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<font size=3>Dan:<br><br>
As I read it, the ampacity of the wire need only be 1/3 of the OCP.
And yes, the OCP for this tap is the 200 amp main, although it can be
construed that the circuit breaker at the down-stream end of the feeder
provides protection as well (if you short the bus the feeder is
supplying, the down-stream CB prevents the feeder from melting due to the
3X ampacity of the upstream protection). <br><br>
Also at issue is the question: is the romex wire protected "by other
means"? Judgement call.<br><br>
See citation below from 240.21(B):<br><br>
<i>(2) Taps Not over 7.5 m (25 ft) Long. Where the length of<br>
the tap conductors does not exceed 7.5 m (25 ft) and the tap<br>
conductors comply with all the following:<br>
(1) The ampacity of the tap conductors is not less than<br>
one-third of the rating of the overcurrent device protecting<br>
the feeder conductors.<br>
(2) The tap conductors terminate in a single circuit breaker<br>
or a single set of fuses that limit the load to the ampacity<br>
of the tap conductors. This device shall be permitted<br>
to supply any number of additional overcurrent devices<br>
on its load side.<br>
(3) The tap conductors are protected from physical damage<br>
by being enclosed in an approved raceway or by other<br>
approved means.<br><br>
</i>End of citation<br><br>
William Miller<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
At 01:06 PM 10/25/2011, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>William,<br><br>
The tap conductor ampacity must not be less than the rating of the
breaker<br>
protecting that circuit, which in this case (if I understand the
configuration<br>
correctly) would be the main breaker in the panelboard.<br><br>
Any smaller gauge would require its own OCP device of appropriate
rating<br>
if it's to be code-compliant.<br><br>
Dan<br><br>
<br><br>
--- On <b>Tue, 10/25/11, William Miller
<i><william@millersolar.com></i></b> wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite><br>
From: William Miller <william@millersolar.com><br>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Feeder without a dedicated breaker<br>
To: "RE-wrenches"
<re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org><br>
Date: Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 2:54 PM<br><br>
Jamie:<br><br>
Thanks for getting me started. I did not think to consider this as
a tap, but it appears to match the criteria.<br><br>
William Miller<br><br>
<br><br>
At 11:38 AM 10/25/2011, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>William, I would start with Article
240.21(B).<br><br>
<b>Jamie
Johnson</b></blockquote></blockquote>_______________________________________________<br>
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