Shunt trip breaker blank

D

Dannyalv

Member
Location
Massachusetts l
Occupation
Maintenance Electrician
Hi,

At my work, we had an insurance inspector come and request a few things that were wrong to his eyes, I’m assuming. I just want a bit of clarification. He is asking for breaker blanks on all shunt-trip breakers. He’s also saying that the breaker blanks once you put them in, they can have any kind of movement or play (He thinks once you place the breaker blank it is going to be solid without any kind of play). I’m not really sure about the first request, but the second request, I've never seen a blank be in its position solid.

Any clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks!!
 
Insurance people make up their own rules, which often have little to do with the NEC and occasionally not even with UL Listings.
Your insurance person is the only one that knows what they really are thinking of.
 
jim dungar said:
Insurance people make up their own rules, which often have little to do with the NEC and occasionally not even with UL Listings.
Your insurance person is the only one that knows what they really are thinking of.
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I know, He asked for a bunch of nonsense. He wanted all the pendant lights to be safety wired, I gave or Safety person the code that says, that you don’t have to if it’s less than 50lbs. Besides a bunch of other things like that.
 
Dannyalv said:
Sorry not a shunt trip breaker blank. He wants to cover the part under the shunt trip breaker with a breaker blank.

Thanks!!
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The shunt trip portion of the breaker takes up a pole space but it doesn't extend as far out through the deadfront as a breaker does.

So, in effect, he wants the EC to field modify a UL Listed assembly.
 
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Dannyalv said:
It just doesn’t make sense.
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That inspector doesn't understand UL requirements which allow up to 1/8" openings in Type 1 enclosures.

Good luck, but you will not find a manufacturer's cover plate that will fill that space, especially one that isn't loose fitting.
 
jim dungar said:
That inspector doesn't understand UL requirements which allow up to 1/8" openings in Type 1 enclosures.

Good luck, but you will not find a manufacturer's cover plate that will fill that space, especially one that isn't loose fitting.
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Actually that’s a great point. I was looking at this the wrong way. I was looking at the manufacturer not at the UL listing. I could look up the UL listing that says that and bring that up. Thank you so much.
 
Dannyalv said:
View attachment 2579137
That label part is where he wants a breaker blank. Personally I think the main purpose of it, is that you know what type of breaker it is. Maybe I’m making things up but to cover that. It just doesn’t make sense.
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I don’t know of any QO blank that would fit over that. The locking tabs are inside the hole. You would have to pop rivet or screw a plate over it, or install a totally new cover, and not twist out the factory blank at that position.
 
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