Question: Power Pedestals Listings for Various Locations
What is the difference between power pedestals Listed for RV parks, mobile homes, temporary sites, marinas, etc.? Are they Listed under different product categories?
Answer
Power pedestals, as they are referred to in the industry, are Listed by UL under only one product category titled “Power Outlets and Power Outlet Fittings” (QPYV), located on page 308 in the 2009 UL White Book. They are evaluated for compliance with The Standard for Safety for Power Outlets, UL 231.
The difference between all types of power outlets is that, depending on the “use” marking, they have been evaluated for compliance with the additional requirements for the specific use in accordance with applicable requirements from Chapter 5 of the NEC.
That means mobile home power outlets have been evaluated for compliance with Article 550, Mobile Homes, Manufactured Homes, and Mobile Home Parks. Recreational vehicle (RV) site supply power outlets have been evaluated for compliance with Article 551, Recreational Vehicles and Recreational Vehicle Parks. Marina power outlets have been evaluated for compliance with Article 555, Marinas and Boatyards. Temporary site power outlets have been evaluated for compliance with Article 590, Temporary Installations, etc.
Power outlets are enclosed assemblies that may include components such as receptacles, circuit breakers, fuseholders, fused switches, buses, and watt-hour meter-mounting means. Power outlets are permanently installed and, although not restricted to such use, are intended for use:
- At outdoor locations, such as on farms, at building sites, and the like, where power is required to operate portable, mobile, or temporarily installed equipment
- To supply power to a mobile home or a recreational vehicle
- To supply shore power to boats
Power outlets are mounted using a post or pedestal, each detailed as follows:
Post type power outlets are intended to be mounted in concrete at or below grade level, or intended to be secured to some other mounting support. The mounting post contains markings indicating the proper grade level.
Pedestal type power outlets are intended for mounting on a concrete slab.
Unless marked otherwise, a mounting post, pedestal or fitting is not intended to serve as the sole support of a mast for overhead wiring.
Power outlets are not intended for use in recreational vehicle parks or in marinas unless so marked.
Where intended for use as service equipment for mobile homes, temporary sites, marinas and boatyards, or any combination of these, the appropriate wording appears in the marking “Suitable For Use As Service Equipment For ____.”
Power outlets so marked for use as service equipment are provided with factory installed or field installable overcurrent protection and disconnecting means for service conductors, as well as means for grounding the service neutral conductor.
Power outlets not marked for a specific service use (as described in the previous paragraph) and not incorporating receptacles are suitable as service equipment if marked “Suitable For Use As Service Equipment,” or where the neutral is factory bonded to the enclosure, “Suitable For Use Only As Service Equipment.”
Power outlets containing overcurrent protection are marked with their short-circuit current ratings in rms symmetrical amps.
Where in normal operation the load will continue for three hours or more, molded-case circuit breakers and fuses should not be loaded to exceed 80% of their current rating.
Investigation of a power outlet includes a test designed to simulate exposure to beating rain to determine that such exposure will not interfere with successful operation of the apparatus within the enclosure nor result in wetting of the exposed faces of receptacles and associated attachment plugs.
