water heater disconnect

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drwill

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was just informed by an inspector that my water heater configuration is not up to code.
It is an endless hot water heater. uses 4 -30 amp 2 pole breakers. I have a 200 amp panel located in the garage,and the 4 breakers are located in it. the panel is 5 feet from the water heater ( withen site). I was told that I could not hard wire the heater straight to the panel and that the disconnects had to be withen 6 feet of the heater.I from texas and the code that is current is the 2005 edition. I believe that 422.31(A)allows me to hook it up straight to the panel . if there are any opinions out there please let me know
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Thanks Will D
 
Re: water heater disconnect

Generally disconnects must with in site of the appliance. The NEC defines this as within 50'. You installation seems OK by the NEC but there may another local or state regulation that requires a separate disconnect. Since you have 4 CB's would you now need 4 disconnect switches?
 
Re: water heater disconnect

Originally posted by drwill:
was just informed by an inspector that my water heater configuration is not up to code.
It is an endless hot water heater.
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He's right. It's not up to plumbing code without an end on it, the water will run out. :D
 
Re: water heater disconnect

Originally posted by georgestolz:
I think the handles would all have to be tied together per 422.30.
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No, not required for all to be tied together, just grouped.

422.30 General.
A means shall be provided to disconnect each appliance from all ungrounded conductors in accordance with the following sections of Part III. If an appliance is supplied by more than one source, the disconnecting means shall be grouped and identified.
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Re: water heater disconnect

a. drwill: imho, I don't see a problem.

b. george:
I think the handles would all have to be tied together per 422.30
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I don't see that. What am I missing ?

c. The "or lockable" statement has always bugged me. Often we have a water heater in the crawl space. Mr. low-bid puts one of those sheetmetal lockout devices on the breaker in the main panel on a different level of the house. Legal lockout as far as I know, but useless when the repairman is needing to check current, etc. at the heater. Think hes going to crawl out and go to the panel before he reaches in the heater to check something. Comments ?
 
Re: water heater disconnect

sorry, Bob, typing as you were posting
 
Re: water heater disconnect

I thought that was a stretch, thanks for the correction. I was thinking of different sources as being a machine that uses two separately derived systems to operate, such as a machine with 480V motors and 120V controls & lights, or something along those lines.

A set of breakers in the same panel would be a set of sources in the same location. Cool.

It's odd. 240.20(A) requires that all ungrounded conductors of the circuit be interrupted. It's odd to think of an appliance served by four circuits, so part of the appliance could still be energized.
 
Re: water heater disconnect

Originally posted by georgestolz:
It's odd. 240.20(A) requires that all ungrounded conductors of the circuit be interrupted.
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I do not follow the reference to 240.20(A)?

Originally posted by georgestolz:
It's odd to think of an appliance served by four circuits, so part of the appliance could still be energized.
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Not odd at all outside of dwelling units.

I saw a electric boiler with three 200 amp 480 volt 3 phase branch circuits to it.

It had three 200 amp disconnects grouped at the boiler.

They where heating an entire building this way, I would hate to see that bill. :p ) the refrigeration racks are supplied by a 3 phase 480 circuit and a 3 phase 208 circuit.
 
Re: water heater disconnect

The way to deal with this inspector is tell him to site the code number you broke.If he can't then he must pass it.Personally i think your good to go
 
Re: water heater disconnect

Originally posted by georgestolz:
I meant (B).
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No problem.

240.20(B) Circuit Breaker as Overcurrent Device. Circuit breakers shall open all ungrounded conductors of the circuit unless otherwise permitted in 240.20(B)(1), (B)(2), and (B)(3).
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Of the circuit, not the circuits. :)
 
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