ll. Consistency Questions

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1 Our Goal is FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT with us and that together we keep people and structures safe and buildings economically viable to serve the needs of our community. We strive for: EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE! and QUALITY INSPECTIONS! May 10th, 2017 ELECTRICAL CONSISTENCY MEETING OUR NEXT MEETING is June 15 th l. Customer Service Tips ll. Consistency Questions

2 1) Am I required to use a GFCI breaker on a refrigerator within 6 of a sink in a commercial breakroom, or will a GFCI receptacle suffice. The refrigerator has wheels and is easily moved B 5 directly addresses this. It requires the GFCI on any receptacle in 6 of the sink, with two exceptions that do not apply here. If a GFCI receptacle is used for compliance it cannot be behind the refrigerator. 2) I have a unit wall heater in a stairwell. It is a 208 volt single phase unit that draws 14 amps made by Honeywell. The blower motor is 1/8 HP. It has an integral thermostat, but it has no marked-off position. Does this unit require a disconnect within sight, or will a breaker lock-off suffice? B 1 allows for the disconnect to be insight of the unit or lockable per

3 3) I wired a rooftop HVAC unit that has an integral breaker disconnect. It also has an integral GFCI receptacle. I was turned down for not having a disconnect on the unit because the receptacle transformer is wired from the line side of the unit s breaker disconnect. Is this correct? Technically, by The King s English yes. Let s look at the big picture though. Is the transformer and receptacle isolated? Is the unit listed? Will it be safe? We are to interpret the code requirements as liberally as possible, so if we can see that its listed, safe and meets the purpose or intent of the code we should pass it. It can t have the receptacle connected to the load side by code. 4) On a multi-tenant building with mains inside we allow the house panel w/main to be outside. If tenant mains are outside can house panel main be inside a service room accessible from outside or does it require a main grouped with other tenant mains?

4 We have not made that a policy, but there seems to be no issue either way if the building qualifies for multiple services. 5) In the 2014 NEC article requires surge protection for the 700 system. Will the SPD (Surge Protection Device) I installed on the service cover this? No requires a listed SPD installed on or in ALL emergency switchboards and panelboards. 6) In dwellings that are roughed in for a stackable washer and dryer supplied by a 30 amp, 240-volt circuit, do I have to install a 20 amp 120 volt laundry circuit since there is no need for it? Yes, per 2014 NEC 210. (C)(2) and (F) at least one 20-amp branch circuit shall be provided and at least 1 receptacle installed.

5 7) My inspector turned me down for installing LFMC above the ceiling to serve 2 RTU s. He stated this could not be installed in an air return (plenum) ceiling. Your inspector was correct. Please see (C)(1) 8) Is it permissible for a 100-amp breaker and a set of # 1 AWG cu. conductors from one panel to serve a 200 amp sub-panel that has a 85 amp load? Yes. We can exceed the code at anytime. 9) I have a clothes closet with a box roughed in for the light. The GC installed deeper shelves than I had planned for. Now that we do not have the proper clearance can I blank this box off or would I be forced to remove the wiring? A blank outlet would be acceptable. Inspectors would need to note that in their inspections. We would suggest that the contractors remove the

6 outlet or disable the conductor to failsafe the outlet and prevent an accident. 10) Are the receptacles located in a food serving area/serving line portion of a restaurant at the mall required to be GFCI protected? If we assume this is not a kitchen or not within 6 of a sink, then we see no requirement for GFCI. 11) If I use metal Romex connectors in a PVC J-box, do I have to ground them? Yes, per , so use nm connectors on nm boxes. 12) Is it permissible to protect conductors that have been de-rated for ambient temperature, or voltage drop at the next standard rating of overcurrent devices as detailed in 240.4?

