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Section

3
Overcurrent Protection

3.1.0 Introduction
3.1.1 NEC Section 90.2, Scope of the NEC
3.2.1 NEC Section 110.3(A)(5), (6), and (8), Requirements for Equipment
Selection
3.2.2 NEC Section 110.3(B), Requirements for Proper Installation of Listed
and Labeled Equipment
3.2.3 NEC Section 110.9, Requirements for Proper Interrupting Rating of
Overcurrent Protective Devices
3.2.4 NEC Section 110.10, Proper Protection of System Components from
Short Circuits
3.2.5 NEC Section 110.22, Proper Marking and Identification of Disconnecting
Means
3.3.1 NEC Section 210.20(A), Ratings of Overcurrent Devices on Branch
Circuits Serving Continuous and Noncontinuous Loads
3.4.1 NEC Section 215.10, Requirements for Ground-Fault Protection of
Equipment on Feeders
3.5.1 NEC Section 230.82, Equipment Allowed to Be Connected on the Line
Side of the Service Disconnect
3.5.2 NEC Section 230.95, Ground-Fault Protection for Services
3.6.1 NEC Section 240.1, Scope of Article 240 on Overcurrent Protection
3.6.2 NEC Section 240.3, Protection of Conductors Other than Flexible Cords
and Fixture Wires
3.6.3 NEC Section 240.4, Proper Protection of Fixture Wires and Flexible
Cords
3.6.4 NEC Section 240.6, Standard Ampere Ratings
3.6.5 NEC Sections 240.8 and 380.17, Protective Devices Used in Parallel
3.6.6 NEC Section 240.9, Thermal Devices
3.6.7 NEC Section 240.10, Requirements for Supplementary Overcurrent
Protection
3.6.8 NEC Section 240.11, Definition of Current-Limiting Overcurrent
Protective Devices
3.6.9 NEC Section 240.12, System Coordination or Selectivity
3.6.10 NEC Section 240.13, Ground-Fault Protection of Equipment on
Buildings or Remote Structures
3.6.11 NEC Section 240.21, Location Requirements for Overcurrent Devices
and Tap Conductors
3.6.12 NEC Section 240.40, Disconnecting Means for Fuses
3.6.13 NEC Section 240.50, Plug Fuses, Fuseholders, and Adapters
3.6.14 NEC Section 240.51, Edison-Base Fuses
3.6.15 NEC Section 240.53, Type S Fuses
3.6.16 NEC Section 240.54, Type S Fuses, Adapters, and Fuseholders
3.1
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3.2 Section Three

3.6.17 NEC Section 240.60, Cartridge Fuses and Fuseholders

3.6.18 NEC Section 240.61, Classification of Fuses and Fuseholders
3.6.19 NEC Section 240.86, Series Ratings
3.6.20 NEC Section 240.90, Supervised Industrial Installations
3.6.21 NEC Section 240.92(B), Transformer Secondary Conductors of Separately
Derived Systems (Supervised Industrial Installations Only)
3.6.22 NEC Section 240.92(B)(1), Short-Circuit and Ground-Fault Protection
(Supervised Industrial Installations Only)
3.6.23 NEC Section 240.92(B)(2), Overload Protection (Supervised Industrial
Installations Only)
3.6.24 NEC Section 240.92(C), Outside Feeder Taps (Supervised Industrial
Installations Only)
3.6.25 NEC Section 240.100, Feeder and Branch-Circuit Protection Over 600 V
Nominal
3.6.26 NEC Section 240.100(C), Conductor Protection
3.7.1 NEC Section 250.2(D), Performance of Fault-Current Path
3.7.2 NEC Section 250.90, Bonding Requirements and Short-Circuit Current
Rating
3.7.3 NEC Section 250.96(A), Bonding Other Enclosures and Short-Circuit
Current Requirements
3.7.4 NEC Section 250.122, Sizing of Equipment Grounding Conductors
3.8.1 NEC Section 310.10, Temperature Limitation of Conductors
3.9.1 NEC Section 364.11, Protection at a Busway Reduction
3.10.1 NEC Section 384.16, Panelboard Overcurrent Protection
3.11.1 NEC Section 430.1, Scope of Motor Article
3.11.2 NEC Section 430.6, Ampacity of Conductors for Motor Branch Circuits
and Feeders
3.11.3 NEC Section 430.8, Marking on Controllers
3.11.4 NEC Section 430.32, Motor Overload Protection
3.11.5 NEC Section 430.36, Fuses Used to Provide Overload and Single-Phasing
Protection
3.11.6 NEC Section 430.52, Sizing of Various Overcurrent Devices for Motor
Branch-Circuit Protection
3.11.7 NEC Section 430.53, Connecting Several Motors or Loads on One Branch
Circuit
3.11.8 NEC Section 430.71, Motor Control-Circuit Protection
3.11.9 NEC Section 430.72(A), Motor Control-Circuit Overcurrent Protection
3.11.10 NEC Section 430.72(B), Motor Control-Circuit Conductor Protection
3.11.11 NEC Section 430.72(C), Motor Control-Circuit Transformer Protection
3.11.12 NEC Section 430.94, Motor Control-Center Protection
3.11.13 NEC Section 430.109(A)(6), Manual Motor Controller as a Motor
Disconnect
3.12.1 NEC Section 440.5, Marking Requirements on HVAC Controllers
3.12.2 NEC Section 440.22, Application and Selection of the Branch-Circuit
Protection for HVAC Equipment
3.13.1 NEC Section 450.3, Protection Requirements for Transformers
3.13.2 NEC Section 450.3(A), Protection Requirements for Transformers Over
600 V
3.13.3 NEC Section 450.3(B), Protection Requirements for Transformers 600 V
or Less
3.13.4 NEC Section 450.6(A)(3), Tie-Circuit Protection
3.14.1 NEC Section 455.7, Overcurrent Protection Requirements for Phase
Converters
3.15.1 NEC Section 460.8(B), Overcurrent Protection of Capacitors
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Overcurrent Protection 3.3

