Electrical Guru Question? Breaker lock outs

[Peter Doane]

Mechanically speaking, do breaker throw arms (switch) have to "move" for the breaker to actually trip? I see/ find these new lock outs in new panels lying behind the breaker often and wondered if the breaker will trip if needed because I can't manually switch the breaker off till I lift up (away) the lock out device. Any insight?

[Greg Fretwell]

Virtually every breaker you will see is "trip free". The handle has nothing to do with the contacts opening

[kmiller1]

The electrical inspector in my city told me when he finaled my addition that I had to put the lockout on the breaker for my electric water heater. His reasoning is that the breaker is out of site of the heater. He told me they were a safety device to prevent someone from just reenergizing the circuit while it's being worked on. According to him, they will be required on all breakers over 30A. as the panels are worked on and on new construction. He said the breaker will still be able to trip. May just be a MI or municiple code, though

[Greg Fretwell]

That would only be necessary if there was no local disconnect within sight of the equipment (a far better option in any place without documented LoTo procedures)

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Agree 100% with everything Greg stated ( as usual ).....I will add that the debate is wide spread on IF those lock outs at the breaker are considered " perminent " or not....if you remove the cover that makes it NOT perminent so we will see how the NEC works within that but it is a concern of many because of the way the NEC is written in regards to perminent device.

The magnetic contracts or bi-metal versions work the contact points and for the most part the switch itself is a manual function only....which is why you can have common ties on specfic applications ( best example I would have is multi-circuit...)...tied together to ensure both are turned off...but trip individually.....regardless of the tie....UNLESS of course you get into more detail and deal with a " common trip" tied breaker which explains itself really.