Pass Through Conductors Warning Label

[jar546]

This applies to both Residential and Commercial but I will put it here because I tossed a coin up in the air.

Enjoy:

[video=youtube;cHi42Gzydh0]

 

[gfretwell]

I am not sure what Mike is talking about when he says service conductors might be there.

If you are using a load side enclosure as a raceway 230.7 would keep service conductors out.

 

[chris kennedy]

Here is the commentary following 230.7 in the 2011HB;

All feeder and branch-circuit conductors must be separated

from service conductors. Service conductors are not provided

with overcurrent protection where they receive their

supply; they are protected against overload conditions at

their load end by the service disconnect fuses or circuit

breakers. The amount of current that could be imposed on

feeder or branch-circuit conductors, should they be in the

same raceway and a fault occur, would be much higher than

the ampacity of the feeder or branch-circuit conductors. The

gutter space of a panelboard cabinet or other electrical

equipment enclosure is not a raceway (see definition of

raceway in Article 100), therefore is not subject to the requirement

of 230.7 Service conductors, feeder conductors,

and branch circuit conductors can share the same gutter

space, as shown in Exhibit 230.16. Conductor bending space

requirements for cabinets are covered in 312.6 and 408.55,

and conductor fill requirements for cabinet gutter spaces are

covered in 312.8.

 

[Dennis]

I am not sure what Mike is talking about when he says service conductors might be there.If you are using a load side enclosure as a raceway 230.7 would keep service conductors out.

Enclosure can have service conductors as well as feeders and branch circuits or we could not have panels as they are today in this country. In Canada the service conductors are in a different section of the panel and are isolated form the branch circuit breakers. Raceways, however, cannot be shared with branch circuits or feeders, and service conductors.

 

[ICE]

Some time ago, I learned from Dennis that it is okay to pass through a service enclosure but nobody told me about the requirement for a label.

 

[Dennis]

That was rewritten in 2011. Look at art. 312.8

312.8 Switch and Overcurrent Device Enclosures with Splices, Taps, and Feed-Through Conductors. The wiring space of enclosures for switches or overcurrent devices shall be permitted for conductors feeding through, spliced, or tapping off to other enclosures, switches, or overcurrent devices where all of the following conditions are met1) The total of all conductors installed at any cross section of the wiring space does not exceed 40 percent of the cross-sectional area of that space.

(2) The total area of all conductors, splices, and taps installed at any cross section of the wiring space does not exceed 75 percent of the cross-sectional area of that space.

(3) A warning label is applied to the enclosure that identifies the closest disconnecting means for any feed through conductors.

 

[ICE]

That was rewritten in 2011. Look at art. 312.8

I can't enforce that yet.

 

[gfretwell]

I agree you have service conductors and branch/feeder conductors in the service disconnect enclosure. I would question running them through a load side enclosure with no service disconnect tho.

It brings up all sorts of troubling questions. To start with the bonding of a load side panel is 250.122 but the service conductors bring you up to 250.66 to bond the raceways and enclosure.