How To Install A Furnace Power Disconnect Switch
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- Опубликовано: 26 окт 2023
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I will walk you through the installation of a power disconnect switch which is called out in the code for your furnace/air handler. I will show how to install a simple single-pull switch in addition to a switch/outlet combination which can come in handy for powering an accessory like a condensation pump.
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@7:23 When changing the filter I instead turn off at the thermostat, because I don't need the AC cut and because many units have a shut-down sequence I want to respect. Probably doesn't mean anything (after all, power outages don't typically harm HVACs) but doing so satisfies my psyche. Also, my filter isn't installed at the air handler location Great video, Scott!
Hi Scott! This was really helpful. I enjoy all your videos with all the tips, tricks and techniques. That powerstation is a great idea for power failures. Have an awesome day!
Thanks for the feedback and support 🙌
I would have screwed the handy box to the furnace and used a ground pigtail in the handy box as well. I don't like relying on the locknut as they can come loose due to vibration eventually.
Thanks, Scott. I have a combo AC/Furnace unit in a living room/near-hallway cabinet, so I'm not sure if this would apply to my situation for the furnace only, but I'm sure it will help a lot of others.
Always learning from you. Thank you!❤❤❤
The 'handi' box you used looks like a 2x3x2inches deep box which is about 10 cu.inches in capacity. With 4 conductors (2 black and 2 white) going in and out of the box, one for all the grounding wires, and the device counting as 2, you have the equivalent of 7 conductors in the box. With 14 gauge wire for a 15 amp circuit, you need 2 cu.in. per conductor equivalent for a total box space requirement of 14 cu.in. Having all those wires in a 10 cu.in. box is a code violation. You should use a 4x4x1.5 inch deep square, round, or octagonal box (at a minimum) to not have a code fill violation. It also makes it easier to keep all the wires neatly in the box without a risk of a wire or terminal shorting on the box. Also agree with others that the box should also have a grounding wire attached to it.
Update: actually, I forgot to include the calculations for wire clamps so add two more cu.in. for a total of 16 cu.in. Need to have a licensed electrician double check me on this according to the 2023 electrical code!
If the box was oversized, is that a code violation?
Good info. One might be able to use emergency power with an oil burner furnace too. My oil burner furnace circulation fan (set to LOW) uses about twice as much electricity as the oil burner pump/fan.
Dave the DIY Guy did an awesome job on his video
Good demo Scott ... Thx
Good overview. To be clear on the point of it not meeting code... existing installs are grandfathered in most jurisdictions and do not have to be changed (switch install). You only need to install that switch if you are making changes or replacing the furnace (usually in need of an inspection and permitting process). I had this situation when my furnace was replaced and they had to install the switch. Makes sense that it is installed on the side of the unit where easily accessed.
Another note the inspector caught us on... per my local code enforcement, we actually had to reduce the size of the panel breaker from 20A to 15A, as most newer furnace blowers require less power to operate than the older ones.
Weird. The breaker is supposed to protect the conductors, not the equipment. Not sure why any locality would do what you described... but I totally understand just complying with whatever the inspector says, nonsense or otherwise.
@@ncootyBecause if the manufacturer specifies a maximum fuse/breaker size, then per the NEC you must install equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
@Sparky-ww5re I follow your reasoning (especially on a dedicated circuit), but in that case, I think I'd ask the inspector to show me in the appliance's spec sheet where it's called out. Personally, I don't recall ever seeing such a thing, and I'd think it'd be pretty odd for an appliance to rely on a panel breaker rather than be internally protected for internal over-current--for exactly this sort of reason. (E.g., a manufacturer doesn't know if an appliance is being installed on a grandfathered non-dedicated circuit.) In any case, if it's required, it's required (and most codes have good reasons), but I'd want an explanation from the inspector.