3.16.1 NEC Section 501.6(B), Fuses for Class 1, Division 2 Locations

3.17.1 NEC Section 517.17, Requirements for Ground-Fault Protection and
Coordination in Health Care Facilities
3.18.1 NEC Section 520.53(F)(2), Protection of Portable Switchboards on Stage
3.19.1 NEC Section 550.6(B), Overcurrent Protection Requirements for Mobile
Homes and Parks
3.20.1 NEC Section 610.14(C), Conductor Sizes and Protection for Cranes and
Hoists
3.21.1 NEC Section 620.62, Selective Coordination of Overcurrent Protective
Devices for Elevators
3.22.1 NEC Section 670.3, Industrial Machinery
3.23.1 NEC Section 700.5, Emergency Systems: Their Capacity and Rating
3.23.2 NEC Section 700.16, Emergency Illumination
3.23.3 NEC Section 700.25, Emergency System Overcurrent Protection
Requirements (FPN)
3.24.1 NEC Section 705.16, Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources:
Interrupting and Short-Circuit Current Rating
3.25.1 NEC Section 725.23, Overcurrent Protection for Class 1 Circuits
3.26.1 NEC Section 760.23, Requirements for Non-Power-Limited Fire Alarm
Signaling Circuits

3.1.0 Introduction
In this section, a presentation format of questions and answers has been used to
focus on the factors that are pertinent to a basic understanding and application of
overcurrent protective devices. Relevant sections of the National Electrical Code
(NEC) are referenced and analyzed in detail. Each section is translated into simple,
easily understood language, complemented by one-line diagrams giving sound,
practical means of applying overcurrent protection, as well as affording compliance
with the NEC. The following is by permission of Cooper Bussmann, Inc.

3.1.1 NEC Section 90.2, Scope of the NEC

3.1.1

3.2.1 NEC Section 110.3(A)(5), (6), and (8)

Requirements for Equipment Selection

3.2.1
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3.4 Section Three

3.2.2 NEC Section 110.3(B), Requirements for

Proper Installation of Listed and Labeled Equipment

3.2.2

(continued)
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Overcurrent Protection 3.5

3.2.2 (Continued)
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3.6 Section Three

3.2.3 NEC Section 110.9, Requirements for Proper

Interrupting Rating of Overcurrent Protective Devices

3.2.3

(continued)
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Overcurrent Protection 3.7

3.2.3 (Continued)

(continued)
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3.8 Section Three

3.2.3 (Continued)

(continued)
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Overcurrent Protection 3.9

3.2.3 (Continued)

(continued)
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3.10 Section Three

3.2.3 (Continued)

(continued)
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Overcurrent Protection 3.11

3.2.3 (Continued)

(continued)
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3.12 Section Three

3.2.3 (Continued)
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Overcurrent Protection 3.13

3.2.4 NEC Section 110.10, Proper Protection

of System Components from Short Circuits

3.2.4

(continued)
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3.14 Section Three

3.2.4 (Continued)

(continued)
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Overcurrent Protection 3.15

3.2.4 (Continued)
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3.16 Section Three

3.2.5 NEC Section 110.22, Proper Marking and

Identification of Disconnecting Means

3.2.5

3.3.1 NEC Section 210.20(A), Ratings of

Overcurrent Devices on Branch Circuits Serving
Continuous and Noncontinuous Loads

3.3.1

3.4.1 NEC Section 215.10, Requirements for

Ground-Fault Protection of Equipment on Feeders

3.4.1
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Overcurrent Protection 3.17

3.5.1 NEC Section 230.82, Equipment Allowed to Be

Connected on the Line Side of the Service Disconnect

3.5.1

3.5.2 NEC Section 230.95, Ground-Fault

Protection for Services

3.5.2

(continued)
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3.18 Section Three

3.5.2 (Continued)

3.6.1 NEC Section 240.1, Scope of

Article 240 on Overcurrent Protection

3.6.1

(continued)
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Overcurrent Protection 3.19

3.6.1 (Continued)

3.6.2 NEC Section 240.3, Protection of Conductors

Other than Flexible Cords and Fixture Wires

3.6.2
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3.20 Section Three

3.6.3 NEC Section 240.4, Proper Protection of

Fixture Wires and Flexible Cords

3.6.3
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Overcurrent Protection 3.21

3.6.4 NEC Section 240.6, Standard Ampere Ratings

3.6.4

3.6.5 NEC Sections 240.8 and 380.17, Protective

Devices Used in Parallel

3.6.5

3.6.6 NEC Section 240.9, Thermal Devices

3.6.6
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3.22 Section Three

3.6.7 NEC Section 240.10, Requirements

for Supplementary Overcurrent Protection

3.6.7
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Overcurrent Protection 3.23

3.6.8 NEC Section 240.11, Definition of

Current-Limiting Overcurrent Protective Devices
(This article is not a part of the 2002 NEC, but is included for reference from
the 1999 NEC.)

3.6.8