Separate room for Emergency distribution equipment

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mshields

mshields

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
Here in MA, we put all Article 700 equipment in dedicated 2 hour rooms. I believe this is due to a requirement in the MA ammendments though I'm having trouble finding that particular ammendment. My question is, is it true that as far as the NEC is concerned, separate rooms are not required Emergency distribution equipoment?

Thanks,

Mike
 
The MA amendment eliminates 700.10(D)(1) and changes "Feeders" to emergency systems.

700.10. Make the following two revisions:
I. Revise (D) to read as follows: Emergency Systems shall meet the additional requirements in
(D)(1) through (D)(3).
II. Revised (D)(1) by deleting (1) and renumber (2) through (5) as (1) through (4) respectively.
Click to expand...


So for those of us in MA it reads

700.12(D) Fire Protection. Emergency systems shall meet the
additional requirements in (D)(1) through (D)(3) in assembly
occupancies for not less than 1000 persons or in buildings
above 23 m (75 ft) in height with any of the following
occupancy classes: assembly, educational, residential, detention
and correctional, business, and mercantile.
Informational Note: For the definition of Occupancy Classification,
see Section 6.1 of NFPA 101-2009, Life Safety
Code.

(1)Emergency Systems shall meet the additional requirements in
(D)(1) through (D)(3)

(1) Be a listed electrical circuit protective system with a minimum
2-hour fire rating

Informational Note: UL guide information for electrical
circuit protective systems (FHIT) contains information on
proper installation requirements to maintain the fire rating.

(2) Be protected by a listed thermal barrier system for electrical
system components with a minimum 2-hour fire
rating

(3) Be protected by a listed fire-rated assembly that has a
minimum fire rating of 2 hours and contains only emergency
wiring circuits.

(4) Be encased in a minimum of 50 mm (2 in.) of concrete
Click to expand...


And yes, the NEC allows emergency equipment in the normal electrical rooms.
 
Actually

Actually

I think I'm more interested in what the modified version of 700-9(D)(1) has to say. By this, it's clear that I can't run a normal feeder let alone the service for the building through the emergency electric room. That's what I was afraid of.

Thanks,

Mike
 
OK - HOLD THE PRESSES

OK - HOLD THE PRESSES

I was looking at MA ammendments for 2008. In 2011, the applicable paragraph as you point out is 700.10

So it appears to me that the paragraph I was concerned about in the MA code (which was 700-9(D)(1)) is no longer contained in the MA code. But this was the paragraph that contained the MA requirement for 2 hour fire resistive rated rooms for all emergency systems generation and distribution equipment and which goes on to say that Equipment, conduit piping or ductwork alien to the emergency system shall not be located within these rooms, closets or shafts.

So does MA still require dedicated 2 hour rated rooms?
 
Also

Also

By the way iwire - would be nice to know who you are since you're evidently in MA.

But had one more thing to say on this. Below is what you wrote indicating that this is how the MA code should read. Two comments; 1 - presumably you meant 700.10(D). But more significantly, the MA ammendment says "revise D to read as follows": Emergency Systems shall meet the additional requirements in (D)(1) through (D)(3).

Note the period. As such, I don't believe the rest of the paragraph in the NEC applies in MA. i.e. the part that reads "in assembly occupancies ..." appears to be deleted by MA.


700.12(D) Fire Protection. Emergency systems shall meet the
additional requirements in (D)(1) through (D)(3) in assembly
occupancies for not less than 1000 persons or in buildings
above 23 m (75 ft) in height with any of the following
occupancy classes: assembly, educational, residential, detention
and correctional, business, and mercantile.
Informational Note: For the definition of Occupancy Classification,
see Section 6.1 of NFPA 101-2009, Life Safety
Code.
 
Ok - one more

Ok - one more

Now I see what you're saying. If you change Feeder circuit wiring to Emergency Systems now you have to have your equipment in a two hour fire rated assembly that contains only emergency wiring circuits.

I guess that still implies a separate room but they've made it less clear than it was in 2008.
 
I believe 2011 700.10(D)(1)(3) is the option that would apply to a fire rated room.

But it also looks like now we have other options instead of a fire rated room as described by .10(D)(1)(1) and .10(D)(1)(2)

(By the way, as far as the 700.10 or 700.12 issue, just a typo on my part. Should have been .10)
 
There is another requirement that comes into play, and it is not specific to any given state. It is NFPA 110, ?Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems.? Check out paragraph 7.2.
 
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