7 Yes. All requirements must be met per the specific application. The load can t exceed the demanded ampacity though. 13) I installed a service disconnect for a piece of equipment, the equipment did not have a neutral load and there did not require a grounded conductor. The power company informed me they were installing an ungrounded service. I installed the disconnect and grounded the service to the two grounds I installed, and requested the inspection, and was subsequently failed due to 1. Service is grounded, grounded conductor required, per C I was acting as told why should I receive the failure, and what right does the inspector have to override the power company? And What are ground fault indicators? (C) Grounded Conductor Brought to Service Equipment. Where an ac system operating at 1000 volts or less is grounded at any point, the grounded conductor(s) shall be routed with the ungrounded conductors to each service

8 disconnecting means and shall be connected to each disconnecting means grounded conductor(s) terminal or bus. A main bonding jumper shall connect the grounded conductor(s) to each service disconnecting means enclosure. The grounded conductor(s) shall be installed in accordance with (C)(1) through (C)(4). requires the grounded conductor. The service to the building is regulated by NCEC in this section. Many times, the utility uses a grounded system to deliver an ungrounded service in violation of this requirement. If this were an ungrounded system, then there would be a need for indicators and alarms as indicated by NCEC These alarms indicate when a phase is in fault. 14) In the question above if there is no required neutral load what is the minimum size grounded conductor required to be brought to the service? With no grounded load, we in effect are bonding. See C 1

9 15) Is it required to protect the emergency system feeder conductors of a 700 system, using the more restrictive measures listed in 695.6, from the point of origin at the generator, to the point of separation of the separate systems? Per A 2 the special protection is required from the last OCP permitted by B or a feeder connected directly to the generator. The code has allowed taps from a trough set up for different systems including the fire pump and for sectionalized switchboards. The key to this question would be in the individual layout of the project. 16) Are weather/rain tight conduit connections required where conduits terminate into the end of a Type 3R raintight auxiliary gutter? If no equipment connections are made to the bottom of the gutter? If the gutter is exposed to a wet location all connections should be rated for the environment.

10 17) Does the branch circuit rating for a steam generator used in a residential sauna required to be sized at 125%? We need to look at the spec. sheet and nameplate from the manufacturer and at ) Is it permissible to wire to cable pendant fixtures using SJOO cord, being fed with 20 amp circuits? What is the minimum size SJOO cord allowed for the installation? allows cords to be used for pendant lighting. SJOO has no prohibited provisions and can be rated for 20 amps, a # ) Per NEC , in a hotel room is a microwave fastened in place considered permanent cooking equipment? Does a dedicated circuit for a microwave mean it is permanent cooking equipment? If a sink and a fastened in place/dedicated circuit microwave are installed,

11 does this guest room have to meet the requirements of a dwelling unit? In Article 100 we are given definitions to use in our understanding of the code. Our first consideration is dwelling unit. Per the code Dwelling Unit. A single unit, providing complete and independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking, and sanitation. Secondly we look at kitchen in the code, Kitchen. An area with a sink and permanent provisions for food preparation and cooking. Next if we look at the appliance itself per its listing with UL Standards (KQSQ) we see that its title is MICROWAVE COOKING APPLIANCE. This category covers cooking equipment incorporating one or more microwave generators operating in the normal ISM bands of or 25 and or - 50 MHz. This equipment includes portable and stationary microwave cooking appliances employing resistive-type heating elements for baking, broiling,

12 browning, convection cooking, or similar operations. This category also covers combination microwave oven vent-hood fans, and kits for converting counter-top units to built-in, undercabinet, wallmounted or similar installations. Per the plans examiner we have a sink, refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal and a microwave present within these units. Additionally, there will be provisions for a coffee pot and toaster. It seems the total meets the definitions above and we have in fact a kitchen which then qualifies this as a dwelling unit. In the past we had several times when the question was asked concerning whether or not the microwave was a permanent provision for cooking. In our meetings with the OSFM at code seminars we were informed if the unit had a dedicated circuit or was attached it should be considered permanent.

