# 6 Disconnect rule



## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

up to 6 is considered kosher, but consider it is also something that could have a cheater slipped into it....

~CS~


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## 6 shooter (Feb 4, 2008)

Good thats what I thought but figured I better check after reading the code book.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I am not certain that what CS stated is true. If you read 230.71 it states that


> there shall be not more than six *sets *of disconnects per service grouped in any one location.


It seems to mean that each apt can have 6 disconnects. It is not the way I always understood it but I am thinking that may be the case.

If they meant 6 disconnects why did they say six sets????


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

It is a tad confusing, on one hand there's the school of minimal disconnects in an emergency situation, say if a FF rushes in.....

otoh, what if there's more than _one _service drop to a structure? 

Does the potential for _"12 movements of the hand"_ then exist ?

~CS~


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## 6 shooter (Feb 4, 2008)

After reading 230.71a the way I see it is that not more than 6 breakers in a single enclosure for each set of service entrance conductors. 
With the five main lug panels each panel board would have service entrance conductors so if you only have 6 breakers I think it would be ok the way I read it.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

chicken steve said:


> It is a tad confusing, on one hand there's the school of minimal disconnects in an emergency situation, say if a FF rushes in.....
> 
> otoh, what if there's more than _one _service drop to a structure?
> 
> ...



It appears there could be 36... I am not certain but it certainly seems that way. I guess if one apt is on fire there is no need to shut them all down.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Dennis Alwon said:


> It appears there could be 36... I am not certain but it certainly seems that way. I guess if one apt is on fire there is no need to shut them all down.




actually i have an older handbook portraying _exactly_ that Denny , but i doubt any local inspector would not question it.....~CS~


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

I struggle with this rule. The first part clearly says that each service or set of service entrance conductors can have up to six disconnects. The second part says there can be no more than six grouped disconnects for a service in a single location. The wording is not consistent. 
It is clear that where the disconnects for each set of service entrance are located remote from each other, each set can have up to six disconnects for each set of service entrance conductors. It is not clear that you can do that where the disconnects for each set of service entrance conductors are grouped with each other.


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## piperunner (Aug 22, 2009)

6 shooter said:


> On a small apartment building they have the meters and the panel boards in the basement. The service conductors come in the rim joist into a gutter. The meters are tapped from the gutter and from the meter to the panel board. My question is can you have a main lug only panel with no more than 6 breakers, or would you have to have a main breaker in stalled in the panel? There only 5 unit apartments.


Well in florida you you better have a main breaker in each apt panel 6 discos not 32 or 48 . You can read the code and to me its clear the rule says disconnect . If a apt or condo building is on fire there going to shut down everything not just one apt there not going to wait around looking to see which is which trust me .


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## Blue (Nov 28, 2010)

I am certainly not a code guru. But isn't there usually one main shut off before you hit the meter banks? This would shut down hole building or sections. After that you have maybe 100amp mains in meter cans?


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

The rule of 6 benchmark hails back more than 1/2 a century, yet there has always been some conjecture surrounding the rationale....

Did a particular incident occur that spawned the #6 rule?

Were there studies of how long smokeaters (pre-scot firemen) could hold their breath?

Was a major manufacturer involved at the time....?

Could some 6-fingered individual have infiltrated the CMP?









~CS~


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## Blue (Nov 28, 2010)

chicken steve said:


> The rule of 6 benchmark hails back more than 1/2 a century, yet there has always been some conjecture surrounding the rationale....
> 
> Did a particular incident occur that spawned the #6 rule?
> 
> ...


It does suck to have to interpret some of this stuff. Some of the code is very clear and other sections is like reading a law book.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Blue said:


> I am certainly not a code guru. But isn't there usually one main shut off before you hit the meter banks? This would shut down hole building or sections. After that you have maybe 100amp mains in meter cans?


It depends, if you have 24 meters all in one spot yes.

If you have 6 meters in 4 spots maybe not.

This is an area of the code that kicks my ass, I will put up some hand book pictures later.


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

BBQ said:


> It depends, if you have 24 meters all in one spot yes. ...


To me the code is not even completely clear on that.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

I am posting a bunch of these over at least couple of posts, the text below each image goes with it. 












EXHIBIT 230.1 An example of two separate services installed
at one building with permanent plaques or directories at each
service disconnecting means location containing information
describing all other services and the area served by each.














EXHIBIT 230.2 Two services per 230.2(B)(1) and 230.71(A).
Two service drops or two sets of overhead service conductors
supplying two services installed at separate locations for a
building where there is no available space for service equipment
accessible to all occupants. Maximum of six service disconnecting
means permitted for each service.














EXHIBIT 230.3 Two services per 230.2(C)(1) and 230.71(A).
Two service drops or two sets of overhead service conductors
supplying two services installed at separate locations for a
building with capacity requirements exceeding 2000 amperes.
Maximum of six service disconnecting means permitted for
each service.













EXHIBIT 230.4 One service per 230.40, Exception No. 1 and
230.71(A). One service drop or one set of overhead service
conductors supplying two service equipment enclosures installed
at separate locations, each is permitted to have a maximum
of six service disconnecting means.














EXHIBIT 230.5 One service per 230.40, Exception No. 2 and
230.71(A). One set of overhead service conductors supplying
maximum of six separate service disconnecting means enclosures
grouped at one location.















