A feeder is defined as the conductor path between which points?

• A. Main panel and subpanel
• B. Service equipment and distribution equipment
• C. Service disconnect and service equipment
• D. Subpanel and outlets

Answer: (B)

A feeder is the set of conductors that runs from the service equipment to the distribution equipment. This path carries power from where the service enters the building to the equipment that distributes it to the rest of the system, such as panelboards and subpanels. That makes the option describing conductors between service equipment and distribution equipment the best match, since it names the general start and end points of the feeder.

While a main panel to a subpanel is a common example of a feeder, the standard definition centers on the relationship between service equipment and distribution equipment. The path between a service disconnect and service equipment isn’t the feeder defined in the code, and a subpanel to outlets describes branch circuits, not feeders.