# motor disconnecting means horsepower rating



## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

zaped said:


> 430.110 - c - 1
> provides for a method for determining the horsepower rating of a motor disconnecting means that serves a combination load. But where in the code is the mandate that a disconnecting means for a motor circuit shall have any minimum horsepower rating ? Thanks. ( i suppose one could say 'common sense' will be enuf, but i would hope and wonder whether the requirement is explicitly stated somewhere in the code. ???? ).


430.83

My bad, that was for "controllers". 
430.109, but it does allow the use of non-rated switches, as long as they are clearly labeled "Do Not Open under Load".

*430.109 Type.​*​​​​The disconnecting means shall be a type
specified in 430.109(A), unless otherwise permitted in
430.109(B) through 430.109(G), under the conditions
specified.​
*(A) General.
(1) Motor Circuit Switch.​*​​​​A listed motor-circuit switch​
rated in horsepower.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

i see it in art 100.... 'swich, motor circuit' 

~CS~


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## Zaped (Jul 6, 2008)

JRaef said:


> 430.83
> 
> My bad, that was for "controllers".


Okay, so 430.83 would be for a different section of the article (i.e., for controllers, just as you point out ).




JRaef said:


> *430.109 Type.​*​​​​The disconnecting means shall be a type
> specified in 430.109(A), unless otherwise permitted in
> 430.109(B) through 430.109(G), under the conditions
> specified.​
> ...


Thanks. The 430.109-A-1 subsection you refer does in a certain way refer to horsepower, and in a certain way also uses the word "rated". What surprises me, though, is that, unlike the explicit statement of a minimum horsepower rating used in other scenarios (for example, in 430.83-A-1, for the case of Motor Controllers) 430.109-A-1, which is in the 'Disconnecting Means' part of the Article 430, refers to a horsepower rating only in a casual, most general way--and WITHOUT any explicity stated or even implied MINIMUM for the horsepower rating. It seems only to refer to 'a rating in horsepower', and not to any minimum for that horsepower rating.

Therefore, it seems hard to know whether to rely on 430.109-A-1 to be a requirement requiring that the horsepower rating of the disconnecting means be above any particular minimum level. In any case, thanks. Like you, I am inclined to go by it since nothing else in Article 430 seems to address the issue any better.


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## Zaped (Jul 6, 2008)

JRaef said:


> 430.83
> 
> My bad, that was for "controllers".
> 430.109, but it does allow the use of non-rated switches, as long as they are clearly labeled "Do Not Open under Load".
> ...





chicken steve said:


> i see it in art 100.... 'swich, motor circuit'
> 
> ~CS~


Amazing, that does seem to fit. ( that's amazing that you found that, since it's all the way back in Chapter One. ). Thanks.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

i agree it's not very clear Zaped

~CS~


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

It might even rate a correlation committe rop......maybe.....~CS~


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