EXHIBIT 230.6 One service per 230.2 and 230.71(A). One service
drop or one set of overhead service conductors supplying a
single service equipment enclosure with maximum of six service
disconnecting means grouped at one location. Optional arrangement
to that shown in Exhibit 230.5.















EXHIBIT 230.7 One service per 230.2, 230.40, Exception No. 2
and 230.71(A). One service lateral or one set of underground
service conductors consisting of six sets of conductors 1/0
AWG or larger, terminating in six separate service equipment
enclosures for a maximum of six service disconnecting means
grouped in that one location.













EXHIBIT 230.8 Two services per 230.2(B)(1) and 230.71(A).
Two service laterals or two sets of underground service conductors,
terminating in two service equipment enclosures installed
at separate locations, with each enclosure permitted to have a
maximum of six service disconnecting means.​


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

EXHIBIT 230.9 One service per 230.40, Exception No. 1 and
230.71(A). One service lateral or set of underground service
conductors supplying two sets of service-entrance conductors
terminating in two service equipment enclosures grouped in one
location. The combined number of service disconnecting means
in the two enclosures cannot exceed six.














EXHIBIT 230.10 One service per 230.2, 230.40, Exception
No. 2 and 230.71(A). Two service laterals or two sets of underground
service conductors, each consisting of conductors 1/0
AWG or larger, supplying two sets of service-entrance conductors
terminating in two service equipment enclosures grouped in
one location. The combined number of service disconnecting
means in the two enclosures cannot exceed six.














EXHIBIT 230.11 Four services per 230.2 and Article 100 definition
of building. Four service laterals or four sets of underground
service conductors supplying four service equipment enclosures
installed at separate locations on a contiguous structure, each
enclosure is permitted to have a maximum of six service disconnecting
means. Note presence of firewalls. See definition of
building in Article 100.













EXHIBIT 230.12 Two services per 230.40, Exception No. 1 and
230.71(A). Two service laterals or two sets of underground service
conductors supplying two service equipment enclosures installed
at separate locations, each enclosure is permitted to
have a maximum of six service disconnecting means.
















EXHIBIT 230.13 One service per 230.40, Exception No. 1 and
230.71(A). One service lateral or one set of underground service
conductors supplying four service equipment enclosures installed
at different locations, with each enclosure permitted to
have a maximum of six service disconnecting means.













EXHIBIT 230.14 Service conductors installed in accordance
with 230.3 so as not to pass through the interior of Building
No. 1 to supply Building No. 2.













EXHIBIT 230.15 Service conductors considered outside a
building where installed under not less than 2 in. of concrete beneath
the building or in a raceway encased by not less than
2 in. of concrete or brick within the building.​


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## bkmichael65 (Mar 25, 2013)

In case of fire, the ff is probably going to look at the meter as his first means of disconnect. I always figured the six sets referred to six individual meters and six mains


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

In Exhibit 230.9, it appears to me that there are eight sets of service entrance conductors, not two as the text indicates.


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## Deep Cover (Dec 8, 2012)

So let's take Exhibit 230.10 and change it up a little bit. Let's remove that JBox. The meters stay where they are and each one is fed by a separate lateral. How many disco's would be allowed? Are those considered grouped? If so, then why are you allowed 6 per enclosure as per Exhibit 230.13?


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

Deep Cover said:


> So let's take Exhibit 230.10 and change it up a little bit. Let's remove that JBox. The meters stay where they are and each one is fed by a separate lateral. How many disco's would be allowed? Are those considered grouped? If so, then why are you allowed 6 per enclosure as per Exhibit 230.13?


The key to the puzzle is the jbox and distance apart


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## ElectricJoeNJ (Feb 24, 2011)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> In Exhibit 230.9, it appears to me that there are eight sets of service entrance conductors, not two as the text indicates.


The description says " 2 separate service enclosures" each of those enclosures is allowed have 6 separate meters or discos.


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## Deep Cover (Dec 8, 2012)

ElectricJoeNJ said:


> The description says " 2 separate service enclosures" each of those enclosures is allowed have 6 separate meters or discos.


To me, that picture is a code violation according to their Exhibit. (assuming those are meter/mains)


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

ElectricJoeNJ said:


> The description says " 2 separate service enclosures" each of those enclosures is allowed have 6 separate meters or discos.


It says there are two sets of service entrance conductors. There are 8 meters and each meter will have a set of service entrance conductors.


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

Deep Cover said:


> To me, that picture is a code violation according to their Exhibit. (assuming those are meter/mains)


That is where I have a problem with this code section. It does permit 6 disconnects for each set of service conductors. In that exhibit there are 8 sets of service entrance conductors. If the disconnects for each set of service entrance conductors are remote from each other it is clear that a total of 48 disconnects would be permitted.
The problem is the wording that says there can be no more than six disconnects per service in single location. In this application there is only a single service.

If the reason for the six disconnect rule is emergency disconnect, how is it safer if the 48 disconnects are installed in groups of six in eight locations than if they are all installed in only location?


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## vos (Apr 1, 2010)

Dennis Alwon said:


> It appears there could be 36... I am not certain but it certainly seems that way. I guess if one apt is on fire there is no need to shut them all down.


As a volunteer firefighter we are told to turn off the lest a mont of beakers as posable (it helps the fire investigators) also we are not spouts to reset any beakers.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Never mind .......


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