ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Twist-Locks

Okay...doosey here...(this guy really has a license?)

When is it considered necessary to use twistlock type plugs and recepts?

I've got an ice cream machine installation, two 15A 230V circuits required, no plugs provided with the used unit. Nothing in the rest of the drive-in restaurant has twist-locks.

It's gonna be one of those "pull off a miracle" job with a full panel and a full sub panel. Guess I'll trace down some unused recepts, tie 'em together to free up some bus space, and go from there.

Another panel is out of the question at this point. Would open a whole can of worms involving the PoCo and Inspector. $$$$ out the yinyang.

The HVAC guy who referred me didn't want to tackle this one!

The only twist lock , code wise, that i'm aware of is in 680, otherwise it's a matter of location, vibration, # of prongs....

The 'circuit that broke the panel's back' is much more interesting, seems like i'm always there myself, looking for non-coincidental loads,dead circuit runs, wondering if they can run it for 179 min's at a time,maybe a fancy T-switch,,,,etc.

Virgil,

You've got to love those full panels.

I've been working on a large building (on a part time basis) where just about every panel is full. Every time some one added a light or receptacle, they just put it on its own circuit. That's fine, they rarely trip a breaker, but when I need a space, I have to do what Sparky does. Needless to say, there is no panel schedule to help me out.

Maybe I should'a been a piano player in a ...

Tom

Hey...if it was easy you wouldn't be making all those $$$$$
GJ

'66,

I would use them if flexible drops are needed and, as Sparky says where there is vibration or possibility of plug getting knocked out easily.


Bill

well Virgil,
we're all anxious to hear how you pull this off!

Boy did I luck out!

One unused duplex receptacle that was a candidate for "cannibalizing" into the new circuit was split wired and wired with #10-3-G.

It was dedicated and freed up the two spaces I needed for one of the circuits. Two more recepts that were used occaisionally for Xmas lights, etc. were combined into one circuit.

A final unused recept near the first one was also canniballized.

Invoice? $111.74 and all future work sent my way... There will be lots looking at the mess they have.

I even told the owner, very seriously, not to let the fire insurance premiums get behind. Or rewire the whole leased building.

Tom...
The music biz is worse... I was a "legit" musician before I was a sparky. Had to get a day job! Complete with college time at Berklee and WVU...Music Theory, Arranging and Composition major...no bull! I still make a little money in music, but I'll never recover what I've invested in time, schooling, and instuments/equipment...Even belonged to the AFM local in Morgantown once...

The spellchecker ain't workin'...

[This message has been edited by sparky66wv (edited 04-29-2001).]

Virgil;
you lucked out! good for you!
I call those 'hero' or 'zero' jobs
it's one or the other, no inbettween...

Virgil
I ran across a permiseve rule in article 410-27 for locking type connecters.By the way I did a two week gig in Morgantown back in (76)? payed travelleng dues everywhere we played I was a pro for about five years.Whatever you do don't let it stop being fun playing.



[This message has been edited by therain4 (edited 05-01-2001).]

Hey Virgil,
Another place for twistems is on cord connected showcases (NEC410-29).
Sounds like your career change could be labeled as a humanitarian effort from the pics and tales you've got.
(I played lead guitar in a band-late'60s to early'70s,made some $, but became a spark so I could eat every day)

[This message has been edited by electure (edited 05-02-2001).]