@@ncooty I do primarily residential, specifically custom homes some of which are well over 10,000 square feet and cost upwards of several million dollars, and can have two, three or more furnaces and outdoor condensers and heat pumps that may or may not have backup resistance heaters. I've wired several that the specs call for maximum breaker sizes that are not typically seen elsewhere, such as 25, 35 and 45 amps. Last year I was trimming out a house roughed in by one of my fellow electricians, and there was a steam generator for a sauna that specified a 90 amp max breaker.
The point is, sometimes the Code puts us electricians in an awkward spot and tends to contradict itself, because the scope of the NEC covers the installation of wiring and equipment, and since you're obviously not installing existing equipment the grandfather clause applies to most situations. However, 110.3(B), states "Equipment that is listed, labeled, or both, or identified for a use shall be installed and used in accordance with any instructions included in the listing, labeling, or identification"
Ultimately the Authority Having Jurisdiction has the final say in whether an existing circuit that has the ampacity for a new piece of equipment is allowed to remain as is where is.
@Sparky-ww5re Well, you clearly do that sort of work much more than I do. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain it. Thank you.
In California, at least in Los Angeles, residential furnaces are plug and cord connected. That is your disconnect. Perfectly OK as residential furnaces are all gas, no oil heat in this region. So all you have is a low voltage gas valve and a blower, 4 or 5 amps max. What gets me though is why UL now allows single pole contactors to be used in residential or split phase HVAC condensers. Yes, you still have a full disconnect close by but some technicians may leave that on thinking that only the line side of the contactor is hot! Surprise!
Question: Is it OK to use a plain switchplate? Every home I've seen has a red switchplate that explicitly calls it out as a cutoff for the gas (or oil) burner. Isn't that required?
I always assumed an SSU was required. Every furnace I've seen has one around here in Michigan as well as the boiler at my brother's house. It's the combo unit of a switch and screw in fuse pre mounted on a single gang faceplate. Still runs from a breaker on the main panel but often times the fuse is smaller than 15 amps.
It was here in CA. I even challenged it with contractor, when I pointed out that breaker box was right next to air handler in plain view. Thus, why the duplication? But, it was insisted upon.
Same thing here in Wisconsin. Every furnace I've seen is a handy box with a plug fuse and toggle switch. The fuse is sized to the furnace rating plate, our furnace in our old house was a 6 and 2/3rds amp fuse(I'd never seen a fractionally rated fuse before, but they do exist). In our current house the furnace was installed in 1985 and it has a 10 amp fuse. Do they make residential sub-15 amp breakers? Never seen one yet. I suppose they could, they would have to be hand built and tested, and be able to be mounted in your panel (Square D?, Cutler-Hamer?, GE?). A custom rated breaker; $500? or a 50 cent fuse. Also they used to have fused washer outlets, ours was a 10 amp.
I didn't see where the box is properly secured/supported or where box is grounded. Is it not necessary to screw box for support and install ground screw?
Lets go!👏👏👏👏👏
Code is to bound your boxes. Period. We use pipe to transfer ground and we still have to ground every box. So this “nipple,” theory doesn’t apply. Gotta bond the box, gotta bond the equipment. Seems silly, I know.
Could have swore he made this mistake before, don't worry he'll make another video how to fix this lol
I think his primary motivation for repairs/projects are as an excuse to buy and use fancy hand tools...in other words, the actual repairs/projects are just a means to an end to use the tools.
@@jimh1996 His intentions are good. He’s just not a professional.
It's also bonded via that mc, ac or bx cable (whatever that is), which is legal in most places
It may sound silly, but electrical fires and issues are no joke. People have lost their homes, lives, and property to disasters that could have been prevented by safety devices
I think it's okay not to have a switch for the furnace if you're seeing distance from the breaker to disconnect it. But seriously. Put a dang switch there, that's seriously the standard installation regardless. Very happy you mentioned the chase nipple. I literally never knew of its existence until I changed out my furnace's handy box to a 4" square box because I wanted a switch and full duplex receptacle.
