Old Dairy and Grain Storage

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shockingdave

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Dayton, TN
I am upgrading an old dairy, complete with wheat storage dryer silo's. In a seperate building is the processing room with grain bin, am I correct according 500.5 (2) (1) that this is considered to be class II division 2 location and that it should be re-wired as such. Dust from the wheat in storage in this bin, is normally not present in the atmosphere, however there is dust present in the atmosphere when the small mill next to the bin is operating or when the bin is initially loaded. I am new to working in area's that maybe considered "Hazardous" and would like some assistance with NEC, so that I may properly define this area and be able to wire it accordingly. Thanx
 
Except for locations covered by Articles 511 through516, the NEC is a fairly poor source for specifically determining electrical area classifications. The best general source for Class II locations is NFPA 499, Recommended Practice for the Classification of Combustible Dusts and of Hazardous (Classified)Locations for Electrical Installation in Chemical Process Areas.

In the case of food processing facilities, the housekeeping required by health standards usually greatly reduces the potential for Class II, often to the point of eliminating them entirely. Without knowing the full details of the operation it is difficult to tell what the classification(s) should be.
 
Thanx

Thanx

This is an old dairy hoping to be converted to a tofu and soy milk production with a potential for commercial sales. The wheat processing is seperate and would be used for private use, with no future commercial interest. The wheat processing is in an entirely seperate building, however it is adjacent to the dairy with only about 25 ft seperating the buildings.
 
If no other authority will classify the location, whoever will be providing any insurance for the owner may have some say in what they may prefer to be able to offer lower insurance rates.
 
Twenty-five feet of separation should be more than enough to keep the dairy out of the Class II location - especially since dairies have some of the most stringent housekeeping standards.

The mill is still a bit problematic and I concur with kwired; the insurer should have a shot at it.
 
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