Don,
from the 2002 NECH (all rights reserved)
550.2 Definitions.
Manufactured Home. A structure, transportable .....For the purpose of this Code and unless otherwise indicated, the term mobile home includes manufactured homes.
Mobile Home. A factory-assembled structure ......For the purpose of this Code and unless otherwise indicated, the term mobile home includes manufactured homes.
550.32 Service Equipment.
(A) Mobile Home Service Equipment. The mobile home service equipment shall be located adjacent to the mobile home and not mounted in or on the mobile home. The service equipment shall be located in sight from and not more than 9.0 m (30 ft) from the exterior wall of the mobile home it serves. The service equipment shall be permitted to be located elsewhere on the premises, provided that a disconnecting means suitable for service equipment is located in sight from and not more than 9.0 m (30 ft) from the exterior wall of the mobile home it serves. Grounding at the disconnecting means shall be in accordance with 250.32.
Mobile home service equipment must be located in sight of the mobile home, but the equipment can be up to 30 ft from any point on the exterior wall of the mobile home. This requirement recognizes the use of feeder raceways that are external to the mobile home. Service equipment may be located more than 30 ft from the mobile home if an additional disconnecting means is located within 30 ft of the mobile home and grounding and bonding of this additional disconnecting means is performed in accordance with the provisions of 250.32. In a mobile home park, this arrangement facilitates locating service equipment at one or more centralized locations that are not within the required 30-ft proximity to the mobile home. Feeders are installed from this service equipment to the properly located mobile home site disconnecting means.
(B) Manufactured Home Service Equipment. The manufactured home service equipment shall be permitted to be installed in or on a manufactured home, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The manufacturer shall include in its written installation instructions information indicating that the home shall be secured in place by an anchoring system or installed on and secured to a permanent foundation.
(2) The installation of the service equipment shall comply with Article 230.
(3) Means shall be provided for the connection of a grounding electrode conductor to the service equipment and routing it outside the structure.
(4) Bonding and grounding of the service shall be in accordance with Article 250.
(5) The manufacturer shall include in its written installation instructions one method of grounding the service equipment at the installation site. The instructions shall clearly state that other methods of grounding are found in Article 250.
(6) The minimum size grounding electrode conductor shall be specified in the instructions.
(7) A red warning label shall be mounted on or adjacent to the service equipment. The label shall state the following:
WARNING DO NOT PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER UNTIL THE GROUNDING ELECTRODE(S) IS INSTALLED AND CONNECTED (SEE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS).
Where the service equipment is not installed in or on the unit, the installation shall comply with the other provisions of this section.
The provisions of 550.32(B) specify the conditions required in order to install the service equipment in or on a manufactured home. The concern over the unit being moved off-site (intentionally or unintentionally) without the ability to disconnect the electrical supply is addressed in condition (1). A manufactured home with a service in or on the unit must be anchored in place or secured to a permanent foundation.
Other conditions specified by 550.32(B) cover the need to provide proper grounding and bonding conductors, systems, and connections and to install the service equipment in accordance with the applicable requirements in Article 230. The provisions of 550.32(B) only apply to manufactured homes as defined in 550.2. end of quoted material
italic text is handbook commentary
I believe that this section clearly seperates the requirements for the different types of buildings, one requirement for mobile home, another for manufactured homes. This seperation follows the wording of the last sentence of the definitions for both Mobile Homes and Manufactured Homes, where it says that the two are the same, "unless otherwise indicated". If these two locations are the same as far as services are concerned, why the two different sections, A & B?
You are not allowed to install a service on a "Mobile Home", under any conditions, while you are allowed to do this on Manufactured Homes, following the guidelines in (B).
With respect.
Yoopersup, again with respect, the 2002 section 550.32(b)(3) does not state that a disconnect is required, nor is a disconnect even mention there. This section refers to the connection of a grounding electrode connection, and running that conductor outside of the building. This means that if the service equipment (disconnect) is installed inside of the home (which is allowable following the rules laid out in this section) then the manufacture is required to run the grounding electrode conductor from the disconnect to a location outside of the home. This could be a j-box mounted on the side of the home, where the installer could splice a length of grounding electrode conductor to it, and run the GEC to a grounding electrode, following the rules in 550.32(b)(4),(5)&(6).
[This message has been edited by rmiell (edited 07-21-2003).]
[This message has been edited by rmiell (edited 07-21-2003).]
[This message has been edited by rmiell (edited 07-21-2003).]
