8' Flouresent pan as raceway

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spark master

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Can I use an 8' fluorescent pan fixture as a raceway ?

The wires I would add to the pan, are from a different circuit. Different purpose. Just out of convenience.
 
You can do so if you meet one of the requirements in (A), (B), or (C).

410.64 Luminaires as Raceways. Luminaires shall not be
used as a raceway for circuit conductors unless they com-
ply with 410.64(A), (B), or (C).
(A) Listed. Luminaires listed and marked for use as a race-
way shall be permitted to be used as a raceway.
(B) Through-Wiring. Luminaires identified for through-
wiring, as permitted by 410.21, shall be permitted to be
used as a raceway.
(C) Luminaires Connected Together. Luminaires de-
signed for end-to-end connection to form a continuous as-
sembly, or luminaires connected together by recognized
wiring methods, shall be permitted to contain the conduc-
tors of a 2-wire branch circuit, or one multiwire branch
circuit, supplying the connected luminaires and shall not be
required to be listed as a raceway. One additional 2-wire
branch circuit separately supplying one or more of the con-
nected luminaires shall also be permitted
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Back in the old magnetic ballast days, Seattle had a code revision requiring 90C wire minimum in FL fixtures that ran past the ballast. Thhn or similar minimum, IIRC not even stripped NM leads in a single fixture if they ran past ballast (this was early 1970s). No idea if still in place, have not kept up on code revisions/exemptions.
 
petersonra said:
This is kind of akin to using a box as a raceway IMO. Why this is sort of banned escapes me.
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Well, while I see no problem in using it as a raceway in and of itself, the problem would be when you go to replace the fixture. It isn't part of the premises wiring and is subject to routine replacement, eventually with a fixture that could not be a raceway.
 
Back before I was an electrician I owned a sandwich shop that had fluorescent lighting. I added little spot lights into the KO's on each end of the fixtures and pointed them down at the tables. The electrical inspector made me take them out.
 
MAC702 said:
Well, while I see no problem in using it as a raceway in and of itself, the problem would be when you go to replace the fixture. It isn't part of the premises wiring and is subject to routine replacement, eventually with a fixture that could not be a raceway.
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Isn't ease of replacement/repair really a design decision?
 
petersonra said:
Isn't ease of replacement/repair really a design decision?
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I would say not in this case. I would argue it's not an "ease of replacement" issue. You have another circuit running through your light fixture. How do you possibly replace it without rebuilding a raceway?

Now as I say that, I am sitting in my office/garage and there is a string of four 4-foot fluorescent (now LED) fixtures in a row, and there is a power circuit to a receptacle on the wall on the other side that runs through them. :p
 
MAC702 said:
Now as I say that, I am sitting in my office/garage and there is a string of four 4-foot fluorescent (now LED) fixtures in a row, and there is a power circuit to a receptacle on the wall on the other side that runs through them. :p
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I'm gonna tell! :eek:
 
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