When I was still doin electrical work (waste water treatment plants mainly) we installed Siemens Panels all the time. To me the cases seem like junk. The breakers are great quality just the panel seems to be weak to me. Like they don't hold the breakers tight.?? Anyway SQ D seem sturdier and better built, assuming we are talking about the QO series. The Homeline series from the HD are JUNK !!!! Just my $.02

 

I will take another look at those Square-D panels.

The Siemens product literature specifically states that the panels are designed to be mounted either side up. The main breaker handle is reversible so the breaker handle is properly OFF to the left. There are conventions on switch motion, up or to the right are ON, and down or to the left is OFF.

 

The line goes in at top and the load comes out the bottom of the main period. The branch circuits may be spliced inside the load center if required on a service upgrade. With your existing height you have no problem with max disconnect height.

 

The NEC is silent on sump pumps. There is no underlying requirement for adding a GFI to a circuit just because a sump pump is attached.

The general rule you are running into is that the NEC requires GFI's on receptacles in garages, unfinished basements, and crawl spaces. (Article 210.8(A)(5))

Exception 2 to this article is quite commonly applied here, in order to avoid the negative consquences of nuisance trips for certain kinds of devices.

"A single receptacle ... located in dedicated space for each appliance, that, in normal use, is not easily moved from one place to another" (does not have to have GFI protection)

A single receptacle means a single round receptacle, taking only one plug, not the normal household duplex receptacle.

You should have a good argument that a sump pump installed in a dedicated sump with a float switch, etc. is not easily moved from one place to another "in normal use."

I have used this exception for refrigerators and freezers in garages and basements. I will write "freezer only" across the cover plate if the freezer isn't going to be right next to the receptacle during the inspection. The inspectors usually take one look at the single round receptacle and let it go at that.

The alternative, for a sump pump, would be to cut the plug off, add a disconnect switch to the branch circuit, and hard wire the pump so that there is no receptacle. Unless your local code has a specific requirement for GFI protection on all sump pump circuits, there's nothing in the installation to cause a GFI to be required.

As for the "15 year old wiring" issue:

The NEC prescribes rules for new intallations. The NEC itself has no regulatory effect; it must be adopted (and possibly modified) by the local authority. It is this adoption that gives it force of law. The local authority adds the rules for dealing with remodelling and existing work.

Those rules usually amount to the following:
1) New work must meet current code
2) Old work need not be brought up to current code, so long as it conformed to the code that existed at the time it was installed, if doing so is not "practicable".

Practicable implies that the scope of the contemplated remodelling work makes it feasible to bring the old work up to code, without further significant further expense beyond electrical work.

So if you remodel a kitchen in an old farmhouse, you typically have to add new small appliance branch circuits, GFI protection, and space the receptacles along countertops to current code. But you do not have to completely rewire the other receptacles in the building to supply an equipment grounding conductor, or give bathrooms their own circuit, or put AFCI's in bedrooms, etc.

If you gut the farmhouse down to the studs, then all of the wiring so exposed will have to be upgraded to current code.

The standard for how much work has to be done before a particular upgrade is triggered varies from location to location and even inspector to inspector.

 

like fefarms says your sump pump,freezer, washing machine can be on a non-gfi dedicated circuit to that appliance. Usually SqD is a nice box. The last 2 I put in were CH. and I was impressed by their quality.

 

fefarms, thank you very much for all the clarifications. You interpreted that GFI code the same as I did but I will have to convince the inspector next time re the sump pump.

I have one location in my basement where a single box duplex receptacle would be serving the sump pump and an industrial type emergency light. Do I need to install two boxes with two single receptacles or can I use a duplex receptacle at that location since there are two devices?

I am glad I don't have to rewire the entire 44 year old house according to the NEC. I was worried about that with the upgrade. At least I can argue about it now since the city uses the NEC with certain revisions. I will be able to put an arc-fault breaker on the bedrooms the way they are wired. I will also be rewiring the kitchen so I can bring that up to code easily.

Would a washing machine trip a GFI? I was planning on using one for that circuit since it would be quite possible to touch the washer and another appliance or sink with wet hands or even wet feet on a wet concrete floor???

Does anyone know what an arc-fault breaker is and what it is supposed to do?

 

Does anyone know what an arc-fault breaker is and what it is supposed to do?

They sense a heat causing arc and are supposed to cut down on fires. It will trip just like a GFI. Mandatory in bedrooms. A little controversial as to their effectiveness.


Dick

 

and the arc fault seems to have a lot of nuisance tripping and, even a lot of bad breakers. They definetly need a little improving.

