Ok installation?

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Strahan

Strahan

Senior Member
Location
Watsontown, PA
Recently asked if this install is NEC compliant.
1.Industrial setting
2.Type SJOOW cord
3.120vac busway located at ceiling with recepts in busway
4.Equipment 120vac tool grinder
They want to run a cord from the busway (plugged in at the busway) down to a recep. mounted on a support beam to plug in the tool grinder. After reading 400.7 and 400.8 I come to the conclusion that this is ok. This cord will also be fastened to the support beam and at first reading 400.8(4) it seems this would not be allowed but under 368.56(B)(1) to me this allows it. My only concern would be that this cord will be supplying a mounted recep that will be used by the tool grinder but the possibility of something else being plugged in exists. So basically it will be supplying the recep. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks Guys!
 
Seems like the only problem would be the receptacle mounted to the support. If you make it a pendant receptacle instead, it should be fine.
 
Volta said:
Seems like the only problem would be the receptacle mounted to the support. If you make it a pendant receptacle instead, it should be fine.
Click to expand...

Not sure I'm following 368.56(B) "Branches from busways for the connection of portable equipment or the connection of stationary equipment to facilitate their interchange." This tells me that a recept would be fine. Maybe I'm messed up wouldn't be the first time.
 
It seems a lot of stores have been getting away with it for 2 long.

Yes, a Kevin-grip )someting(... The Glory of Appling an "SO" Cord! :grin:
 
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Strahan said:
Not sure I'm following 368.56(B) "Branches from busways for the connection of portable equipment or the connection of stationary equipment to facilitate their interchange." This tells me that a recept would be fine. Maybe I'm messed up wouldn't be the first time.
Click to expand...
You and me both.

I think that the equipment that would be allowed to be connected with cord - to allow it to be interchanged - needs the cable directly wired to such equipment, with the bus plug acting as the male end. Just a long appliance cord, essentially.

Otherwise, you won't need the flexibility the cord has to offer. You can just pipe or cable from the bus plug to the receptacle, no need for the SJOOW bus drop.
 
Volta said:
You and me both.

I think that the equipment that would be allowed to be connected with cord - to allow it to be interchanged - needs the cable directly wired to such equipment, with the bus plug acting as the male end. Just a long appliance cord, essentially.

Otherwise, you won't need the flexibility the cord has to offer. You can just pipe or cable from the bus plug to the receptacle, no need for the SJOOW bus drop.
Click to expand...

Yes I would like it much better hard piped, but this busway is really narrow and with the receps already mounted in the busway I thought I would take this approach. So if I just run the sjoow cord and let it hang with a strain fitting within the first 6foot and a female plug on the end of my cord I should be fine. I really don't like the looks of this:D

My next solution would be to stub a piece of RMC out of the recep up close to the facinity of the bus and pull my cord through (utilizing the recep on the bus) this to me would look much nicer.And according to 400.14 would be ok. But as stated earlier is my recep a violation of 368.56(B)?
 
You might consider a pendant with a box on the load end, a steel or aluminum FS box with a hub and Kellum type strain relief.

I have done that, or sometimes come from the bus plug with the cord to a simple cord cap, with a flanged inlet feeding a safety switch for equipment that gets moved occasionally.

I don't know of any other simple way to comply completely with 400 and 368.
Extra long cord appliance cord from the grinder plugged into a 5-20 receptacle mounted on the bus plug? Not easy for the user . . .
 
Volta said:
You might consider a pendant with a box on the load end, a steel or aluminum FS box with a hub and Kellum type strain relief.

I have done that, or sometimes come from the bus plug with the cord to a simple cord cap, with a flanged inlet feeding a safety switch for equipment that gets moved occasionally.

I don't know of any other simple way to comply completely with 400 and 368.
Extra long cord appliance cord from the grinder plugged into a 5-20 receptacle mounted on the bus plug? Not easy for the user . . .
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help and all the rest that replied. I now see the argument that can be made with the recep being mounted to the support beam. This section of the code seemed a little tricky to me getting the permitted uses down and not violating 400.8 and also trying to make the install look nice. It seems clearer now but I'm already forming more questions:confused:
 
I have always connected the cord to the terminals on the bus plug breaker using a Kellums grip, then connect a female twist lock on the other end. Put a cord and plug on the machine and your set to go. Why would a box and recept be needed?
 
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