Trough Divider

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wpaul29

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In a recent installation I was involved in an 800A I line Panel was mounted over a trough. Secondary conductors of a transformer were routed through the trough to the main breaker in the new panel. The formen indicated that a divider was needed in the trough to seperate the feeder conductors from the branch circuits. Can someone tell me why this is needed? The panel is
3-phase 208 volt system.
 
wpaul29 said:
In a recent installation I was involved in an 800A I line Panel was mounted over a trough. Secondary conductors of a transformer were routed through the trough to the main breaker in the new panel. The formen indicated that a divider was needed in the trough to seperate the feeder conductors from the branch circuits. Can someone tell me why this is needed? The panel is
3-phase 208 volt system.
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You said to the "Main breaker". Are these SE conductors, if they are then he is correct.
 
Service conductors or conductors covered under Article 700 would require separation. The conductors feeding and leaving a transformer do not require separation.
 
wpaul29 said:
Thanks I think that the foreman was getting this confused with a service.
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But since he's the boss, and you know the real scoop, just bolt the barrier in and whistle while you work. "If I Only Had a Brain" was always a popular one for me to whistle while I was doing nonsensical work ordered by my superiors. It was a passive-aggressive way for me to keep my spirits up.
 
The only reason I objected or questioned it was because the space that would have been left after the divider was installed for any and all branch circuits to pass through was to small approxomately 7 1/2 " x 10 " for what is going to be installed in the near future.
 
I used to see a lot of specs that required separation in troughs between different voltages. Could be a spec thing.

In any case, the boss is the boss, and you get paid by the hour.
 
How many branch circuit conductors are there in the trough?

Adding a divider may create 2 wireways. That may eliminate having to derate the transformer secondary conductors due to the number of branch circuit conductors in the wireway.

Steve
 
230.7 Other Conductors in Raceway or Cable. Conductors other than service conductors shall not be installed in the same service raceway or service cable.
(Exceptions N/A)
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It's clear that this section does not apply: feeders from an SDS are not 'service conductors', as others have stated.

Likewise, specs in a contract must be met, short of non-compliance. That and keeping your job, if you're an employee.


Edit: Having just re-read the OP: Now, if the real service conductors are in this trough, there is an issue.
 
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I would think about Steve's post for a minute. If the primary and secondary conductors are within the same raceway than derating will apply to them. A barrier would effectively eliminate the need for derating.
 
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