Strathead
Senior Member
- Location
- Ocala, Florida, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
Respectfully, I am looking for expertise (trained health care inspector, engineer, etc.) or direct experience with hospitals, more than the very thorough examination of the code that I an others here often offer. (again respectfully. I would typically offer opinion on a post like this myself, but I am looking for something more concrete or definitive.
Article 517.31(C)(1) Separation from Other Circuits. The life safety branch and critical branch of the essential electrical system shall be
kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment and shall not enter the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets with
each other or other wiring.
[ non -applicable wording removed for simplicity]
Wiring of the life safety branch and the critical branch shall be permitted to occupy the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets of other circuits not part of the branch where such wiring complies with one of the following:
(1) Is in transfer equipment enclosures
(2) Is in exit or emergency luminaires supplied from two
sources
(3) Is in a common junction box attached to exit or emer‐
gency luminaires supplied from two sources
(4) Is for two or more circuits supplied from the same branch
and same transfer switch
The wiring of the equipment branch shall be permitted to
occupy the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets of other circuits
that are not part of the essential electrical system.
First, it is physically necessary for normal and life safety wiring share the same enclosure in the Life Safety transfer switch, but this code doesn't spell that out and seems to not allow it because of (1) above. How does the code allow this? I ask because it it borderline related to my real issue. I have a run of linear fixture. It is comprised of 8 ft normal lighting 4 ft life safety lighting 8 ft normal lighting 4 ft life safety etc. Now I know from my discussion with the lighting manufacturer that the entire fixture is considered a single fixture per the listing agency and that is why they are allowed to run the article 700 emergency circuit and the normal power circuit side by side without the required separation.
Skip to Health care, how could this fixture be have both normal and emergency in it period?
Wouldn't the fixture need physical barriers between sections and carry a listing that designates it as separate fixtures?
On top of that, my lighting rep. and the manufacturer are saying that the wiring itself will be run together along the entire length of the fixture. (just as above article 700).
Where is this justified or allowed in the code? I can see looking the other way about having a physical barrier for each section, but I can't see any way where the wiring (including any dimmer wiring) would be allowed to travel between sections. Is there something I am missing in the code that does allow this?
If not, any suggestions on how I approach this?
Article 517.31(C)(1) Separation from Other Circuits. The life safety branch and critical branch of the essential electrical system shall be
kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment and shall not enter the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets with
each other or other wiring.
[ non -applicable wording removed for simplicity]
Wiring of the life safety branch and the critical branch shall be permitted to occupy the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets of other circuits not part of the branch where such wiring complies with one of the following:
(1) Is in transfer equipment enclosures
(2) Is in exit or emergency luminaires supplied from two
sources
(3) Is in a common junction box attached to exit or emer‐
gency luminaires supplied from two sources
(4) Is for two or more circuits supplied from the same branch
and same transfer switch
The wiring of the equipment branch shall be permitted to
occupy the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets of other circuits
that are not part of the essential electrical system.
First, it is physically necessary for normal and life safety wiring share the same enclosure in the Life Safety transfer switch, but this code doesn't spell that out and seems to not allow it because of (1) above. How does the code allow this? I ask because it it borderline related to my real issue. I have a run of linear fixture. It is comprised of 8 ft normal lighting 4 ft life safety lighting 8 ft normal lighting 4 ft life safety etc. Now I know from my discussion with the lighting manufacturer that the entire fixture is considered a single fixture per the listing agency and that is why they are allowed to run the article 700 emergency circuit and the normal power circuit side by side without the required separation.
Skip to Health care, how could this fixture be have both normal and emergency in it period?
Wouldn't the fixture need physical barriers between sections and carry a listing that designates it as separate fixtures?
On top of that, my lighting rep. and the manufacturer are saying that the wiring itself will be run together along the entire length of the fixture. (just as above article 700).
Where is this justified or allowed in the code? I can see looking the other way about having a physical barrier for each section, but I can't see any way where the wiring (including any dimmer wiring) would be allowed to travel between sections. Is there something I am missing in the code that does allow this?
If not, any suggestions on how I approach this?
