Article 553

Floating Buildings

Part I. General

1. Scope. This article covers wiring, services, feeders, and grounding for floating buildings.
2. Definition.

Floating Building. A building unit, as defined in Article 100, that floats on water, is moored in a permanent location, and has a premises wiring system served through connection by permanent wiring to an electrical supply system not located on the premises.

WARNING

THIS CONNECTION IS FOR HEATING AND/OR AIR-CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT.

THE BRANCH CIRCUIT IS RATED AT NOT MORE THAN

             AMPERES, AT               VOLTS, 60 HZ,                CONDUCTOR AMPACITY.

A DISCONNECTING MEANS SHALL BE LOCATED WITHIN SIGHT OF THE EQUIPMENT.

EXCEEDING THE CIRCUIT RATING MAY CAUSE A FIRE AND RESULT IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY.

The correct voltage and ampere rating shall be given.

Part V. Factory Tests

552.60 Factory Tests (Electrical). Each park trailer shall be subjected to the tests required by 552.60(A) and (B).

(A) Circuits of 120 Volts or 120/240 Volts. Each park trailer designed with a 120-volt or a 120/240-volt electrical system shall withstand the applied voltage without electrical break‐ down of a 1 minute, 900-volt dielectric strength test, or a

1 second, 1080-volt dielectric strength test, with all switches closed, between ungrounded and grounded conductors and the park trailer ground. During the test, all switches and other controls shall be in the “on” position. Fixtures, including luminaires, and permanently installed appliances shall not be required to withstand this test.

Each park trailer shall be subjected to the following:

1. A continuity test to ensure that all metal parts are prop‐ erly bonded
2. Operational tests to demonstrate that all equipment is properly connected and in working order
3. Polarity checks to determine that connections have been properly made
4. Receptacles requiring GFCI protection shall be tested for correct function by the use of a GFCI testing device

Part II. Services and Feeders

1. Location of Service Equipment. The service equipment for a floating building shall be located adjacent to, but not in or on, the building or any floating structure. The main overcur‐ rent protective device that feeds the floating structure shall have ground fault protection not exceeding 100 mA. Ground fault protection of each individual branch or feeder circuit shall be permitted as a suitable alternative.
2. Service Conductors. One set of service conductors shall be permitted to serve more than one set of service equipment.
3. Feeder Conductors. Each floating building shall be supplied by a single set of feeder conductors from its service equipment.Exception: Where the floating building has multiple occupancy, each occupant shall be permitted to be supplied by a single set of feeder conductors extended from the occupant’s service equipment to the occu‐ pant’s panelboard.
4. Installation of Services and Feeders.
   1. Flexibility. Flexibility of the wiring system shall be main‐ tained between floating buildings and the supply conductors. All wiring shall be installed so that motion of the water surface and changes in the water level will not result in unsafe condi‐ tions.
   2. Wiring Methods. Liquidtight flexible metal conduit or liquidtight flexible nonmetallic conduit with approved fittings shall be permitted for feeders and where flexible connections are required for services. Extra-hard usage portable power cable listed for both wet locations and sunlight resistance shall be permitted for a feeder to a floating building where flexibil‐ ity is required. Other raceways suitable for the location shall be permitted to be installed where flexibility is not required.
   
   Part III. Grounding
5. General Requirements. Grounding at floating buildings shall comply with 553.8(A) through (D).
   1. Grounding of Electrical and Nonelectrical Parts. Ground‐ ing of both electrical and nonelectrical parts in a floating build‐ ing shall be through connection to a grounding bus in the building panelboard.
   2. Installation and Connection of Equipment Grounding Conductor. The equipment grounding conductor shall be installed with the feeder conductors and connected to a grounding terminal in the service equipment.
   3. Identification of Equipment Grounding Conductor. The equipment grounding conductor shall be an insulated copper conductor with a continuous outer finish that is either green or green with one or more yellow stripes. For conductors larger than 6 AWG, or where multiconductor cables are used, re- identification of conductors allowed in 250.119(A)(2)b. and (A)(2)c. shall be permitted.
   4. Grounding Electrode Conductor Connection. The grounding terminal in the service equipment shall be groun‐ ded by connection through an insulated grounding electrode conductor to a grounding electrode on shore.
6. Insulated Neutral. The grounded circuit conductor (neutral) shall be an insulated conductor identified in compli‐ ance with 200.6. The neutral conductor shall be connected to the equipment grounding terminal in the service equipment, and, except for that connection, it shall be insulated from the equipment grounding conductors, equipment enclosures, and all other grounded parts. The neutral conductor terminals in the panelboard and in ranges, clothes dryers, counter-mounted cooking units, and the like shall be insulated from the enclo‐ sures.
7. Equipment Grounding.
   1. Electrical Systems. All enclosures and exposed metal parts of electrical systems shall be connected to the grounding bus.
   2. Cord-Connected Appliances. Where required to be grounded, cord-connected appliances shall be grounded by means of an equipment grounding conductor in the cord and a grounding-type attachment plug.
8. Bonding of Non–Current-Carrying Metal Parts. All metal parts in contact with the water, all metal piping, and all non–current-carrying metal parts that are likely to become energized shall be connected to the grounding bus in the panelboard.