raceway, gutter, or wireway?

[marcs11]

230-7 Other conductors in a raceway or cable. Is it permissible to have service conductors and branch circuits or feeders in the same gutter or wire way?

 

[petersonra]

230-7 Other conductors in a raceway or cable. Is it permissible to have service conductors and branch circuits or feeders in the same gutter or wire way?

The wording of this section seems pretty clear that you can't have them in the same raceway.

I would point out that sometimes people think conductors are service conductors when they are really a feeder.

230.7 Other Conductors in Raceway or Cable. Conductors
other than service conductors shall not be installed in the same
service raceway or service cable in which the service conductors
are installed.

ETA: I don't think gutters are raceways and metal wireways are raceways according to 376.2.

 

[augie47]

We may be in a semantics game Art 376, 378 384, 386, 388, are defined as Raceways in their respective Articles so they can not share serviced and non-service.
A panelboard has "gutter space" where you can have both and it is likely debatable but it would seem an auxiliary gutter, Art 366, might allow same.

 

[marcs11]

Thank you for your response. The installation is a 120/208 3phase service with a 320 amp meter serving (2) 200 amp main breakers panels fed by two separate 3/0 cu conductors entering a gutter. which also has branch circuits and feeders passing through them. The question becomes at what point are these conductors are service conductors or feeders. I'm of the opinion to be a feeder you must have overcurrent protection a head of the conductors. Having unprotected conductors in the same gutter, or wire way would be a concern.

Thanks for any input or article's that this installation is code complaint or not.
Marc

 

[augie47]

You identified the violation (230.7). The arrangement you identify would be considered service & non-service in the same wireway.

 

[petersonra]

You identified the violation (230.7). The arrangement you identify would be considered service & non-service in the same wireway.

I think it is important to note that 230.7 does not use the term "wireway". It uses the term "raceway". Wireways are all raceways but they are not the only raceways.

having said that, I don't recall that there is any prohibition on using a wireway as a gutter.

 

[dkidd]

2011 Handbook

As its name implies, an auxiliary gutter provides additional gutter space for wiring in various types of electrical enclosures and equipment. This additional gutter space may be necessary to provide sufficient room for the number of conductors in an enclosure or to provide adequate wiring bending/deflection space where conductors connect to a terminal. Although the construction of an auxiliary gutter is no different from that of a wireway, it is the field application of this equipment that differentiates an auxiliary gutter from a wireway.

A wireway is a raceway in accordance with the definition of raceway in Article 100. Auxiliary gutters supplement enclosure wiring spaces and are not encompassed by the definition of raceway. Therefore, Code requirements that apply only to raceways do not apply to auxiliary gutters. An example of such a requirement is 230.7, which prohibits service conductors from being installed in a raceway with conductors that are not service conductors. This rule applies to wireways installed in accordance with Article 376 and 378. However, an auxiliary gutter installed to supplement the wiring space of a service equipment enclosure is not a wireway and therefore is not subject to 230.7.


2014 Handbook


An auxiliary gutter provides additional gutter space for wiring in various types of electrical enclosures and equipment. This additional gutter space may be necessary to provide sufficient room for the number of conductors in an enclosure or to provide adequate wiring bending/deflection space where conductors connect to a terminal. Although the construction of an auxiliary gutter is no different from that of a wireway, the field application of this equipment differentiates an auxiliary gutter from a wireway.

A wireway is a raceway in accordance with the definition of raceway in Article 100. Auxiliary gutters supplement enclosure wiring spaces and are not encompassed by the definition of raceway. Therefore, Code requirements that apply only to raceways do not apply to auxiliary gutters. An example of such a requirement is 230.7, which prohibits service conductors from being installed in a raceway with conductors that are not service conductors. This rule applies to wireways installed in accordance with Article 376 and 378. However, an auxiliary gutter installed to supplement the wiring space of a service equipment enclosure is not a wireway and, therefore, is not subject to 230.7.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

.... However, an auxiliary gutter installed to supplement the wiring space of a service equipment enclosure is not a wireway and therefore is not subject to 230.7. ....

