GFCI required for theatrical lighting outlets in outdoor amphitheater?

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Is anyone aware of a code exemption for GFCI protection on dimmed theatrical circuits/outlets (120V, 20A)? These outlets would be in a covered canopy/catwalk and not accessible to the public. We are using 6 circuit lockable connectors for a majority of the lighting circuits so if anything GFCI would be on the breaker level and i'm not sure if that is available in the dimming racks.
 

iwire

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Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Is anyone aware of a code exemption for GFCI protection on dimmed theatrical circuits/outlets (120V, 20A)? These outlets would be in a covered canopy/catwalk and not accessible to the public. We are using 6 circuit lockable connectors for a majority of the lighting circuits so if anything GFCI would be on the breaker level and i'm not sure if that is available in the dimming racks.

If they are on dimmers are they really 125 volt circuits?

These connectors you are using are there rated 125 volt?

Are they rated 20 amps?
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
I can't tell from the OP what's going on. I've only done theatrical lights once. The circuits went to big black boxes. They had twist lock recpts, I guess you could call them outlets but I would call them equipment.

I was involved in a theater re-wire for the stage lights many years ago, mostly from a users perspective since I was the lighting director. I've been out of that game over 20 years so I don't know what the latest and greatest is, but we had a bunch of power packs controlled by a lighting board. Each pack had 6 circuits, and each circuit had, IIRC, two 15 or 20 amp Edison receptacles. Adjacent to the power packs was a forest of patch cables, sized so that any cable could reach any receptacle. Even though the wire from the booth to the stage was permanent, none of the connections were.
 

GoldDigger

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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
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Retired PV System Designer
I was master electrician for some Gilbert and Sullivan productions in a theater that had a walk of lever operated Variacs, with mechanical ganging to sub-master and grand master levers.
On the adjacent wall was the patch panel.
Some of the fixed wiring terminated in twistlocks. Others in "stage plugs", rectangular with two or three large cylindrical pins.
When a wire or connection went bad we just repatched to a nearby wire and let the building manager worry about getting it fixed.
The old main auditorium had motor driven variable reluctance dimmers in a vault under the stage
No SCR buzz, but lots of hum
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
I had to go back and read the OP to see where you got the idea that this was an outdoor installation. That'll teach me to skim over the the title of the thread.

Same here. But there's outdoor, and then outdoor. Does he mean like the PNC Arts Center in NJ, or a canopy over a building entrance?
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Is anyone aware of a code exemption for GFCI protection on dimmed theatrical circuits/outlets (120V, 20A)? These outlets would be in a covered canopy/catwalk and not accessible to the public. We are using 6 circuit lockable connectors for a majority of the lighting circuits so if anything GFCI would be on the breaker level and i'm not sure if that is available in the dimming racks.
I have to question if the "outlets" indeed are considered outdoors. I'm thinking of outdoor stages I have seen both semi permanent as well as temporary stages for outdoor concerts and performances. I've never done any installation or setup related to them, but have been to outdoor venues many times as an audience member. Appears to me the whole idea of having covered canopy over such stages is to keep things dry should it rain.
 
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