I didn't get the receptacle reference. I was told I had to have a dedicated circuit for each of my air handlers along with an SSU. Being that these are ng fired units and, have ecm fan motors, I just didn't understand the dedicated circuit requirement. The motors are less than 100 watts and don't have extreme surge draw on startup.
The original air handlers, were just both plugged into an outlet on the wall between them. Which easily serves the same safety function as an SSU. And allowed me to have an outlet I could use when necessary, for other things. I lost all of that and had to add a second, dedicated circuit with the change out. Per NEC according to contractor and inspectors. 😞
Correct. "Within sight " is defined in the NEC as visible from the equipment AND within 50 feet. So if you cannot see the breaker box from the furnace, or it's farther than 50 feet then you'd need a local disconnect switch near the unit, or a lockout device on the breaker that remains in place after the panel cover is installed. For cord and plug connected equipment, the plug satisfies the disconnecting means.
Scott Im interested in putting the pig tail on the furnace FOR POWER OUTAGE MY CURRANT ON/OFF SWITCH HAS A SCREW IN FUSE UNDER IT HOW DO I WIRE THIS..MAURICE
Scott, Thank you for the great videos. Here is my question: I'm on my second furnace and it draws 9.6 AMPS max. It's on a 20 AMP breaker and 12/3 wire. I'm not sure why it wasn't originally wired with a 15 AMP configuration but perhaps the original unit when the house was built needed it. Anyway, would there be a problem with using NEMA 5-15 plugs and receptacles with 12/3 wire to perform this mod. I could replace the CB but its on a 30A gang so I would have to replace the 30A and then a 15 and 20. Nothing is simple! Thanks
Nevermind... this path of least resistance would be to install a 5-20R and call it a day! :)
Oh man do I have a story to share. My wife and I hosted our in-law for a weekend, and we have a furnace power disconnect switch already built and installed. I was woken on Saturday morning to my wife telling me that the main floor was cold. Annoyed that my sleep was interrupted, my brother-in-law and I investigated and the longer we could not figure out why the pilot wasn't on, the madder I was becoming. We called a guy that we trusted to come and take a look, and I eventually figured out what it was. One of the kids had turned off the furnace, and once I flipped the switch on, the pilot light ignited, and the main floor got heat again. It was a face palm and learning moment. We called the guy back and said we didn't need him as I had figured out the issue.
Do you know if you can wire a plug on an oil boiler? All the examples have been on a furnace similar to yours. Thank you, Zach.
That metallic electric cable noted in the video is better known as "BX".
I'm a bit surprised by this because wherever I've lived (in Canada) a "kill switch" for the furnace has always been present, and always near but never at the top of the basement stairs, probably to avoid getting it confused with the stairwell lighting. When my parents renovated the family home in BC in 1966 such a switch was installed, perhaps just for convenience, but possibly in order to be compliant with the building code in effect at the time.
I wonder if this has long been code in some jurisdictions.
My house was built in 1850 and one of its rewires was with old pre Romex nm which had fabric insulation and a 16 awg ground, furnace has an emergency switch at the top of the stairs and in the ceiling next to the furnace
@@billy9075likewise, house not nearly as old as yours, but we have a bright red box at the top of our basement stairs and it says in bold white letters, emergency shutoff. And another on the furnace itself.
If your gas water heater is only 2 feet away from your handy box / disconnect switch / emergency power combo outlet, does it need to be GFCI ?
If the outlet/switch combo for the equipment in question is located in an area that requires GFCI protection, and that means basements, crawl spaces and garages to name a few, than yes it would have to be GFCI protected. In this case you'd install a GFCI circuit breaker at the panel.
A breaker also works as a disconnect.
422.31 (B) Appliances Rated over 300 Volt-Amperes. For perma‐
nently connected appliances rated over 300 volt-amperes, the
branch-circuit switch or circuit breaker shall be permitted to
serve as the disconnecting means where the switch or circuit
breaker is within sight from the appliance or is lockable in
accordance with 110.25.
