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#95742 10/03/05 05:01 PM
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 308
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Steve T Offline OP
Member
A building has an existing 400 amp service with a 3" rigid riser existing.

They make the service 800 amp and add another 3-1/2" riser with the same conductor type, size, insulation, length, and terminated in the same manner.

Would this be a violation?

Does the raceway having the same physical charactristics include the size of the conduit?

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#95743 10/03/05 05:11 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,374
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Red tag from me [Linked Image]


Ryan Jackson,
Salt Lake City
#95744 10/03/05 05:46 PM
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 308
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Steve T Offline OP
Member
Ryan--Would you mind elaborating a little. Just curious about the interpretation.

Thanks

#95745 10/03/05 06:16 PM
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 706
T
Member
SteveT, I'm curious how you turn a 400-amp service into an 800-amp service without replacing the gear. It sounds like you're describing some kind of add-on.

Dave

#95746 10/03/05 06:20 PM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 265
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Quote
310.4 Where run in seperate raceways or cables, the raceways or cables shall have the same physical characteristics.

3" and 3 1/2" seem to be different physical characteristics to me.

#95747 10/03/05 06:25 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
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Steve I imagine Ryan is thinking of this part of 310.4

Quote
Where run in separate raceways or cables, the raceways or cables shall have the same physical characteristics.

Tiger one quick and easy way is to provide 800 amp metering and add a second 400 amp service disconnect switch next to the original.


Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
#95748 10/03/05 06:25 PM
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 308
S
Steve T Offline OP
Member
They are replacing the gear.

I was just thinking the different physical characteristics tended more towards meaning the same type of metal, or not one metal and one PVC.

Does anyone have a reason why this would or could be unsafe? (Assume the raceways are properly bonded and such)

#95749 10/03/05 06:28 PM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 265
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I personally don't think there would ever be an issue with this install. But you are trying to avoid any differences between the paths. If you have a smaller pipe you would have a change in heat disipation and inductance for example, which might result in one path taking a larger amount of current.

#95750 10/03/05 06:42 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
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Moderator
Size is definitely a physical characteristic of a raceway.


Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts
#95751 10/03/05 09:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
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Likes: 2
Cat Servant
Member
I thinbk that cite came from a discussion of "parallel" feeders. What I see, instead, are two separate service drops, going to two separate disconnects.

If these are then combined at a panel, I see all sorts of "multiple feed" issues."

If they are segregated from each other, all the way to the outlets, then we have two separate services on one building.

As I understand parallel feeds, they have to start, and end, at the same places.....not a separate disconnects.
If that is the case, I would have preferred a larger riser, with larger wires, coming from a single disconnect to a single weatherhead. Then, if the PoCo wanted to run a parallel feed, they would join at the weatherhead.


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