Six Disconnect Rule

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Electricalhelp

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I have a building with 8 meters and 1 blank meter, lacking a service disconnect.

Due to the NEC 2020 revision, a meter bank is not permitted as it no longer allows a single enclosure to house grouped disconnects.

The client wishes to avoid adding a service disconnect.

Here are some reference pictures.

What options are available? Is it feasible to combine some services to limit the total number of meters to 6?
 

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Electricalhelp said:
Due to the NEC 2020 revision, a meter bank is not permitted as it no longer allows a single enclosure to house grouped disconnects.
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A meter bank is fine as long as it has a service disconnect ahead of it, which makes the conductors to the meters feeders instead of service conductors. If the customer doesn't want to add a service disconnect, your options are limited. The six handle rule is not new in the 2020 NEC, only the requirement that each service disco be in its own enclosure; there would still have been a problem with eight of them.
 
it would make life easier to add the service disconnect. you have a bit of mess with all those meters like that. what is your end game goal?
 
I told them I recommend installing a service disconnect but he wants to know what else they can do to cut cost.

Hence why I suggested combing service together to reduce the amount of meters.
 
Electricalhelp said:
I told them I recommend installing a service disconnect but he wants to know what else they can do to cut cost.

Hence why I suggested combing service together to reduce the amount of meters.
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Basically the short answer is you can only have up to 6 grouped disconnects. Yes you are free to "combine" some of the meters into one to get down to 6 assuming load calcs allow.

The longer answer is there are some cases where you are allowed to have more than 6 disconnects. There are several avenues for this. Note the following while paying particular attention to my highlighting:

230.71 Maximum Number of Disconnects. (A) General. The service disconnecting means for each service permitted by 230.2, or for each set of service-entrance conductors permitted by 230.40, Exception No. 1, 3, 4, or 5, shall consist of not more than six switches or sets of circuit breakers, or a combination of not more than six switches and sets of circuit breakers, mounted in a single enclosure, in a group of separate enclosures, or in or on a switchboard or in switchgear. There shall be not more than six sets of disconnects per service grouped in any one location.
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I certainly dont know enough about your building to say whether you have anything that will qualify, but it seems mostly academic anyway because even if you were to qualify for a multiple services situation, than you would have to split thing up and bring in the new service is is more work than just adding the service disconnect to what you have..
 
Electricalhelp said:
I told them I recommend installing a service disconnect but he wants to know what else they can do to cut cost.

Hence why I suggested combing service together to reduce the amount of meters.
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This was something you had to do before 2020 NEC anyway. Never could have more than six service disconnects per allowed service, some exceptions but those would be for things like emergency/standby systems, fire pumps and parallel power production applications.
 
electrofelon said:
230.71 Maximum Number of Disconnects. (A) General. The service disconnecting means for each service permitted by 230.2, or for each set of service-entrance conductors permitted by 230.40, Exception No. 1, 3, 4, or 5, shall consist of not more than six switches or sets of circuit breakers, or a combination of not more than six switches and sets of circuit breakers, mounted in a single enclosure, in a group of separate enclosures, or in or on a switchboard or in switchgear. There shall be not more than six sets of disconnects per service grouped in any one location.
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There is only 1 service entrance to the building.

Could I tell the client this requires attentions since it's a life safety issue if there are more than 8 disconnects in one building without a service disconnect.
 
Electricalhelp said:
There is only 1 service entrance to the building.
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Yes I figured

Could I tell the client this requires attentions since it's a life safety issue if there are more than 8 disconnects in one building without a service disconnect.
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IMO having 8 instead of 6 handles to kill power to the building is no big deal and not unsafe - but perhaps the truth could be stretched to steer the client in the correct direction 😉
 
electrofelon said:
Yes I figured


IMO having 8 instead of 6 handles to kill power to the building is no big deal and not unsafe - but perhaps the truth could be stretched to steer the client in the correct direction 😉
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And it is a code violation that will likely have to be addressed if there is ever an inspection. At worst the service could be shut down at the transformer until it is remedied.
 
How far apart must disconnects be to not be considered grouped? Is a simple, obviously-larger gap between groups adequate? If a group of six has 1' between them, is a gap of 2' between groups enough?
 
LarryFine said:
How far apart must disconnects be to not be considered grouped? Is a simple, obviously-larger gap between groups adequate? If a group of six has 1' between them, is a gap of 2' between groups enough?
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I'm pretty sure that the NEC leaves that ambiguous. It isn't in the definitions, anyway.
 
electrofelon said:
Yes I figured


IMO having 8 instead of 6 handles to kill power to the building is no big deal and not unsafe - but perhaps the truth could be stretched to steer the client in the correct direction 😉
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But code says six. If it said 8 people would say 10 is no big deal. Have to draw a line somewhere.
 
What size is the service coming in to the building? The service disconnect can be as simple as a fused disconnect. It appears you have easy access to the service conductors, just add the service main and be done with it. If client is this cheap, then I would just move on and tell him to get someone else.
 
Knightryder12 said:
What size is the service coming in to the building? The service disconnect can be as simple as a fused disconnect. It appears you have easy access to the service conductors, just add the service main and be done with it. If client is this cheap, then I would just move on and tell him to get someone else.
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agreed
 
ggunn said:
I'm pretty sure that the NEC leaves that ambiguous. It isn't in the definitions, anyway.
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2026 NEC Art. 100 - Grouped - A term referring to multiple equipment that has a spacing of no more than 18 in. between components. :)
 
Rather than a single disconnect for all, if that is too expensive, could they have a single disconnect for 3 or 4 of the services, and leave the rest as they are. It could be smaller than one for all 8 services, and might be less complicated to wire.
 
jaggedben said:
It looks to me like there's even a handy spot for a big new disconnect. I never get that lucky, I'll tell you that.
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What is that under the highlighted spot? It would have to be moved, would it not?
 
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