Service Entrance Rated Fused Disconnect

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Mongothedog

Member
Location
Midwest
Occupation
electrician
I would be curious if his desire to see a lock on the disconnect comes from some training where the 2020 change to 690.13A requires PV discos to have a lock or require a tool.

Either way it is wrong but that seems like a mental route to get there.
 
roger

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
I think you're right. "Service Rated" may not be relevant at all.
 
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jap

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrician
jim dungar said:
The section is addressing surfaces where proper grounding reduces the shock risk. The NEC assumes proper grounding renders metallic surfaces safe.
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Where is that statement located in the code book?

JAP>
 
Fred B

Fred B

Senior Member
Location
Upstate, NY
Occupation
Electrician
So who has the key? Does the inspector get it?
I know, give him the "ONLY" 2 keys for the lock after you make a third. Then go and remove the lock. Then about a week later ask why he took off the lock.
 
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Jerry Solar

Member
Location
Orlando, Florida
ABP Electric Inc. said:
I told the inspector that the disconnect can be locked out and this is his response.

The installation is deemed, as is, to be a danger to the general public, particularly children, in that it is exposed to the general public. Please provide an installation that complies with the following sections of the 2017 edition of the National Electric Code:

  • 110.26 (E)(2)(a)(2) requires protection from accidental contact by unauthorized persons.
  • 230.70( c). The service panel installed is not suitable for the prevailing conditions. i.e., without an enclosure with a dead front panel, the electrical equipment is accessible to unauthorized persons, with particular emphasis to children.
  • 100. A dead front “without live parts exposed to a person on the operating side of the equipment” is required.
  • 408.38. Required to have a dead front for protection of the general public (not be accessible to unqualified persons).
Providing an installation that is compliant with the above is required. Please notify me when corrections are completed, for re-inspection.

Thanks,



James W. Grant

Florida Building Code Administrator

Building Official:

City of Marianna

City of Blountstown

Chipola College

Jackson County School Board

Cell: 850-526-8367

jameswgrant@outlook.com
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I can tell that what he is looking for is a unit mounted circuit breaker with a dead front cover. Regardless, he is wrong because fused disconnect switches are used as service main disconnects everywhere all the time. It seems he hasn't been around.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
jap said:
I think the "suitable for prevailing conditions"per 230.70c is referring to a 3r Rating for outdoor or a different rating depending on where the disconnect is located.

408.38 is in regards to "Panelboards". A disconnect is not a Panelboard.

Most all current disconnects are designed that the door will not open without shutting the disconnect off first.

As far as 110.26 accidental contact, that's an interesting interpretation of the rule.

Interested to hear what others think.

Build a fence around it maybe?

JAP>
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How sturdy of a fence? Lots of heavy equipment could still make "accidental" contact.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Nearly all the fused or even unfused "safety switches" I have seen over past ~30 years have line side barriers of some sort, and mechanical interlock that prevents opening the door when the switch is on. Yes many have a way to defeat the interlock but it requires use of a tool to do so, so that act is intentional and not accidental.
 
hornetd

hornetd

Senior Member
Location
Maryland
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician, Retired
tom baker said:
The cover can be opened unless green switch is off. The handle can have a hole drilled in it (I have done this many times), and the switch locked in the on position- no violation to do this. The most recent switches I installed 5 years ago had a line side cover
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I think that you meant that the cover cannot be opened unless the switch is off.

Drilling holes in any part of the switch would void the Electrical listing of the switch. It cannot be modified post manufacture unless the modification is Included in the Listing & Labeling.

Tom Horne
 
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