NEC 2020 Code change 230.85

[mwm1752]

NFPA appears to have added emergency disconnects into the mix for one and two family disconnects. The requirements for this equipment is:
1 - all service conductors shall terminate in disconnecting means. Same as 230.70(A)(1)
2 - installed in a readily accessible outdoor location.
The emergency disconnect can be the service disconnect, and as long as a nonfusable disconnect is used, the drop/lateral remains as service conductors. I am using the NFPA "NEC 2020 Analysis of Change" to help with creating a code change course for contractors during this Covid-19 shut down.
The wording NFPA AoC authors us for the NFPA 2020 NEC code statement "installed in a readily accessible outdoor location." is -- "installed & located on the outside of a structure." I cannot find anywhere in the NEC that an accessible location related to service disconnecting means has any distance restriction from a structure or even to mounted on the structure.
Further more if the intent is to have a disconnect on the structure, most likely it would be fused becoming the service disconnect, & feeders would enter the building.(in most cases).
Does anyone know in the NEC where it states the service disconnecting means has to be mounted on the structure or has a restriction to a lateral distance away which would eliminate the disconnect as the structure disconnect.

 

[texie]

It does not seem very clear to me either. But with the practice of many coops that require the meter and disconnect at the edge of the property I think this will become the accepted practice in those areas.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I can’t see it being required to be “on” the structure as it would then be out of compliance on a mobile home.

Around here this change isn’t going to be too big of a problem on mobile homes and apartments with gang meter enclosures. They all have the breaker in them.
on a larger house will be another issue, as hardly anyone uses a combo panel on a house. Here I see more of the “disconnect only-not service equipment” option being used.

 

[mwm1752]

Here we pretty much have the POCO & fire dept require a disconnect exterior on or obviously close to the building. Just chaps me a bit that NFPA would interpret different from code they wrote - If you want it on the building say so in code articles not in opinion references.

I would comment mobile home is in chapter 5 which can modify chapter 1 thru 7, so a specific requirement would rule.

 

[shortcircuit2]

Does anyone know in the NEC where it states the service disconnecting means has to be mounted on the structure or has a restriction to a lateral distance away which would eliminate the disconnect as the structure disconnect.

No language saying it needs to be on the structure...or within any specific distance of the structure.

 

[Hv&Lv]

.

I would comment mobile home is in chapter 5 which can modify chapter 1 thru 7, so a specific requirement would rule.

Exactly. That’s why I dont think it should read “on”.

ive been searching for a thread we had here a while back(This year) posted by Dennis Alwon regarding this exact section. I can’t find it yet, but it was a pretty exhaustive discussion regarding this subject.