13 20) In plan review the last several restaurant projects the design team have taken NEC demands for equipment such as hood exhaust fans, make up air fans, hood control circuit, hood lighting, cooler compressor and evaporator, dishwasher exhaust fan, POS circuits, drink station circuits, bar area and bar equipment circuits. What is the definition of other kitchen equipment? Does this equipment qualify as other kitchen equipment? Kitchen Equipment Other Than Dwelling Unit(s). It shall be permissible to calculate the load for commercial electric cooking equipment, dishwasher booster heaters, water heaters, and other kitchen equipment in accordance with Table These demand factors shall be applied to all equipment that has either thermostatic control or intermittent use as kitchen equipment. These demand factors shall not apply to space-heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning equipment. However, in no case shall the feeder or service calculated load be less than the sum of the largest two kitchen equipment loads. So, for the equipment listed in the question;

14 hood exhaust fans, ventilation - no reduction make up air fans, ventilation no reduction hood control circuit, ventilation no reduction dishwasher exhaust fan, ventilation no reduction hood lighting, lighting no reduction by cooler compressor and evaporator no reduction by unless in the kitchen POS circuits as cooler drink station circuits as cooler bar area and bar equipment circuits as cooler THE PROVISION IS FOR MAJOR APPLIANCES ONLY as shown in the example list! 21) Is a private RV lot such as a country club RV lot at the lake subject to NEC 551? The definition refers to the general public? Yes. The public is the customer of the club through its membership program and deserves the same protections as all others. 22) Do we require GFCI receptacles for all outlets designated for vending machines? What if the machine is on site and has a GFCI attachment plug?

15 Per the units that are cord supplied are to have GFCI as part of the cord assembly if manufactured on or after Jan.1, If before that the GFCI protection is to be provided. We can only go by what is in place on the project and the time of inspection. 23) I have a service on a strip shop with a trough feeding a house panel and 5 shop mains. The engineer calculated 8,598 AIC on the house panel and a different engineer had 33,300 on the shop mains. How do I deal with this? Bussman has an app that can ballpark this for you. It is Bussman FC2. It can help put you in the correct direction. Both engineers need to be advised of this issue for resolution. We would need a bullentin for any changed values and markings to reflect real conditions. 24. I have an area of rescue assistance system installed in an apartment building. The main unit has an approved NRTL label on it. The other remote

16 units do not. Am I required to get these field evaluated and labeled? Maybe not. If the remaining units are just slave units (like speakers) we need no other labels per NCDOI. These units may be built to meet code as well. 25) Does NFPA 72 apply to a single-family home? NO, per the administrative code it does not apply to one and two family, or townhomes. 26)The inspector turned me down for not having a disconnect at the well pump. I have a disconnect at the tank/pressure switch (controller) in the crawl space. Was he correct? If the switch at the pressure tank is lockable it would meet code. See B 2. (Per S131 we currently only look at the ocp and wire in the panel for wells.)

17 27) Can I spray foam a ceiling with IC rated recessed cans up to and enveloping the cans or must I maintain space around the cans? The only applications we have seen require boxing out around the fixtures or creating a shell of foam away from the fixture. However, if the manufacturer of the IC fixture and the foam insulation do not prohibit the use, we will accept it as in the question. See UL White Book IEZX and NEC B and Incandescent Recessed Luminaires (IEZX) GENERAL This category covers luminaires intended for installation in recessed cavities in walls, ceilings and similar locations in accordance with Article 410, Parts XI and XII of ANSI/NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC). TYPE IC LUMINAIRE Luminaires marked TYPE IC may be installed such that insulation and other combustible materials are in contact with, and over the top of, the luminaire. Type IC luminaires are provided with

18 thermal protection to deactivate the lamp should the luminaire be mislamped (B) Installation and Use. Listed or labeled equipment shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing or labeling Clearance and Installation. (A) Clearance. (2) Type IC. A recessed luminaire that is identified for contact with insulation, Type IC, shall be permitted to be in contact with combustible materials at recessed parts, points of support, and portions passing through or finishing off the opening in the building structure. lll. PV Checklist