• Article 230 Services
• Article 230 Part 5 Service Equipment—General
• Section 230.71 Maximum Number of Disconnects

The requirements found in 230.71, Maximum Number of Disconnects, were modified during the 2020 Code cycle that recognized the fact that the line-side barrier requirements for service equipment became challenging when there were multiple service disconnects in the same enclosure sharing the same bus work. It was impossible, for example, to barrier the line side of service OCPDs in a panelboard because the line side of those service disconnects is a common bus. The requirements found in 230.71(B), Two to Six Service Disconnecting Means, were modified and then improved in the 2023 Code cycle.

The general requirements found in the first-level subdivision tells us that for the purposes of this section, the disconnecting means installed as part of listed equipment and used solely for power monitoring equipment—surge protective devices, control circuits of the ground fault protection system, power-operable service disconnecting means—are not to be considered as service disconnecting means. This first level subdivision has a primary goal of ensuring that these devices that serve equipment inside of the service equipment and do not exit the service equipment are not counted as one of the six disconnecting means.

The second first-level subdivision 230.71(B), Two to Six Service Disconnecting Means, provides direction on how to achieve or install up to six service disconnecting means. There are six possible configurations that are permitted. 

1. Separate enclosures with a main service disconnecting means in each enclosure. This is typically represented as fusible disconnects fed from a trough. 

2. Panelboards with a main service disconnecting means in each panelboard enclosure. This second item now prohibits six disconnects being located in a single panelboard. 

3. Switchboards where there is only one service disconnect in each separate vertical section. Barriers must be provided between each vertical section so as to maintain the inadvertent contact protection required in 230.62 based on access from the adjacent sections. 

4. Service disconnects located in switchgear, transfer switches, or meter centers where each disconnect is located in a separate compartment. The challenge with this section is that meter centers are listed to the same standard as panelboards, UL 67, and there are no solutions that have compartmentalized service disconnects. 

5. Meter centers with a main service disconnecting means in each meter center. This is new for the 2023 Code cycle and addresses the fact that meter centers with a main are similar to panelboards with a main, and meter centers without a main are not available. 

6. This appears as a new requirement but it is only new to 230.71. It was already a requirement that was found in Article 430 for motor control centers and was simply moved to Article 230 for consistency. Motor control centers where there is only one service disconnect in a motor control center unit and a maximum of two service disconnects provided in a single motor control center with barriers provided between each motor control center unit or compartment containing a service disconnect to maintain the inadvertent contact protection required in 230.62 based on access from adjacent motor control center units or compartments. 

There is only one exception to the requirements found in options 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Existing service equipment installed in compliance with previous editions of this Code, which allowed multiple service disconnecting means located in a single enclosure, section, or compartment, is permitted to contain a maximum of six service disconnecting means.

The intent of the changes found in the 2023 Code cycle was to provide some clarity around a few areas that may have been confusing to some. Clarity was added for the switchboard requirements such that it recognizes the barriers that are provided between each vertical section. These barriers maintain the inadvertent contact protection that is required in 230.62 based on access from the adjacent sections.

The second change was to add transfer switches to the fourth option. This now mandates that transfer switches when used as service entrance equipment must be or have their service disconnects be located in a separate compartment. This could be a challenge for a transfer switch where there are two utility sources involved.

The other change concerning meter centers recognizes that meter centers with compartmentalized service disconnecting means are not available on the market. The standard has not changed to permit the creation of these products. Metering centers with a main service disconnecting means in each metering center is a valid option.

Finally, the requirements for motor control centers found in this section are not new to the National Electrical Code, as they were simply relocated from Article 430 to Article 230 for consistency and clarity. A new exception was added for existing service equipment that was installed to comply with previous editions of the Code, which allowed multiple service disconnecting means in a single enclosure, section, or compartment, is permitted to contain a maximum of six service disconnecting means. The exception applies to panelboards, switchboards, switchgear, transfer switches, meter centers, and motor control centers.

The major reason for some of the changes found in 230.71 were for clarity and recognizing an additional service entrance piece of equipment that presents the same hazards as the other equipment in this list. Service entrance equipment must include barriers on the line side of the service disconnecting means. It is important when you apply 6 disconnects that it is able to apply line side barriers. When multiple service disconnecting means are located in an assembly and they are all attached to the same bus structure it presents issues for line side barriers. This was a recognized problem when barriers were initially required as part of the 2020 national electrical code when an exception was required to address the six disconnect rule. The code panel took steps to reduce the likelihood of accidentally coming in contact with energized parts when the service disconnecting means is in the open position and the presence of six disconnects in the same enclosure connected to the same bus structure conflicted with the goals in the barrier requirements. This elevated the awareness to code making panel members and others which drove public inputs to address the six disconnecting means requirements found in 230.71.

What are the alternatives to comply with NEC 230.71 for traditional garden-style apartment complex?