Swamp Coolers

[monkey]

Here is a question for anyone familiar with evaporative, or "swamp" coolers. The swamp is wired to the switch with a 20 amp circuit. On the roof, you have your typical Midwest evaporative cooler box, with the three edison base fuses, type S. So would it be permissable to wire from the switch to the cooler with #14, since the biggest fuse in the Midwest box is 15 amps?

The main reason for this is the rotary switches are actually designed to accept #14 wire.

 

[benaround]

monkey,

Yes, that would be a legal tap, or put the whole circuit on a 15a ocpd.

 

[infinity]

monkey,

Yes, that would be a legal tap, or put the whole circuit on a 15a ocpd.

Would that really be a tap? Isn't a #14 conductor feeding a swamp cooler rated for 20 amps?

 

[Cow]

I wouldn't consider it a tap, it has OCP ahead of it. I see nothing wrong with this installation.

 

[benaround]

Trevor,

Using T 310.16 . #14* = 20a

* see 240.4(D) ocpd not to exceed 15a

ok,422 part II

 

[infinity]

Trevor,

Using T 310.16 . #14* = 20a

* see 240.4(D) ocpd not to exceed 15a

ok,422 part II

Does a swamp cooler fall under Article 440? If so, then 240.4(D) does not apply and the ampacity of 20 amps listed in 310.16 for a #14 conductor may be used. I've never installed one but I'm thinking that it does fall under article 440.