14/2 fixture whip Daisy chained

[Wiselectro]

Hi new to the forum but I have to ask. Over the past few years my company has done a lot of commercial lighting upgrades for businesses and the same question always come up. Can you feed a second fixture from the jbox atop of the first fixture that is being fed from a manufactured 14/3 fixture whip. All fixtures are LED lay ins and draw .18 amps per fixture at 277v. The original equipment was inboard outboard fluorescents, we are reusing the fixture whip to feed the first fixture and I’m wondering if we can feed the second fixture through the jbox/driver box that is fixed atop the first fixture. We are doing this job on first shift in an occupied building, circuits cannot be shut off unless we work off hours which no one wants to do. We don’t want to splice in a new whip possible breaking the neutral and sending 480v straight to all the other fixtures

 

[LarryFine]

Welcome to the forum.

I believe that only the last fixture in the chain can use an undersized whip, and the rest would be branch circuit wiring.

You could install a 15a breaker and use #14 everywhere.

 

[Wiselectro]

That’s what we thought but it being a manufactured whip does that cause a violation?

 

[Wiselectro]

If we have 14awg whips with 15a breakers can I Daisy chain from the original 14awg whip forever? Not forever but .18 amp fixtures would be a lot of fixtures

 

[AC\DC]

if your transiting to LED from an older style fixture then your current should be lower, then Larrys idea of installing the correct breaker for the whip size is the best option.

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

Something too keep in mind when you do that is the whip becomes branch circuit wiring. You loose some exceptions in the way that whip is installed and utilized.

As an example: in some ahj areas based on amendment the minimum branch circuit wire is #12 cu. Some whip would not qualify as branch circuit wiring. The listing is for fixture whip. Then you have an securing and support issue. You would need to follow the rules based what type of whip is used.
Other than that is no issue.

 

[LarryFine]

That’s what we thought but it being a manufactured whip does that cause a violation?

Doesn't matter who assembles it.

 

[LarryFine]

If we have 14awg whips with 15a breakers can I Daisy chain from the original 14awg whip forever? Not forever but .18 amp fixtures would be a lot of fixtures

Absolutely, yes.

 

[kwired]

Something too keep in mind when you do that is the whip becomes branch circuit wiring. You loose some exceptions in the way that whip is installed and utilized.

As an example: in some ahj areas based on amendment the minimum branch circuit wire is #12 cu. Some whip would not qualify as branch circuit wiring. The listing is for fixture whip. Then you have an securing and support issue. You would need to follow the rules based what type of whip is used.
Other than that is no issue.

For typical flexible metal conduit you can have six feet of unsupported for the final drop to the luminaire. With the daisy chain it becomes the wiring method more so than a whip as you mentioned and needs more supports, some AHJ's may give you more leeway but must be supported within 1 foot of terminations and every three feet the rest of the run.

Also take a look at 348.20, typical factory assembled whip is 3/8 flex. 3/8 has limitations in 348.20 and you would be limited to six feet of run for tap connections to a luminaire by this section so to use for branch circuit run it would have to be 1/2 or larger.

Factory whips also usually have an EGC in them, but the flex possibly can be used for the EGC by the general rules for flex, but with a six foot limitation so that would require EGC's in all (but six feet) as a general rule if you are otherwise able to use the flex here.