2022-2023 License and Installation Concerns Bulletin.

The Electricians' Licensing Board in conjunction with the State Electrical Inspectors, municipal electrical & building inspectors & other representatives of the electrical industry in the State of New Hampshire have put together this list of common licensing and installation concerns and problems encountered by the Board's office staff relative to the State's licensing law RSA 319-C and the administrative rules.

8. Septic Pumps

There are several different compliance issues surrounding septic pump installations:

• First, 430.102(A) requires the installation of a disconnecting means in sight from a motor controller location that disconnects the controller. In the case of the typical residential septic pump installation, the controller would be the float switch in the pump tank.
• Second, section 430.102(B) requires a disconnecting means in sight from a motor location to disconnect the motor.
• Article 100 defines "in sight from" to be visible and within 50'. Therefore, there must be a disconnecting means that is visible and located no more than 50' from the pump motor and motor controller. In most residential cases, the cords for the pump and controller are supplied by a receptacle located near the tank, permitting the attachment plugs for the controller and pump to serve as the disconnecting means.

Frequently and for different reasons, the attachment plugs are cut off of the pump motor and the motor controller and hard-wired into a junction box located inside the tank. In most cases, this method is not permissible by the manufacturer’s installation instructions and would be a violation of section 110.3(B).

Before making this kind of installation, consideration should be given to the issues of accessibility and corrosion. Also, depending on the size and type of the system, there may be sufficient hazardous vapor in the pump chamber to consider classification of the location. Classified locations are more common in commercial and industrial applications.