Cable low voltage lighting minimum height requirements

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George Wotton

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I have a customer that wants us to install kable low voltage lighting in their kitchen. The beams they want to hang the lights from are 7?6? from the floor. An example of the kit they are interested in is kit code BL7787KT, they live in Virginia. My question is what is the minimum ceiling height allow by code for this type of lighting?
Thanks in advance for any assistance you may provide.
George
 
Cable low voltage lighting minimum height requirements

Within the kitchen, effective lights is needed; so it?s essential to have fluorescents fixtures, in no less than 50 everything. In today?s contemporary kitchen, many people use down lamps that are magnetic and incandescent ballasted. Because the same lighting is generated by them, like the 13 watts down lights, the 26 w that are newer might be the remedy.
 
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Little Bill

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Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
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Semi-Retired Electrician
I have a customer that wants us to install kable low voltage lighting in their kitchen. The beams they want to hang the lights from are 7?6? from the floor. An example of the kit they are interested in is kit code BL7787KT, they live in Virginia. My question is what is the minimum ceiling height allow by code for this type of lighting?
Thanks in advance for any assistance you may provide.
George

I don't think the code has anything to say concerning height of lights. You would have to check the mfg instructions to see if they have anything to say. I doubt they will as I only see ceiling fans with a minimum height, and that's for the blades.
 

GoldDigger

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Placerville, CA, USA
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Retired PV System Designer
Since the Kable (TM) brand of low voltage lighting uses two open (but insulated) conductors which are bridged by the individual fixtures, I can see two potential problems.

1. Somebody swinging a conductive pot of pan could bridge some of the component which expose live metal directly after piercing the transmission line insulation.
2. The wires are a mechanical hazard and "subject to physical damage" if mounted too low.

NEC addresses the second one only indirectly, and the first one may be covered in the UL listing criteria and the manufacturer's instructions, as mentioned by Little Bill.
 

Little Bill

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Tennessee NEC:2017
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The Kable wires are insulated (clear plastic). There are some bridging parts that appear to be uninsulated though.

Then 411.5(D) covers insulated conductors.

To be honest, I never really looked at these articles before. Never really had to, but with all the LED lighting I might need to!:)
 

curt swartz

Electrical Contractor - San Jose, CA
Location
San Jose, CA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Since the Kable (TM) brand of low voltage lighting uses two open (but insulated) conductors which are bridged by the individual fixtures, I can see two potential problems.

1. Somebody swinging a conductive pot of pan could bridge some of the component which expose live metal directly after piercing the transmission line insulation.
2. The wires are a mechanical hazard and "subject to physical damage" if mounted too low.

NEC addresses the second one only indirectly, and the first one may be covered in the UL listing criteria and the manufacturer's instructions, as mentioned by Little Bill.

I have never heard of "Kable" brand lighting. As far as I know "Kabel" is a trademark of Techlighting for their open wire lighting system. I have never installed or even run across one of their system that has insulated wires. I know they have an option for insulated wires but it is not the standard. I'm not even sure how insulated wires work. I'm guessing you have to strip the insulation where the lights connect?
 

GoldDigger

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Their catalog pages list insulated wire and show connectors with insulation piercing screws. I have never actually seen their stuff in person.
 
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