In my opinion auxiliary gutters are very rare. If it is connected to the main equipment using any type of nipple, it is a wireway and not an auxiliary gutter. Auxiliary gutters directly connect to the equipment enclosure with the walls of both removed at the point of connection.

 

[augie47]

In my opinion auxiliary gutters are very rare. If it is connected to the main equipment using any type of nipple, it is a wireway and not an auxiliary gutter. Auxiliary gutters directly connect to the equipment enclosure with the walls of both removed at the point of connection.

Thats always been my thought but when I looked for "gutters" in a Wigemann catalog, the show what I describe as a wireway.

 

[petersonra]

In my opinion auxiliary gutters are very rare. If it is connected to the main equipment using any type of nipple, it is a wireway and not an auxiliary gutter. Auxiliary gutters directly connect to the equipment enclosure with the walls of both removed at the point of connection.

I don't know that the walls have to be completely removed but I agree it's not a gutter unless they are butted up against each other for the purpose of giving you more wiring space for the main box.

 

[kwired]

I don't know that the walls have to be completely removed but I agree it's not a gutter unless they are butted up against each other for the purpose of giving you more wiring space for the main box.

How often is it really there to give you more wiring space for the main box vs being convenient to route conductors through to get to other enclosures? Something that could even be done with a pull box though long and narrow is usually more convenient then nearly square in such applications.

To supplement the wiring space in the main box - one example of how it may done is to be installed in a way that gives you more bending space at things like breaker terminations or maybe motor controllers, if you pop into the side of a cabinet and then immediately turn with your conductors you aren't really using it in that manner. If you pop into the side of a cabinet and go straight into breaker that otherwise doesn't have proper wire bending space to the side of the cabinet - that is supplementing the space inside the cabinet.

 

[ZZDoug]

This is what I have always thought was an aux gutter. With the flanges it essentially becomes part of the enclosure it attaches to. But as Don said, if it attaches with conduit then it's a wireway. That's what I've always thought anyway.

 

[petersonra]

How often is it really there to give you more wiring space for the main box vs being convenient to route conductors through to get to other enclosures? Something that could even be done with a pull box though long and narrow is usually more convenient then nearly square in such applications.

To supplement the wiring space in the main box - one example of how it may done is to be installed in a way that gives you more bending space at things like breaker terminations or maybe motor controllers, if you pop into the side of a cabinet and then immediately turn with your conductors you aren't really using it in that manner. If you pop into the side of a cabinet and go straight into breaker that otherwise doesn't have proper wire bending space to the side of the cabinet - that is supplementing the space inside the cabinet.

I have no statistics to answer your question with. I think the answer is that if you are using it to make it easier to wire coming out of some kind of enclosure it is a gutter. I don't see how it has to do with where you bend your conductors.

it's another one of those NEC mysteries though.

 

[kwired]

I have no statistics to answer your question with. I think the answer is that if you are using it to make it easier to wire coming out of some kind of enclosure it is a gutter. I don't see how it has to do with where you bend your conductors.

it's another one of those NEC mysteries though.

I can agree the wording is just vague enough that it isn't really all that clear. Aux gutters are by definition used to "supplement wiring spaces at meter centers, distribution centers, switchgear, switchboards, and similar points of wiring systems"

If the use helps to tie together say multiple disconnects that are at ends of feeder taps, or maybe comes out of a panelboard and nipples into multiple motor controllers in the vicinity it is likely an aux gutter.

Install same "trough" but only use it to get contained conductors from point A to point B it is more likely a wireway.

Wireway is a raceway that can have splices and taps within - most other raceways can't. Wireway is a raceway that must typically be accessible, can pass through a wall if accessible on both sides though, most other raceways can be concealed.