Pigtail on HVAC circuit

[BlackJack]

Thought I’d get some imput on this.

Outside condensing unit with a 25 amp HCAR rating. Connected to a 60 amp Bryant breaker (orange), thru a 25 amp buss fuse in the AC disconnect. Pigtailed to the input side of the fuse in the disconnect box is a GFCI 120 v ceiling fan / light fixture connection to the pool gazebo. I don’t see anything specifically addressing this in IRC. I checked the NEC, but didn’t see anything there.

Any help appericated

[Richard Moore]

Chuck...If I'm reading that right, then the ceiling fan/light circuit is "protected" by the 60-amp breaker? That has to be wrong, especially as I assume it's only #14 or # 12 wiring to the fan. The GFCI does not provide over-current protection (but you knew that).

I'd say that the pig-tail itself (or the AC unit wiring) is not necessarily wrong, but you have a seriously overfused ancillary circuit.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by BlackJack

Thought I’d get some imput on this.

Outside condensing unit with a 25 amp HCAR rating. Connected to a 60 amp Bryant breaker (orange), thru a 25 amp buss fuse in the AC disconnect. Pigtailed to the input side of the fuse in the disconnect box is a GFCI 120 v ceiling fan / light fixture connection to the pool gazebo. I don’t see anything specifically addressing this in IRC. I checked the NEC, but didn’t see anything there.

Any help appericated

I don't suppose that the fan/fixture was fewer than 10 feet from the AC disconnect box?

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[BlackJack]

The gazebo is right next to the disconnect, the fan about 15 feet away from the disconnect. It is underground a few feet. Being an outside outlet is why its GFCI wired to the load side. The wiring from the circuit breaker to the disconnect appears to be #6 CU stranded. Looks like #12 cu stranded fron the disconnect to the fan.

[BlackJack]

Talked to an electrican. He told me that the disconnect pnl, cannot double as a sub pnl. That the proper instaltion would be to install a sub pnl in place of the disconnect pnl and install a 220v 25 amp breaker for the AC and a 120v 20 amp breaker for the gazebo.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by BlackJack

Talked to an electrican. He told me that the disconnect pnl, cannot double as a sub pnl. That the proper instaltion would be to install a sub pnl in place of the disconnect pnl and install a 220v 25 amp breaker for the AC and a 120v 20 amp breaker for the gazebo.

No, I don't think that would work either, unless the original installer installed an unnecessary 3-wire cable. The AC circuit only requires two phase conductors and a grounding wire. The fan and fixture in the gazebo need a hot, a neutral and a ground.

Are there four wires running from the breaker to the disconnect? If so, your electrician's idea would work, but it'd be silly. Much easier to just tap off another nearby outlet.

- Jim Katen

Oregon