NEC 517.41 Coordination

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rpennell

Member
Location
Spokane, WA
Greetings,

I have a question on coordination of the EES in a limited care facility (life safety and critical branches only). I am seeking clarification on whether coordination is required for just the life safety branch, or both the life safety and critical branches.

In the 2014 NEC, 517.26 and 517.40 thru 44 appear to apply directly (for limited care facilities). 517.26 indicates Article 700 applies to the life safety branch (which requires selective coordination via 700.28). In hospitals, coordination is required for the critical and equipment branches via 517.30(G), but this is not a hospital, just a limited care facility. In this facility, there will not be any inpatient hospital care facilities so 517.40(B) does not apply (which requires compliance to 517.30 thru 517.35). So, as I see it, the life safety branch requires selective coordination, but the critical branch does not require any coordination. Comments?
 

Pharon

Senior Member
Location
MA
A couple things.

1. 517.26 says that a hospital's life safety system must comply with Article 700, "except as amended by Article 517." 517.30(G) says the essential electric system -- of which the Life Safety branch is a part -- needs to be coordinated above 0.1 seconds. This is a deviation to Article 700 which could be argued needs coordination down to zero.

2. 517.40(B) says that limited care facilities, if they house patients that need to be sustained by life support equipment, need to comply with 517.30.

So the way I read it, whether it's a hospital or a limited care facility, the essential electric system (life safety, critical branch, and/or equipment branch) must be selectively coordinated above 0.1 seconds.
 

rpennell

Member
Location
Spokane, WA
Thanks,

I should amend the post indicating we have confirmation (and letter) indicating patients will not be housed that require life support equipment.
 
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