# Six disconnect rule



## FlyingSparks (Dec 10, 2012)

Is this a violation? Coworkers are torn about it each way.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

FlyingSparks said:


> Is this a violation? Coworkers are torn about it each way.


Most definatly.


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## AllWIRES (Apr 10, 2014)

I've been wondering how you would go about running a service to an 8 unit or 10 unit building. Would you just set a disconnect for multiple meters/units? If I have 6 disconnects feeding two meters a piece is that cool?

I dont do much multi unit service work.


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## minichopper6hp (Apr 19, 2014)

You use a main disconnect before the meters and use a trough typically.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## FlyingSparks (Dec 10, 2012)

Yeah I thought it was too. The rationale for the requirement is that it provides a quicker means to disconnect power in an emergency, anyone else know other reasons for the requirement? (this was part of the debate)


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## Chrisibew440 (Sep 13, 2013)

FlyingSparks said:


> Yeah I thought it was too. The rationale for the requirement is that it provides a quicker means to disconnect power in an emergency, anyone else know other reasons for the requirement? (this was part of the debate)


That's what I've been taught.


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## bkmichael65 (Mar 25, 2013)

The 6 disconnect rule doesn't apply to buildings but to individual services from the POCO. So as long as you have less than 6 disconnects per set of service conductors it's not a violation


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

I see possibly 2 separate services...


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I also see two services so you can have 6 disconnect for each service. I say compliant


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

One of my older HB's shows multiple groups of 6 as compliant, yet i would imagine we'd need the poco's blessings to install them as shown ~CS~


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

AllWIRES said:


> I've been wondering how you would go about running a service to an 8 unit or 10 unit building. Would you just set a disconnect for multiple meters/units? If I have 6 disconnects feeding two meters a piece is that cool?
> 
> I dont do much multi unit service work.






How about a meter bank !


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## Roger (Jul 7, 2007)

Dennis Alwon said:


> I also see two services so you can have 6 disconnect for each service. I say compliant


I second that.

Roger


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Dennis Alwon said:


> I also see two services so you can have 6 disconnect for each service. I say compliant


I see a tangled mess of unsecured PVC risers with no expansion joints.


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## Pete m. (Nov 19, 2011)

My question is how the 2 services were permitted in the first place.

Pete


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## 8V71 (Dec 23, 2011)

I see one service conduit conduit coming out of the ground and then some sort of split?


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## ElectricJoeNJ (Feb 24, 2011)

wendon said:


> I see a tangled mess of unsecured PVC risers with no expansion joints.


Most likely rigid given the age of the service equipment.


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## Fibes (Feb 18, 2010)

8V71 said:


> I see one service conduit conduit coming out of the ground and then some sort of split?


I see a conduit coming from the ground for each meter bank.


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## 8V71 (Dec 23, 2011)

Fibes said:


> I see a conduit coming from the ground for each meter bank.


If it was any more obvious it would have jumped out and bit me. :whistling2:


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Pete m. said:


> My question is how the 2 services were permitted in the first place.
> 
> Pete


It is done all the time with apartments.


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## ElectricJoeNJ (Feb 24, 2011)

Pete m. said:


> My question is how the 2 services were permitted in the first place.
> 
> Pete


230.2(B) allows it


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## fiddler (Jun 2, 2010)

You have to read the definition of building. A 40 umit apartment building, by code definition is more then likely 41 or even more buildings.


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## Ultrafault (Dec 16, 2012)

ElectricJoeNJ said:


> 230.2(B) allows it


It does not. Which exception were you referring to?


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## ElectricJoeNJ (Feb 24, 2011)

Ultrafault said:


> It does not. Which exception were you referring to?


230.2(B) 1 and 2 both allow more than one service. 

(B) Special Occupancies. By special permission, additional services shall be permitted for either of the following:
(1) 
Multiple-occupancy buildings where there is no available space for service equipment accessible to all occupants
(2) 
A single building or other structure sufficiently large to make two or more services necessary


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## ceb58 (Feb 14, 2009)

Pete m. said:


> My question is how the 2 services were permitted in the first place.
> 
> Pete


As long as there are fire rated walls it can be considered more than one building. I did a fire department building that was all under one roof but had 2 fire rated walls. So by definition I had 3 separate buildings. I had one service on one end and another on the other end of the building.


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## Ultrafault (Dec 16, 2012)

ElectricJoeNJ said:


> 230.2(B) 1 and 2 both allow more than one service.
> 
> (B) Special Occupancies. By special permission, additional services shall be permitted for either of the following:
> (1)
> ...


Indeed what I was asking is which of those two situations do you think applies here.


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## AllWIRES (Apr 10, 2014)

No way to tell from the pic


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## Ultrafault (Dec 16, 2012)

AllWIRES said:


> No way to tell from the pic


Sure there is. It can not be more than 800 amps, so size is not an issue, and it looks like there is ample room for accessibility.


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## AllWIRES (Apr 10, 2014)

Ultrafault said:


> Sure there is. It can not be more than 800 amps, so size is not an issue, and it looks like there is ample room for accessibility.


So you can tell if this building requires more then one service from the picture ?

Perty good!


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## ElectricJoeNJ (Feb 24, 2011)

AllWIRES said:


> So you can tell if this building requires more then one service from the picture ?
> 
> Perty good!


No. You can't tell. None of us was there when it was built and none of us was part of the building dept that approved the plans. Someone asked how 2 services was allowed and I posted an article that provides 2 exceptions to allow it.


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## Ultrafault (Dec 16, 2012)

ElectricJoeNJ said:


> No. You can't tell. None of us was there when it was built and none of us was part of the building dept that approved the plans. Someone asked how 2 services was allowed and I posted an article that provides 2 exceptions to allow it.


You could be right. That wall could only be two feet long and the equipment is just miniature so exception two would work. Or maybe that is what a 4000 amp service looks like where you live and exception one would work. (Maximum service size is 3000 amps here thus you would add a second service). Seriously I don't know how you can think this is ambiguous.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

The power company may have said that they can only feed "X" kw per service from the trany so they may have required 2 service laterals. Generally a building such as apartments almost automatically qualifies for more than one service


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