or junction box).

Example 2, you go thru the bulkhead with a conduit and run the conduit to the panel (or junction box).



Type W cable has a higher ampacity rating [table 400.5(B)] than the same size cable in table 310.16. In the notes of 400.5(B) the wording "connected to utilization equipment" is used. I'm unsure as to what this means. If this cable is hooked to a marina power center (it has breakers, receptacles, lights in it), is it "connected to utilization equipment"?

I have installed (and seen others install) marinas using both example 1 and example 2. I have installed (and seen others install) type W cable with the overcurrent protection sized using column E (75c) in table 400.5(B) on single-phase services. I would like to know if you agree or disagree with this practice, and why.


Thanks all,
Lou
 
"W" Cable

"W" Cable

I'll give it a shot:
A.
It seems to me that 555.13 (A) (2) {2205 NEC} allws "W" as permanent wiring on "the underside of the pier" and for "flexibilty on floating sections". Once you have reached the stationary portion of the pier, I would think you need to be on the underside and you could continue as long as you had pier.

B.
A handbook discusion discusses ampacity of cable listed in 400.5. As best I can tell, the termination requirements of 110.14 still apply. Temperature ratings of terminations would still be taken into effect.

C.
The column "E" question I find interesting. In my mind, I would apply the provisions of 310.15 (b) (4) and allow column E ampacities to be used in this application. (not counting the neutral as a current carrying conductor), but I'm sure that outlook is debatable.

Hey! You wanted opinions :)
 
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