Now if your house is 44yrs old, why would you be having it inspected? selling?

I don't think I read this?

 

What I meant was, Why would he be inspecting anything but the service upgrade?

 

I am upgrading the service from 100-200A along with some remodeling, expanding garage, adding interior stair to basement, remodeling kitchen, finishing part of basement with bath and new laundry area, new roofing, etc.

 

I did some searching and found this:
http://www.statefarm.com/consumer/vh...icles/afci.htm

A small portion of the article is here:
========================
-snip-
What is an Arc Fault?
Many times the culprit is an arc fault. An arc is a discharge of electric current across a gap. Many of us have seen an arc such as from an arc welder or sparks from a downed power line. An arc fault is an unintended arc flowing through an unintentional path.

Common causes for arc faults in a house are:

* Loose or improper connections, such as electrical wires to outlets or switches
* Frayed or ruptured appliance or extension cords
* Pinched or pierced wire insulation, such as a wire inside a wall nipped by a nail or screw or a chair leg setting on an extension cord
* Cracked wire insulation stemming from age, heat, corrosion or bending stress
* Overheated wire or cords
* Damaged electrical appliances
* Wires or cords touching vibrating metal
* Electrical wire insulation chewed by rodents
-snip-
============================

There is more info here:
Mike Holt

There also seems to be a mite bit of BS on the subject also.

 

A single duplex receptacle may supply two appliances, each having "dedicated space", and each "not easily moved in normal use" in an unfinished basement without a GFI. This is a part of 210.8(A)(5) exception 2 that I left out of the prior reply. It should not be necessary to install two separate single receptacles. The "industrial light" may be a sticking point if it is easily moved or easily disconnected.

Generally, the issue is how likely it would be for some future homeowner to disconnect the appliance and plug in an electric drill or whatever into the non-GFI receptacle whilst standing in water. Presumably your could bolster your case for application of the exception by such measures as putting one of those outdoor "bubble covers" over the receptacle or providing a nearby convenience receptacle that IS GFI protected.

(Note that if you apply the exception to install a non-GFI receptacle in an unfinished basement, you must still supply a separate GFI receptacle SOMEWHERE in the basement).

I am disdainful of arc fault breakers. The tests I've read show them not tripping despite deliberately introduced 7 amp sparking arcs. And they are known for false trips in the face of normal loading from certain kinds of appliances. They seem to be more a new source of revenue for the manufacturers than a real aid to safety. As with GFI devices, they waste 10 or so watts continuously, whether or not you have anything plugged into the circuits they ostensibly protect. The cost of the devices tends to promote connecting all or most bedroom circuits to a common branch circuit, which reduces the utility and serviceability of the household wiring. Square-D has a recall notice out on most of their early production of AFCI breakers.

The code says AFCIs have to be provided for new wiring in bedroooms, but I wouldn't go out of my way to add them if they were not required. The only good thing I can say about them is that the also provide GFI protection, albeit not as good as a true GFI device.

If a washing machine false-trips a GFI, there is no significant adverse consequence. Your clothes just don't get washed. (Contrast to what happens if a sump pump or freezer trips a GFI).

A good solid equipment grounding conductor should provide adequate safety for the washing machine. A GFI does provide some additional safety and there should not be a propensity to false trip. It's pretty much your choice how you want to handle the wiring to a washing machine; either way can be code compliant. If you provide the GFI for this circuit, you won't have to fight about the "dedicated space" issue.

You need at least one dedicated 20 amp laundry circuit to comply with 210.11 (c) (2). This must have "no other outlets". You do not have to plug a washing machine into a laundry circuit.

 

The industrial emergency light case is about 12x12x6" and it will be bolted to a concrete wall. The receptacle will be back in the corner behind the sump pump and next to the E-light. There will be three more easily accessible duplex GFI outlets on the same circuit in the area (four outlets total). I have ~30 outlets in my basement including the dedicated ones for a washer, refrigerator, and freezer. There are two additional 240V outlets in the basement also. One will be hard wired with a disconnect for the rotary phase converter to run the 7.5HP lathe motor.

The E-light fixture will be supplying fused 12VDC power to a number of low power LED light fixtures in various areas.

 

Whenever there I have a concern about how the inspector will interpret the NEC or what is local acceptable practice I ask them. They are the AHJ, Authority Having Jurisdiction, and consulting them can make the process much easier. I usually start the conversation with "I'm getting conflicting opinions and I want to make sure it is done in an acceptable way".