Service Question -

[heavyaslead0]

Situation: Underground service from utility transformer, pokes up at a tapbox above grade and goes back underground to a second tapbox above grade; Does that above ground tap require a disconnect on feeder side (each tap feeder does have a disconnect off of the service)?

My understanding is the tap rule would allow this, but does going underground then poking up and back underground require some other protection means, especially that the taps are required to be accessible?

 

[charlie b]

Your description has me confused. The "tap rule" does not come into play here. The tap rule applies to such situations as having a 200 amp breaker feeding a conductor rated for at least 200 amps, and connecting downstream of the breaker another conductor with an ampacity of less than 200 amps, without placing an overcurrent device at the tap location to protect the smaller conductor. There are no overcurrent devices in your description, and you appear to be dealing with a service not a feeder. Please clarify.

 

[heavyaslead0]

Yes the tapped feeder is a service. There is overcurrent protection on the smaller tapped feeders off of the service 'bus'

Question is more about the in ground / above ground transition requiring some sort of protection as we normally have a feeder bus within the same rated wireway with taps, but its the complication of multiple transitions in this case that has me question.

 

[kwired]

Is this on customer side or POCO side of "service point"? That answer makes a difference, first one being NEC won't apply if on POCO side of service point.

 

[heavyaslead0]

The utility secondary (feeder bus) is ahead of utility meters which are on the taps, however is installed by owner. Yes this does beg asking the Utility perhaps, but the case could easily be an owners transformer with a utility meter on the primary (medium voltage) side in some cases.

 

[kwired]

The utility secondary (feeder bus) is ahead of utility meters which are on the taps, however is installed by owner. Yes this does beg asking the Utility perhaps, but the case could easily be an owners transformer with a utility meter on the primary (medium voltage) side in some cases.

Still need to know where the actual "service point" is.

Owners sometimes pay for or even must install (or at least have their contractor install) items that the utility eventually takes over maintenance or ownership afterwards.

Common for some POCO's here to want customer to provide underground raceway but POCO will pull conductors through it. Even for primary voltage conductors in some cases. But if something fails down the road the POCO will fix it at no charge to customer as it is now part of their system up to the service point. Want to upgrade down the road to three phase or higher capacity, that is a different situation and likely will cost you, and you or your contractor may or may not be adding more conduits and equipment that becomes property of POCO when done.