required disconnecting means location...

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wrobotronic

wrobotronic

Senior Member
Location
Colorado
Hi All,

Here is the scenario. Service coming in to line side of meter from the PoCo mounted to a standard pole. Load side of the meter has 3- 250 Al to a gutter. From said gutter 250's are tapped with #2 Al to feed a 60A barn panel (100' away) and tapped to 4/0 Al to a 200A panel on the house (100' in the other direction).

My concern is that I need to have a disco either between the load side of the meter and the gutter OR individual discos for each set of feeders leaving the gutter. I have ALWAYS set a means of disconnect for this type of setup. I usually opt for the individual disco scenario, so as to allow power to remain at one building or the other. But I also realize, that while this is convenient, it may not necessarily be required.

I have now been told that these discos are not required at the meter and the mains of each panel suffice. I was further told that if the feeders needed to be disconnected that pulling the meter was a sufficient way to do this.

So, am I wrong that each set of feeders needs to have a disco at the pole the service is mounted on? If these discos are, in fact, required, where in the good book does this exist?

TYIA.
 
To me these are service conductors, although haven't checked the wire size for the taps.

As far as a need for a disconnect, a disconnect is required either outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors.

I'd say the disconnects are not required at the pole.
JAP>
 
Also, for what it's worth, I disagree that a meter can serve as a means of disconnect.


JAP>
 
jap said:
Also, for what it's worth, I disagree that a meter can serve as a means of disconnect.


JAP>
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I disagree also. I suppose I am wrong then and disconnects are not required at the pole. I read the same section you quoted, but it doesn't seem to cover the situation at hand. I.e. Multiple taps and separate feeders.

While I think I will continue to advocate for disconnects when buildings are that far from the meter, if the customer doesn't want them, then I won't be saying they are required.
 
wrobotronic said:
I disagree also. I suppose I am wrong then and disconnects are not required at the pole. I read the same section you quoted, but it doesn't seem to cover the situation at hand. I.e. Multiple taps and separate feeders.

While I think I will continue to advocate for disconnects when buildings are that far from the meter, if the customer doesn't want them, then I won't be saying they are required.
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You may have multiple taps at that location, but, no actual feeders.

JAP>
 
Is this a pole top distribution point? If it is, this is common setup on farms.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
 
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230.40 Number of Service-Entrance Conductor Sets.
Each service drop, set of overhead service conductors, set of underground service conductors, or service lateral shall supply only one set of service-entrance conductors.
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The gray areas come when you have multiple buildings and structures and run service conductors from one distribution point to each building/structure.

NEC doesn't really say you can't supply multi building/structure properties with service conductors to each building/structure but if you put a service disconnecting means at one and supply the others from that location then everything else is feeders.

In NEC terminology there is no such thing as feeders or (feeder) taps until you are on the load side of a service disconnecting means.
 
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