On Jun 16, 10:10*pm, "iwdplz" wrote:
The disconnect is about 150 feet away. *It sounds like the gray area is that
the NEC does not define the distance. *I guess some electricians might
interpret that it's ok anywhere on the property, others say it has to be
attached right to the house wall. *It is interesting that the NEC doesn't
define the distance. *My brother is mostly worried that if he doesn't take
care of it now, then he might be required to remedy it if he tries to sell
the house later. *He just doesn't know if it would cost thousands of dollars
to replace the main lug panel in case the electrician determines it's not
possible or too costly to add a main breaker in between (because of where
the conduit is buried etc). *But also since this is a "gray area" in the NEC
one has to wonder if there's even any problem or if it's left up to the
imagination of whatever local inspector decides the arbitrary distance
should be.

It looks like the home inspector did a heads up job on this one.
There does need to be a Disconnecting Means for the building. As
someone already pointed out the first thing to check is if the
lighting & appliance panel board inside the home can be converted from
main lug to main breaker. If that is not possible then adding a
disconnect ahead of the main lugs is the next cheapest alternative.
In 1999 a four conductor feed from the service disconnecting means to
the house was not required. If it were installed today it would be
required. There is a possibility that no one has mentioned so far.
If the homes lighting and appliance panel board is of the split buss
type and it is listed for use as service equipment the present
installation would be code compliant. A split buss panel has a
section with twelve or fewer slots in it that will accommodate six
double pole breakers. One or two of those breakers control the
current to the rest of the panel. The six or fewer double pole
breakers in the main lug portion of the panel meat the requirements of
225.33 Maximum Number of Disconnects. The feeder supply breaker at
the meter meets the requirements of section 408.16 Exception 1.

"225.33 Maximum Number of Disconnects.
(A) General. The disconnecting means for each supply permitted by
225.30 shall consist of not more than six switches or six circuit
breakers mounted in a single enclosure, in a group of separate
enclosures, or in or on a switchboard. There shall be no more than six
disconnects per supply grouped in any one location."

"408.16 Overcurrent Protection.
(A) Lighting and Appliance Branch-Circuit Panelboard Individually
Protected. Each lighting and appliance branch-circuit panelboard shall
be individually protected on the supply side by not more than two main
circuit breakers or two sets of fuses having a combined rating not
greater than that of the panelboard.
Exception No. 1: Individual protection for a lighting and appliance
panelboard shall not be required if the panelboard feeder has
overcurrent protection not greater than the rating of the
panelboard."

If the panel in the house is neither split buss nor convertible to
main breaker then the only remaining remedy, short of replacing it
with a main breaker panel, is to install a separate enclosed switch or
circuit breaker at the house end of the feeder to control the current
to the house's Lighting and Appliance Branch-Circuit Panelboard. The
enclosed switch or circuit breaker would have to be listed for use as
service equipment in order to satisfy the requirement of Section
225.36 Suitable for Service Equipment.

225.36 Suitable for Service Equipment.
The disconnecting means specified in 225.31 shall be suitable for use
as service equipment.
--
Tom Horne