Tap Rule question

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TheCrow

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The Tap Rule says wire shall be in an approved raceway. Looking for the approved raceway.
I am tapping main service 10 ft and want to use MC 3 ort for a temp feed. So would like to find approved raceway
 
You said main service are your conductors ahead of the service disconnect? If so then the conductors are SEC's and the tap rules of Article 240 do not apply.
 
TheCrow said:
After service switch. This is a temp installation
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An "approved raceway" would be, in my opinion, one of the raceways found in Chapter 3 of the NEC.

If this was a line side connection, they would be service conductors, and they would have to be installed using one of the wiring methods permitted for service conductors as shown in 230.43.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
An "approved raceway" would be, in my opinion, one of the raceways found in Chapter 3 of the NEC.

If this was a line side connection, they would be service conductors, and they would have to be installed using one of the wiring methods permitted for service conductors as shown in 230.43.
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According to the code the word "approved" means this.

Approved. Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.
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One would think that any of the chapter 3 raceways would be acceptable to the AHJ, However, 240.21(B)(1)(3) uses the word "enclosed". I don't think a ladder style tray could be considered "enclosed".
 
petersonra said:
According to the code the word "approved" means this.



One would think that any of the chapter 3 raceways would be acceptable to the AHJ, However, 240.21(B)(1)(3) uses the word "enclosed". I don't think a ladder style tray could be considered "enclosed".
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Raceway is a defined term and does not include cables or cable tray.
 
Wow! Never stopped to think about that. A service extension (ie:tap) is allowed to be MC by 230.3 but a 10 ft tap, protected by an over-current device must be in a raceway.
Bet I missed that on an inspection in my lifetime :)
 
augie47 said:
Wow! Never stopped to think about that. A service extension (ie:tap) is allowed to be MC by 230.3 but a 10 ft tap, protected by an over-current device must be in a raceway.
Bet I missed that on an inspection in my lifetime :)
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Other than the fact NEC is silent on specific distance you can enter a building with service conductors - most AHJ's limit it to 3 maybe 5 feet and that is sort of more restrictive than the tap rules, even when considering cables that are permitted for use as service conductors. Still one of those things that has you scratching your head occasionally though, why can we do this but not that....
 
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