Art. 517-30 Mechanical Protection of the Emergency System

[brca]

In referencing NEC 2005 Art. 517.30 (C) (3) "Mechanical Protection of the Emergency System", it was always common practice in a hospital to run EMT conduit (metal raceways) and flexible metal conduit whips for low voltage fire alarm wiring & low voltage nurse-call wiring. If I'm reading the NEC 2005 Handbook commentary correctly, "the secondary conductors of limited energy systems, such as nurse-call, telephone, and alarm circuits are exempt from being run in metal raceways provided they comply with articles elsewhere in the code. Am I reading correctly that you can run low voltage fire alarm wiring & low voltage nurse-call wiring in a hospital (above a drop ceiling or sheetrock ceiling) without the mechanical protection of metal raceways ?

 

[sparkyboys]

you can run fa wires without metal raceways in drop ceilings or sheetrock ceilings if spec codes allow it. i have done it on some fairly large jobs with the use of metal loops that are shot in to the ceiling for support

 

[roger]

Am I reading correctly that you can run low voltage fire alarm wiring & low voltage nurse-call wiring in a hospital (above a drop ceiling or sheetrock ceiling) without the mechanical protection of metal raceways ?

Yes, you are reading it correctly.

Roger

 

[MNWildcat]

In my experience, almost all hospital clients do not want FA in conduit, most do not even want Class A.

 

[ed downey]

Yes, you are reading it correctlty. But also it may be a prefference of the hospital. I have a couple locations that require red conduit for all fire alarm conductors.

I have another client that color codes all low voltage system EMT conduit per their color code.

-Ed

 

[VUGear]

In my experience, almost all hospital clients do not want FA in conduit, most do not even want Class A.

Most of my hospital clients prefer the fire alarm wiring in conduit for the mechanical protection, although a few have been willing to forego it to save money.