Tapping Busbar Considerations

Mike:

Any such modification to the equipment in question is VERY dangerous and poses serious risks to the equipment involved. Namely: 1) Any such modification to the equipment without prior direct approval and permission from the equipment manufacturer can affect the integrity and reliability of said equipment. 2) Any such modification to the equipment would require the direct authorization of the Local AHJ. 3) Coordination between the Available Short Circuit Current availability and the WIC of the equipment (fire pump or pumps) MUST be preformed and approved by both of the manufacturers of the equipment involved. 4) Reliability of the power source feeding the equipment in question must be investigated and approved by the Local AHJ, including the local fire inspector. 5) Ditto for the fire insurance company involved. 6) The affect of the intended new load (fire pump or pumps) on the equipment in question must be investigated and approved by the equipment manufacturer as well as the local AHJ and the insurance company. E.G. what risks to the equipment in question would be involved by connecting said fire pump or pumps. 7) The starting method used by the fire pump controller or controllers is very important to said coordination studies. 8) This especially since even reduce voltage (current) starting methods in the fire pump controller(s), such as wye-delta, autotransformer, part winding, soft-start, & etc. will still impose a Full Voltage, Locked Rotor load on the equipment when the fire pump(s) are either started Manually, -- by uses of the Manual Mechanical Operator means on the fire pump controller(s) -- will always impose Lock Rotor Current on the equipment in question. 9) Ditto if, for any reason, power to the equipment in question is interrupted and the fire pump controller(s) are locked via the aforementioned Manual Mechanical Operator. 10) Coordinating with the equipment manufacturer may involve going thru several layers of contractor and/or sub-contractors; but, is nonetheless essential. 11) In general then, any such proposed connection must be fully engineered and approved by both manufactures, the insurance company, and the Local AHJ.