Single Family Dwelling Standard Load Calculations

[Robert2014.2]

Greetings all! I am currently an Electrical Systems Technology Student (2nd Semester) at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina. In one of our classes we are learning how to perform load calculations for single family dwellings.

My first question pertains to how you determine if an item is a "Fastened-In-Place-Appliance" (FIPA) or not. I have gone over Article 220.53 in the 2014 code and haven't been able to gleam a real method for determining what is or is not an FIPA. I am specifically wondering about items that have motors on them (attic fans, whirlpool tubs, range vents etc. etc.). Are they considered FIPA or do the fall under the Largest Moto in accordance with 220.50 and 430.24. How do you know which?

My second question pertains to bathroom heaters and electric space heating. Do these go under FIPA or Heating or Air-Conditioning System in accordance with 220.60? (We had quite the discussion/disagreement about this in class today and I wanted to get some external opinions/perspectives on this subject.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[LEO2854]

Greetings all! I am currently an Electrical Systems Technology Student (2nd Semester) at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina. In one of our classes we are learning how to perform load calculations for single family dwellings.

My first question pertains to how you determine if an item is a "Fastened-In-Place-Appliance" (FIPA) or not. I have gone over Article 220.53 in the 2014 code and haven't been able to gleam a real method for determining what is or is not an FIPA. I am specifically wondering about items that have motors on them (attic fans, whirlpool tubs, range vents etc. etc.). Are they considered FIPA or do the fall under the Largest Moto in accordance with 220.50 and 430.24. How do you know which?

My second question pertains to bathroom heaters and electric space heating. Do these go under FIPA or Heating or Air-Conditioning System in accordance with 220.60? (We had quite the discussion/disagreement about this in class today and I wanted to get some external opinions/perspectives on this subject.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Think of such things as a bath fan, or a range hood, baseboard heater as FIPA items....

Welcome to the forum.......:thumbsup:

 

[Robert2014.2]

I did a little research in one of our textbooks and came to the same conclusion. Now I just have to convince the instructor. Ought to be an interesting conversation.

 

[suemarkp]

I'm not so sure I agree with the baseboard heaters. To me, this is fixed electric space heating, NEC 220.51. Why do you care if it is a fastened-in-place appliance or not? Are you wanting to put other things on these baseboard heater circuits, or use the demand factor of .75 for more than 4 fastened-in-place appliances?

220.53 specifically says no to FIP heating equipment.

I think you can put lights/receptacles on a baseboard heater circuit if the heaters and other FIP equipment on that circuit use less than 50% of the circuit rating. However, the second part of 424.9 casts some clouds on that.

"Permanently installed electric baseboard heaters equipped with factory-installed receptacle outlets, or outlets provided as a separate listed assembly, shall be permitted in lieu of a receptacle outlet(s) that is required by 210.50(B). Such receptacle outlets shall not be connected to the heater circuits."

Like many other things in the code book, there are a lot of grey areas. To me, if you need tools to take it out, it is fastened in place. Even more so if it has a rigid pipe or duct connected to it. But clothes dryers are a grey area because of the duct. I think most people consider ranges and clothes dryer to NOT be fastened in place if they are cord-and-plug connected. Something hard wired may also be considered fastened-in-place.

 

[Smart $]

... Are they considered FIPA or do the fall under the Largest Moto in accordance with 220.50 and 430.24. How do you know which?...

Largest motor applies to all connected motors, regardless of any other equipment classification. In regards to FIPA, see 422.3.

Anything with a nameplate MCA (minimum circuit ampacity) already has an additional 25% of motor applied. NOTE: Code does not permit you to subtract the 25% when it is not the largest motor.