# Gas/Oil Emergency Switch



## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

Hey Gang,

I and most of you have seen this Gas/Oil Emergency Switch (see pic below) on the stairs leading to the basement or near said equipment if the house is on a slab (sans basement).

Are there any code references to it's placement?

I have a situation where it is located in a stairwell to a basement where the gas furnace is. The stairs are being demolished and it is being turned in a storage pantry with a floor, shelves and the original door.

Can I leave it in there or do I need to move it to the new stairs/stairwell?

Thanks!


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## Next72969 (Dec 9, 2012)

duque00 said:


> Hey Gang, I and most of you have seen this Gas/Oil Emergency Switch (see pic below) on the stairs leading to the basement or near said equipment if the house is on a slab (sans basement). Are there any code references to it's placement? I have a situation where it is located in a stairwell to a basement where the gas furnace is. That stairwell is being demolished and is being turned in a storage pantry, complete with the original door. Can I leave it in there or do I need to move it to the new stairs/stairwell? Thanks!


 i dont know if its a local thing but we dont see it any different way around here. Can you splice and send a two wire switch to the new location?


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Next72969 said:


> i dont know if its a local thing but we dont see it any different way around here.


It's a local thing.


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## Next72969 (Dec 9, 2012)

MTW said:


> It's a local thing.


 i figured so. Long island switch is at the top of the stairs. Nyc its required directly outside of the boiler room


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## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

Is that so?

My parents live in Queens and it's in the stairwell to the basement. Also here on Long Island it's in the stairwell unless like I said it's on a slab.

Then again I've seen 2 switches - 1 at the top of the stairs and a 2nd on near the equipment (service switch).

Always the Emergency switch - the service switch is usually done by the plumber with the restricted license.

I always took the emergency switch to be use either by the HO or the local FD - that's it!


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## Next72969 (Dec 9, 2012)

duque00 said:


> Is that so? My parents live in Queens and it's in the stairwell to the basement. Also here on Long Island it's in the stairwell unless like I said it's on a slab. Then again I've seen 2 switches - 1 at the top of the stairs and a 2nd on near the equipment (service switch). Always the Emergency switch - the service switch is usually done by the plumber with the restricted license.


 city mightve changed in recent times, a job i was on a few years back got tagged for putting the emergency switch at the top of the stairs. We only do a few jobs in queens here and there , so i dont dive into all the code ammendments, i just do what im told is normal there


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

The fire marshals here insist on a shutoff @ the unit, and then one *outside* the door entering into the furnace room.

This usually doesn't go over well in mama's kitchen, but they validate by claiming that in a fire situation one should not be opening a door to the fire and looking for a switch in the smoke, etc

there is no nec ref that i know of as to _specific_ placement


~CS~


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

this is an old post from another forum, not sure what current code is:



> See NFPA 31:
> 10.5.1*
> Oil burners, other than oil stoves with integral tanks, shall be provided with some means for manually stopping the flow of oil to the burner. Such device or devices shall be placed in a readily accessible location at a safe distance from the burner.
> 10.5.1.1 For electrically powered appliances, the requirement of 10.5.1 shall be accomplished by an identified switch in the burner supply circuit, placed near the entrance to the room where the appliance is located.
> ...


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## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

Interesting Wildleg.

This is a gas situation, not oil, my bad - should of been upfront about that.

I am a big fan of the 2 switch operation anyway. I think I am going to just splice a wire at the old switch and run a new cable to the new stairwell and be done with it.

TBH - I don't even remember if there is a service switch near the furnace.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Well the gas guys (NFPA 54) keep telling me no electrical safety shutoff is required, but i keep putting them in duque



~CS~


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## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

chicken steve said:


> Well the gas guys (NFPA 54) keep telling me no electrical safety shutoff is required, but i keep putting them in duque
> 
> 
> 
> ~CS~


It always good to see quality electricians step up and do more than minimum code, even if that code doesn't exist


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

The remote switch requirement is for oil burners, not gas, however, my state requires them for all furnaces and boilers.


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## bmailman20 (Jan 4, 2013)

If the equipment is In a boiler room in the basement, you should be able put it outside the boiler room. If it's an unfinished basement, then it has to be at the basement entrance ( usually at the top of the stairs.


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## samc (Oct 19, 2013)

If it's a disconnect for the boiler you must put it right outside the room that contains the boiler. If for some reason that door is an exterior door it must be right inside as you open the door, meaning very accessible. And yes it must be that red cover with the wording.

As for the disconnect at the boiler not sure if one is required but couldn't hurt to put one. Obviously just in series with the one at the top of the stairs.


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## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

The basement is unfinished. There is nothing down there except the furnace/HW heater and laundry.

The current stairwell is going to be closed up and the stairs demolished. A new stairwell/opening will be created in another part of the house.

I am just going to move the switch from the current location to the new location.


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## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

Samc - a NYC code or something else?


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## samc (Oct 19, 2013)

Yes I don't know the code number but it's required, gas or oil doesn't matter. I work for one of the larger boiler companies here in NYC. Now with that said if you're not getting an inspection I wouldn't bother moving it, I assume the wires are cut to the box inside and so it would be hard to fish new wires for a switch. I say keep it where it is.


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## bmailman20 (Jan 4, 2013)

Does anybody know if this is an acceptable substitute to the red plate. Some customers don't like to see it, Especially when there's 3 gas furnaces in a basement, and a 3-gang red plate.


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## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

Samc - job is getting inspected. Even if I left in - it's becoming a food pantry/storage. 

I think it would look pretty bad if I had to hang a sign on the outside of the door that said "Emergency Gas Cutoff Switch Inside on the Left"

Lol....


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## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

Bmail - I've seen them before - a little dated, but have seen them.

Wouldn't you want 1 switch to kill all 3 - in case of emergency?

1 Emergency and then maybe 3 service switches (1 for each), so they can be shut down locally instead of globally?


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Recently , while wiring what is one of those high end super efficient gas furnaces that uses a _straw_ for exhaust , i was informed that any manner of sudden shutdown would be a _detriment_.

Trapped unburnt fuel perhaps.....:blink:

This was a 110.3B, yet in conflict with 422 & 430 , at least as far as my understanding .....:001_huh:

dueling codes ..... always a gas!

~CS~


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## duque00 (Sep 11, 2008)

CS - Seriously? What about a blackout? Brownout? Natural Disaster?


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

I dunno duque.....but i'd rather _switch than fight _about it....~CS~


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## tesco (Feb 17, 2012)

chicken steve said:


> Recently , while wiring what is one of those high end super efficient gas furnaces that uses a _straw_ for exhaust , i was informed that any manner of sudden shutdown would be a _detriment_.


Got a pic of that or know a technical name for that type of furnace? I've never seen one before.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Its a building code round these parts. Only for oil burners though.


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