romex for temp

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Diesel323

Member
Location
ny
I am running temporary lighting in a hallway ceiling for surface mounted light fixtures in a hospital in nyc. The ceiling is temporary and the lights are temporary scheduled for future demo. All splices will be accessible is there any reason I cant use romex.
 

electricalist

Senior Member
Location
dallas tx
My guess is if its listed for temp lighting then sure,,we usually have to use actual temp lights. S.O. with sockets made for hanging and guards over the lamps....
 

david

Senior Member
Location
Pennsylvania
I am running temporary lighting in a hallway ceiling for surface mounted light fixtures in a hospital in nyc. The ceiling is temporary and the lights are temporary scheduled for future demo. All splices will be accessible is there any reason I cant use romex.

Is this hallway occupied, functional and being used for hospital activity?

What do you mean by temp.

You say future demo, what do you mean.

I only ask because you say they went to the bother of putting in a temp ceiling.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
This is about as close as you will get and IMO it doesn't apply, from the NYC code amendments:

ARTICLE 590
Temporary Installations
SECTION 590.4
Subsection 590.4(J) ? Add the following at the beginning of the subsection:
Temporary wiring for lighting shall be properly and substantially supported on noncombustible,
nonabsorbtive insulators and shall be kept off the floor and free and clear of contact with woodwork,
metal pipes and metal portions of the building structure.
Subsection 590.4(K) ? Add a new subsection 590.4(K) to read as follows:
(K) Permanent Feeders and Branch Circuits used for Temporary Light and Power. Permanent
feeders may be used for temporary light, heat or power service if run in approved raceways or conduits
from the source of supply directly to the distribution center. Temporary polarized lampholders may be
connected to permanent branch circuit wiring pending the erection of the permanent fixtures.
Subsection 590.4(L) ? Add a new subsection 590.4(L) to read as follows:
(L) Grounding. All portable machines shall be grounded. All grounding shall conform with Article 250.
SECTION 590.6
Section 590.6 ? Add an Exception after the first paragraph, to read as follows:
Exception: Temporary wiring installations that are accessible to the public and used to supply
temporary power for illumination of outdoor areas during construction, remodeling, maintenance,
repair, or demolition of buildings, structures, equipment, or similar activities shall comply with all other
requirements of this code for permanent wiring and shall be provided with ground-fault protection for
personnel.
 

acrwc10

Master Code Professional
Location
CA
Occupation
Building inspector
I don't know about NY but in CA all hospitals are inspected by state inspectors, "OSHPD". They have a very tough standard they will hold you to, I would check with the AHJ for the hospital.
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
If this is in a patient care area odds are the AHJ would require the temporary wiring to be in compliance with article 517 (they would here) so NM would be ruled out. If the work zone is in an area outside of patient care areas NM would be allowed.

Note that corridors in suites classified as patient care areas are in the patient care area, it does not have to be a treatment room or patient bed location.

Roger
 

ASG

Senior Member
Location
Work in NYC
Occupation
Electrical Engineer, PE
According to the NYC Electrical Code Amendments, non-metallic cable is not permitted in non-residential buildings. There are no exceptions in the code for it being temporary use.
 

Upnorth

Member
Location
NH
Administrative Code of the City of New York, Title 27 Construction and Maintenance;
Chapter 3 Electrical Code:
? 27-3025: New York City Amendments to the 2008 National Electrical Code.
... In the event of conflicts between technical provisions, the more restrictive shall apply...

334.12 Uses not permitted; (A) Types NM, NMC, and NMS cables shall not be permitted as follows: [add new section]
(11) In non-residential buildings.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
NM cable is used everyday for temporary installations in all types of construction in NYC. 590.4(C) overrides many of the Article 334 provisions for NM cable. This is from the NYC dept. of buildings:

Section 590.4(B) (6/4/2014)
Q: Question regarding Article 590 Temporary Installations

590.4(B) the term "cable assemblies" is used to describe acceptable material that can be run exposed, what is meant by "cable assemblies?, is this NM cable that they are taking about?

A: Yes, NM is one type of a Cable Assembly. Refer to definitions in Article 334 and Subsections 590.4(B) and (C).

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/codes_and_reference_materials/code_interpre2014.shtml#chp5
 

John120/240

Senior Member
Location
Olathe, Kansas
The use of Romex for temporary lighting leads me to believe that the light sockets are of the type that pierces the insulation. Those have been obsolete around here for years.
Manufactured light strings utilizing SO cord are the norm here. http://www.amazon.com/100-Foot-Outd...36&sr=8-9&keywords=construction+string+lights
One problem is when the metal studs go up, you can have a socket that is captured by the framing & the only way to remove the light string is to cut the cord. Charge accordingly for temporary lights.
 

ActionDave

Chief Moderator
Staff member
Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
Occupation
Licensed Electrician
Common for us to use NM to wire up HID's in a retail or office space for temp lighting. Strap it with zip ties and you can demo most of it out from the floor just by yanking on a free end, after disconnecting the lights of course.

I can't remember the last time we used string lights but it's been at least ten years.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
This is a pretty standard NYC temp setup that's existed for decades and is typically made up in the field or the shop. Although these are left handed lamps we've recently begun to switch to right handed sockets and the use of CFL's. As Bob mentioned we also use NM cable to feed HPS and other types of lighting and power. In photo #2 you'll notice the porcelain insulators required by the NYC electrical code.

20140129_134900.jpg

IMG_20140723_071341.jpg
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
In office buildings and other jobs like that we still use string lights but with CFLs. I think they use 13 watt CFLs so they can put a ton of them on a circuit.
 

Diesel323

Member
Location
ny
According to the NYC Electrical Code Amendments, non-metallic cable is not permitted in non-residential buildings. There are no exceptions in the code for it being temporary use.

That is what I am being told. But if thats the case I need to replace 18 floors of temp lighting stringers that were already approved. Replaced with flourescent light fixtures and mc if they dont allow any nm cable. Does not make sense
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
That is what I am being told. But if thats the case I need to replace 18 floors of temp lighting stringers that were already approved. Replaced with flourescent light fixtures and mc if they dont allow any nm cable. Does not make sense


My guess is that it doesn't make sense because the information is incorrect. Who is telling you this?
 

Diesel323

Member
Location
ny
My guess is that it doesn't make sense because the information is incorrect. Who is telling

The construction agency between the state and the GC. He quoted 334.10 (5) nystate nec and 334.12(A)(2). I feel that code is for permanent construction. I can do whatever they want just feel i should get paid for change.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician

ASG

Senior Member
Location
Work in NYC
Occupation
Electrical Engineer, PE
NM cable is used everyday for temporary installations in all types of construction in NYC. 590.4(C) overrides many of the Article 334 provisions for NM cable. This is from the NYC dept. of buildings:



http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/codes_and_reference_materials/code_interpre2014.shtml#chp5

What is the definition of a temporary installation? I do a lot of commercial fit-out where the "temporary" feeders and lighting are there as the property advertises the space (as a whitebox) and then will be removed whenever a tenant is actually found and they construct their space. That could be weeks, could be months, could be years.
 
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