208 V Exit/Eme Lights

[K_Buz]

I already got an answer from the AHJ, but I'm going to post this here because I think its an interesting situation. I'm sure some here have run into this, but this was the first time for me.

Lighting in a commercial warehouse type space is wired at 208V. Where do you pick up power for the exit/emergency lights? While discussing this with the boss, we came up with a couple options.

1) pull a neutral and pick up one leg of the 208V
2) put the exit lights on a 120V circuit by themselves, and install a contactor with a 208V coil
3) put the space lighting on two legs of a 3 pole breaker and the exit lights on the 3rd leg

While nothing is technically wrong with #1, we couldn't find if this was legal or illegal in the code. The problem with 2 or 3, is that the lighting was originally wired all on one circuit so putting the exit/eme lights on a separate circuit is technically against code.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Why would you not use 208 volt emergency lights? As far as the exit lights, it is my opinion that they do not have to be on the lighting circuit for the lighting in the area. It is only the emergency lights that have to be powered from the same circuit that powers the lighting in the area.

 

[K_Buz]

I have done a couple quick searches looking for 208V emergency lights, and I can't really find any. I have found some architechural ones, but those wouldn't work in my warehouse situation. Being that I have found some "pretty" ones, it would lead one to believe that they would have basic emergency (and for that matter exit) lights rated for 208V, but the only ones I can find are rated 120/277.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I have only seen the 120/277V also but regardless you should just run another circuit and be done with it-- you don't need a contactor as Don said the exit lights do not have to be on the lighting circuit

 

[K_Buz]

Could you point out where in the code it states that exit lights don't have to be on the lighting circuit for that area?

700.16 seems to state that lighted exit lights should be treated the same as emergency lights.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Could you point out where in the code it states that exit lights don't have to be on the lighting circuit for that area?

700.16 seems to state that lighted exit lights should be treated the same as emergency lights.

The battery backup covers the requirements of those exit and emergency lights. The code not state that the exits lights have to be on the lighting circuit. Look at the exception

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Here is how I see the exit light issue. Yes, the exit lights are "emergency illumination" per the wording of 700.16. The difference as I see it, is the the normal power circuit to the exit is whatever circuit it is connected to. When you lose that circuit the battery back-up in the exit light takes over. There is no reason for the exit lights to be connected to the general lighting circuits in the area.

This is different from battery back up emergency lights. They have to connected so that when the circuit for normal illumination for the area is lost that the battery powered light will turn on.

 

[kwired]

I already got an answer from the AHJ, but I'm going to post this here because I think its an interesting situation. I'm sure some here have run into this, but this was the first time for me.

Lighting in a commercial warehouse type space is wired at 208V. Where do you pick up power for the exit/emergency lights? While discussing this with the boss, we came up with a couple options.

1) pull a neutral and pick up one leg of the 208V
2) put the exit lights on a 120V circuit by themselves, and install a contactor with a 208V coil
3) put the space lighting on two legs of a 3 pole breaker and the exit lights on the 3rd leg

While nothing is technically wrong with #1, we couldn't find if this was legal or illegal in the code. The problem with 2 or 3, is that the lighting was originally wired all on one circuit so putting the exit/eme lights on a separate circuit is technically against code.

Option 1 and 3 are both ways of installing on the same circuit, you are just creating a multiwire branch circuit in either case.