cohosilver
Member
What are the requirements for the disconnecting means of a split unit air conditioner? I am in a location where thousands upon thousands of these units are installed and I have seen them connected many ways including being hardwired in a splice box at either the blower unit or the compressor, a fixture whip attached to a cord cap and a receptacle at either the compressor or the blower unit, a single pole 20A toggle switch located at wither location, or a 60A 250V disconnect with a 20A QO circuit breaker that is capable of being locked out, mounted either inside with the blower or outside with the compressor.
There are different voltages in use at this location, generally the voltage is 230/380V 50 hz European but there is also 120/240V 60hz. The split units are in general either 9000BTU units or 18,000BTU units and in general they draw approximately 12-14A single phase 230V with between 20-32A start up.
The electrical panels that feed these stlye of units are often not on the same structure or building as the air conditioning unit.
Is it okay to mount a 60A 250V rated air conditioner disconnect with a 20A single pole 120/240V 240V rated QO style circuit breaker inside a structure next to the blower portion of the unit where the feeding circuit is line/loaded through the disconnect to a 12/2 SO cord "fixture whip" to the blower portion of the unit (where the jumper leads are then sent to the compressor) so that the air condtioner can be locked out inside and the service technician can then safely work on the compressor outside? The voltages would be 230V single phase and there would be either a European Style circuit Breaker such as ABB, Hagar, Merlin Gerin at the panelboard or loadcenter or something such as a 277/480V 600V rated Square D NF load center and circuit breakers.
Consider that there are thousands and thousands of these types of units here and this question is inquiring about a standard practice that meets NEC 2008 requirements including the 230/380 voltage.
There are different voltages in use at this location, generally the voltage is 230/380V 50 hz European but there is also 120/240V 60hz. The split units are in general either 9000BTU units or 18,000BTU units and in general they draw approximately 12-14A single phase 230V with between 20-32A start up.
The electrical panels that feed these stlye of units are often not on the same structure or building as the air conditioning unit.
Is it okay to mount a 60A 250V rated air conditioner disconnect with a 20A single pole 120/240V 240V rated QO style circuit breaker inside a structure next to the blower portion of the unit where the feeding circuit is line/loaded through the disconnect to a 12/2 SO cord "fixture whip" to the blower portion of the unit (where the jumper leads are then sent to the compressor) so that the air condtioner can be locked out inside and the service technician can then safely work on the compressor outside? The voltages would be 230V single phase and there would be either a European Style circuit Breaker such as ABB, Hagar, Merlin Gerin at the panelboard or loadcenter or something such as a 277/480V 600V rated Square D NF load center and circuit breakers.
Consider that there are thousands and thousands of these types of units here and this question is inquiring about a standard practice that meets NEC 2008 requirements including the 230/380 voltage.