New single family dwelling. Inspector came for rough-in inspection last week and wrote me up for a violation; "panel too low". My panel measures 6'0" from the floor to the top of the enclosure and 5'4" from the floor to the main breaker. The inspector said it had to be at least 6'6" from the floor to the main. I asked him to show me where in the code that requirement was. He showed me a drawing from a handbook titled "Work space clearances". After explaining what work space clearances meant he tore up the violation notice and left. He said he'd made a dozen electricians move their panels in the last few months.

The Main CB handle can be no more than 6'7" off the floor...

404.8(A) 2002 NEC

Whats scary is, some municipality is using "our" tax dollars to PAY that guy !

Go Pats! < didnt even NEED the 14 :-) >

404.8(A) Address’s circuit breakers used as switches. Article 230 Service Equipment – Disconnecting Means shall be identify as a service disconnect and never is it refer to as being switch rated. Are all circuit breakers listed to interrupt their current rating also switch rated?

Switching Duty Rating applies to the ability of the circuit breaker to be as a "light switch" for HID or fluorescent loads. It is only available for 15 and 20A devices.

JBD
I agree and these breakers are marked “switch rated”. My question, does 404.8(A) apply for the service disconnect (6’7”) or is the service disconnect just required to readily accessible 230.70(A)(1)

My error, I was replying faster then I was reading.

Short answer, yes the height restrictions apply. In this case the circuit breaker is being used as a "switch" it is intended to disconnect the conductors from their supply(see definition of disconnect switch).

I could not find a definition for disconnect switches only a disconnecting means. Using the definition for disconnecting means would mean all circuit breakers are switches. 404.8(A) States that “all circuit breakers used as switches” shall meet the requirements of this section. I may seem to be splitting hairs because readily accessible in my opinion would not be over 6’7”. I’m not convinced that 404.8(A) applies with service equipment. Attached is a response from square D. This refers to switch duty to which I believe 404.8(A) applies.

Hello Mike,

In response to your request, the only breakers that are switch duty rated are the 1P 15A and 20A breakers and they will have the SWD on the label. The article is referring to fluorescent lighting loads. Other breakers can be turned off and on however, they do not have the SWD on the label and the life of the breaker may be reduced depending on how many operations a day you will need. If the breaker does not have the SWD on the label then the breaker does not meet the UL requirements for switch duty.

Regards,

Shonna Neuhart
CIC - Sr. Product Support Specialist
888 778 -2733



AgentMaster
To: Shonna Neuhart/US/Schneider@Americas
02/01/2002 cc:
01:29 PM Subject: Molded case circuit breakers

I believe the issue revolves around the intended function of the device rather than its actual construction. If the intent is to use the circuit breaker as an OCPD then the height restriction would not apply.
If the intent is to use the circuit breaker as a manual means of disconnecting conductors/eqipment from their source of supply then the breaker is acting as a switch and the height restrictions apply.

Definitions from the 1999 NEC:
Switches.

General-Use Switch. A switch intended for use in general distribution and branch circuits. It is rated in amperes, and it is capable of interrupting its rated current at its rated voltage. ((This is what the SWD rating of a breaker is for))

Isolating Switch. A switch intended for isolating an electric circuit from the source of power. It has no interrupting rating, and it is intended to be operated only after the circuit has been opened by some other means. ((this would apply to a service disconnect device))

Motor-Circuit Switch. A switch rated in horsepower that is capable of interrupting the maximum operating overload current of a motor of the same horsepower rating as the switch at the rated voltage.

Disconnecting Means. A device, or group of devices, or other means by which the conductors of a circuit can be disconnected from their source of supply.

Service Equipment. The necessary equipment, usually consisting of a circuit breaker(s) or switch(es) and fuse(s) and their accessories, connected to the load end of service conductors to a building or other structure, or an otherwise designated area, and intended to constitute the main control and cutoff of the supply.

Uh, so am I right or did I goof again?

Sparky66. I think you'reright. I've always read that to be the max height for a main in a dwelling.

404.11 (2002 NEC)"Circuit Breakers as Switches. A hand-operable circuit breaker equipped with a lever or handle, or a power-operated circuit breaker capable of being opened by hand in the event of a power failure, shall be permitted to serve as a switch if it has the required number of poles."

A note on SWD circuit breakers(CB). The 2002 NEC requires HID rated CB's for switching HID lighting. Since a HID CB is also rated for SWD duty, manufacturers are doing away with the SWD and only making a SWD type. I checked in a Sq D cat and there were no SWD CB's shown.

And I don't know if there is a cost difference between the two.

Square D has never shown a seperate part number for an SWD breaker. Their 1P 15 and 20Amp breakers are footnoted as being SWD rated (see the triangle on Digest page 1-2, lower left corner). HID rated breakers are something different, but even they cannot be SWD except for 1P 15 & 20A (see the triangle on Digest page 1-3, lower left corner).

So if the main breaker is Not SWD rated, then it can be mounted at any height?

I just get more confused everyday...

I've always seen enforcement of that switch height provision for all main circuit breakers. I don't think there is any justification for interpreting "switch" in a technical sense equivalent to "SWD". I'm curious about what sort of circuit breaker CAN'T be used as a switch. Aren't they ALL usable as isolating switches?
This discussion brings to mind another related 'hair to split': When 230.70(A)(1) talks about the service disconnection means "installed at a readily accessible location", it seems to be addressing the issue of whether the ROOM the disconnect is in is easy to get into (by qualified and responsible personnel), and not the issue of elevation. Do you all agree?

Lets take another twist. 230.91 Install a (suitable for use as service equipment) transfer switch without overcurrent protection adjacent to the service overcurrent device in this case a main breaker inside the service equipment. Now the transfer switch is required to be mounted no higher than 6’7” and the service overcurrent device (breaker) can be mounted at any height.
I agree with JBD on the intended function of the breaker. If it is used as a switch then no higher than 6’7”, if used as a service disconnect then mount it in a readily accessible location 6’7” or less above the floor or platform. But what about that overcurrent device adjacent to the service disconnect???????

All SWD rated devices are switches but not all switches are SWD rated.

Switching is a function - in the lowest definition it is a device intended to manually open a set of conductors by use of an attached handle.

SWD rating - a UL rating only for 15 and 20Amp single pole circuit breakers that "qualify" them for use a "light switches" for fluorescent lamps.

MVilliness, I'm wondering if the crux of our difficulty with this issue is the technically careful wording in 230.70, and Art 100, dealing with the "disconnecting means"--which includes the removable link in the neutral bus too. From a practical functional aproach, we aren't going to worry about how high the neutral bus link is. But the CB or SW definitely has to comply with 404.8(A) since we DO switch them, and so they are "switches" (regardless of power availability or circuit loading).
In the situation where you are dealing with a main switch and "downstream" fuses, the fuses don't have to be <6'7", just "readily accessible"..and I haven't run into any stipulation that 6'7" is the deciding height for "readily accessible".

Elzappr
I don't know what the height should be. Some of us are "vertically challenged". Remember its not readily accesible if you have to use a ladder or something to reach it.
Don(resqcapt19)