Depends what municipality wou're in as to weather that nipple would be considered a legal box ground ( a.h.j. )
Is there any way to wire a 120 volt light to go on when the blower goes on? thanks
I watch most of your videos, largely enjoy the content. One thing I keep noticing is that you will state something is not to code, or this is a code requirement. Could you try adding the why behind that? I think it's helpful for people to understand why the code is there in the first place.
Thanks for the feedback and support 👍. I will work on expanding on the “why” at least as I understand it.
Even the inspectors frequently can't tell you why.....or refuse to. Because they don't know or because they have ulterior motives. That's another aspect of "code" I abhor.
The first being, why is it called "code"? Does one need to know the secret handshake to understand it?
Since EcoFlow is "floating neutral" , don't we need a switch transfer or a "bonding plug" when you connect the EcoFlow to the furnace???
Hey Scott, need some help. I went to update my place and ran into an unexpected issue. The current disconnect switch has a small fuse below it. If I change it out with a combination outlet, I'll lose the extra fuse protection? Any thoughts on this???
Does Outlet needs to be gfci as it’s probably in basement?
my local requires the switch plug combo to have a constant hot plug independent of the switch so that the condo pump is always under power.
My furnace has a plug coming out of it which plugs into a outlet that is on its own breaker. Is That up to code? Theres no switch but it can easily be unplugged
I have a Rheem 1 stage 70,000 btu furnace.
And a non-gas electric furnace would probably need a 30 amp rated 2-pole switch.
Most likely would be a 240V supply if you are running all electric. In that case I have used a standard 240V disconnect like the one you usually see on the outside of a home for the AC unit.
Electric furnaces would need at least 30A, and may be 60A or more.
As has been stated in other videos, always check with local authorities before powering your furnace with a cord. In emergencies you may be ok, but don’t trade one emergency for another by creating a dangerous situation.
@@TomCee53 My furnace with 5 kW electric heat has a 30 amp 2 pole switch that looks like a light switch that is rated for this use.
Unfortunately, you have a NEC violation that most do not know about. The manufacturers label clearly states the circuit to this furnace is required to be 15 amp Fuse/Fusible. No mention of HACR breakers. So, the safety switch is required to be fed by a 15 amp fuse. Exception, If your panel is fusible and you are fusing the circuit.
Also, chase nipples are not approved as a grounding means.
Is the insulator on ring finger as well to code or an electricisan fad?.
Something about this just has to be a violation of code or at least best practice. Box should have been mounted to the wall and then connected with an additional short length of armored cable.
He even pronounced Knipex right!
never trust a non contact tester unless it to confirm power on, they are all abit flaky
2:09 "without going to the breaker panel". Why is this an issue? All current codes allow the use of the circuit breaker as a disconnecting means if the breaker is withing sight of the equipment (distance may vary from 25 - 50 feet depending on code); or in any location if capable of being locked out. Almost all breaker are capable of being locked out. I will go out on a limb here and state that there probably is no code violation in the situation shown.
While I personally believe that the use of a disconnecting means at the furnace is a "best practice", to use the circuit breaker is allowed by the model codes.
Your interpretation of code is not exactly correct. The furnace doesn't need a switch if the breaker panel is in the same room.
Thanks for the feedback!
And you should be using tape to cover the screws, since you're using a metal box which could cause arching.
The jack of all trades master of none makes mistakes again, should have grounded the box, should have used a motor rated switch, shouldnt have used a wago which now puts a point of failure in your heat system. Also the plate has to be marked "gas furnace" in red. The plates are available in any electrical store. You cannot attach an outlet to the heater circuit which must be dedicated. Dont listen to this guy he knows nothing of whats he talking about and is trying to sell stuff at the same time.
Also hes selling wagos, dont use them there garbage.