Question about effluent plumps

[nj_ray]

First time caller long time listener.

By way of background I work for an engineering company that designs wastewater systems. We mostly do larger treatment and collection systems, but from time to time we will design residential onlot systems.

They other day I am reviewing a design for and onlot system that is to be pressure dosed. The design was done by someone who had not really done an onlot system before. On the drawing for the dose tank he showed a control panel to be placed by the tank. I red-lined it and walked it back over to him and explained that for onlot systems the alarm was typically installed in the house and the electrical was run to the tank with the junctions being made up in a box in the riser.

He looked up at me and asked, "then where is the means of local disconnect for the pump?"

I did not have a good answer (and I don't what to say "That's how its always been done") a quick look at the NEC did not suggest any exceptions that would apply. However these things are installed all over the place just as I have described. I fear the answer may simply be, that onlot wastewater systems never get an electric inspection by the AHJ (Pennsylvania Municipalities in this case) and therefore it hasn't ever come up.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Not sure what you are asking but typically, around here, the alarm and the control box are one unit. The disconnect is usually the breakers that come with the control box, but there is no reason a disconnect could not be added at the tank area.

Years ago the alarm was run in the house in which case we would plug the alarm box into an outlet and run low voltage out to the tank. No disconnect is needed for this since it is just connects to a float switch with low voltage.

Today it is more complicated as you need both an alarm circuit and a pump circuit at the pump and depending on what code cycle you are under it can be an issue.

What exactly are you looking to find out?

 

[nj_ray]

Sorry of I was not clear, under my scenario what is the means of disconnecting the pump motor that is within sight of the pump and floats per 422.32 and 430IX. Unless I am completely misunderstanding these sections I need a disconnect that would de-energize the pump motor within sight of the pump take area, correct?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Sorry of I was not clear, under my scenario what is the means of disconnecting the pump motor that is within sight of the pump and floats per 422.32 and 430IX. Unless I am completely misunderstanding these sections I need a disconnect that would de-energize the pump motor within sight of the pump take area, correct?

Correct-- what kind of system do you have. The old system were cord and plug and they would be the disconnect. What do you have there?

The low voltage to the alarm float does not need a disconnect however you must be able to turn the pump of at the structure or somewhere else within 50 feet and within sight.

Generally it is cord and plug or the disconnects that come with the packaged units. You could easily install a dp switch or a basic a/c disconnect.