Service disconnect

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Bbaehre91

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Location
Lansing Michigan
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Electrician
When are you required to provide a disconnect for the electrical service? I’ve set some at my job before for the service just wondering what the code is making you add a disconnect and turning the panel into a sub panel
 
A main breaker panel could be used as a service switch as well don't necessarily need to have a panel and service switch separately

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I think he's thinking about the 2020 code requirement. Is MI on the 2020?

-Hal
No we are on 2017 still. But I’ve done houses where the panel location was on the other side of house as the meter and we had to to a disconnect out of the meter and then to the panel
 
No we are on 2017 still. But I’ve done houses where the panel location was on the other side of house as the meter and we had to to a disconnect out of the meter and then to the panel
By code ( I'm paraphrasing here) you are required to have overcurrent/ short circuit protection as close as possible on the interior of the house once you come through the exterior wall with the service entrance cable. Here in Roanoke that's 6 feet inside. If your cable is longer than that you must have overcurrent/short circuit protection before you go inside through the exterior wall.
 
When are you required to provide a disconnect for the electrical service?
When you can not comply with 230.70(A)(1):

Readily Accessible Location. The service disconnecting
means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either
outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of
entrance of the service conductors.
 
When you can not comply with 230.70(A)(1):

Readily Accessible Location. The service disconnecting
means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either
outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of
entrance of the service conductors.
That's what I tried to say. :)
 
Readily accessible and the distance varies by area. In WA it’s rather generous at 15ft of raceway, and the type of raceway is limited. No SE cable allowed, no EMT.
 
No EMT? What do you use?
That leaves RGC, or 2" concrete cover.
Here is the section from the Washington administrative code. Note it allows EMT outside, so I believe Larry is correct you can use the NEC provisions for "considered outside" and do concrete encasement of EMT. The city of Seattle nixes it outside too so you can't use EMT at all for services




043 Wiring methods for 1000 volts, nominal or less.
(7) The installation of service conductors not exceeding 1000 volts, nominal, within a building or structure is limited to the following methods: Galvanized or aluminum rigid metal conduit; galvanized intermediate metal conduit; wireways; busways; auxiliary gutters; minimum schedule 40 rigid polyvinyl chloride conduit; cablebus; or mineral-insulated, metal-sheathed cable (type MI).
(8) Electrical metallic tubing must not be installed as the wiring method for service entrance conductors inside a building. Existing electrical metallic tubing, installed prior to October 1984, which is properly grounded and used for service entrance conductors may be permitted to remain if the conduit is installed in a nonaccessible location and is the proper size for the installed conductors.
 
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