ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum How'd This Happen?

Minimum distance between live components increases with voltage- after a certain voltage, you wouldn't legally be able to fit components into boxes like this without dividers.

Are you sure that the new switches are not controlling contactors, perhaps in the cabinet they are mounted in?

In all fairness,



they did double the number of switches. Now the switches control single 277 Volt circuits each.
They are still in 4-gang boxes, mounted to the side of an old (GE, I think) panelboard.
There are no contactors.

The issue of >300 volts between adjacent devices still remains. 404.8(B). It still isn't right.

It would be a simple matter to fix it, but it won't happen unless this thing blows up again.

How could it be fixed?

If all the switches in the same box are run off the same phase of 277V, then that shouldn't be an issue. But the fact that there are 4 boxes means that either one phase has extra loading (unless some of the switches control smaller than the average load), or the above rule is violated in at least one of the boxes.

3 phase breaker panel with every other numbered circuit on the same phase? I don't think so.

Perhaps someone is using a single phase panel with two legs of a three phase system. That still sounds unlikely.

Larry C