water heater disconnects

[elecmen]

I have a 6 apartment building that has 6 water heaters in a crawl space. All of the water heaters are grouped together in the middle of the crawl space. There is no disconnects installed and one has to go to each separate apartment to shut them off. I would like to install disconnects for these heaters. Can I group them all together on one wall ? They will probably be 15' or 20' away from the heaters. Also I would like to feed them from the disconnect to heater with NM cable. Do I have to terminate the NM into a JB and drop flex down to the heaters or can I wire the heaters directly fed with the NM? If I remember right the disconnects need to be within sight and no more than 50" from the heaters. Does this sound code compliant? Thanks

 

[LarryFine]

I would like to install disconnects for these heaters. Can I group them all together on one wall ? They will probably be 15' or 20' away from the heaters.

Yes.

Also I would like to feed them from the disconnect to heater with NM cable. Do I have to terminate the NM into a JB and drop flex down to the heaters or can I wire the heaters directly fed with the NM?

It depends on whether it's subject to damage. You may just need flex sleeves w/o J-boxes.

 

[jwjrw]

Larry is correct. I usally carflex to mine just because some of uor inspectors see subject to damage everywhere they look....

 

[infinity]

The disconnect needs to be within sight which the NEC defines as within 50'. Subject to physical damage is open to interpretation. Around here you would probably have no problem running the NM directly into the HWH.