Service or Branch Feeder? you make the call...

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emahler

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We have 2 buildings that are right next door to eachother. Both buildings are owned by the same company.

Building A has a 1200A 208/120V service and is used for 1 purpose exclusively by the owner of the buildings.

Building B has a 100A 208/120V service and is broken into a couple of spaces that are rented out to tenants.

As part of a new project, part of Building B will now be used exclusively for the business occupying building A. It will no longer be rented.

As part of the upgrade, the engineers plan is to install a 400A 208/120V feed from the 1200A MDP in building A, through the basement of building A, through and exterior alleyway between the 2 buildings, back into a 2nd basement of building A, through the common basement wall between Building A and Building B, and finally upto a new 400A MCB panel in Building B.

Would you consider this a Service Feeder or a Branch Feeder?
 
emahler said:
As part of the upgrade, the engineers plan is to install a 400A 208/120V feed from the 1200A MDP in building A,

Leaves from MDP. Feeder unless tapped before the main.
 
mdshunk said:
Other than being already fused, all the same rules apply to it when it arrives in building B as would apply to service conductors.

would you put it under section 230 or 225 for purposes of disconnects?
 
mdshunk said:
Other than being already fused, all the same rules apply to it when it arrives in building B as would apply to service conductors.

Marc, In building #2 the GES would connect onlt to the feeder EGC, don't you think so ?
 
emahler said:
the engineers plan is to install a 400A 208/120V feed from the 1200A MDP in building A
It's a feeder. Where is the trick in this question?

Service. The conductors and equipment for delivering electric energy from the serving utility to the wiring system of the premises served.
 
chris kennedy said:
It's a feeder. Where is the trick in this question?

that's how I see it...the engineers attempted to classify it as a service and put it under 230...

this all came up because we rerouted conduits and they got pissed...they attempted to make up put a disco in at our expense. we had already gone over this with the inspector, who classified it as a branch feeder, under art 225, and didn't require a disconnect...

so I got pissed and called them on it. They claimed that the original routing, which is what I described earlier, it was a service and subject to 230...

then i reminded them that there was a slight issue with 230.3...

it was a moot point, as the conduit was installed and the inspector approved it...

but it bugged me to have them bust my chops over something that they were incorrect about...
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
So does this building now have service of its own and from building a ?

yes. it's open to interpretation whether they are really 2 buildings or one. They share a common wall and have a common fire alarm and sprinkler system.
 
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chris kennedy said:
It's a feeder. Where is the trick in this question?

I would agree. My understanding that anything before the first disconnecting means is service, anything inbetween OCPs means is considered a feeder.
 
360Youth said:
I would agree. My understanding that anything before the first disconnecting means is service, anything inbetween OCPs means is considered a feeder.

that's my feeling...but the engineers thought different...and i'm waiting for marc to clarify his position a little more...
 
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