Strathead
Senior Member
- Location
- Ocala, Florida, USA
- Occupation
- Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
This code has always confused me a little bit, for several reasons:
First, which comes first, the designation or the loads? If a decision is made on the design level, to provide a generator that feeds the egress lighting (as a sole secondary power supply, no batteries) does that make it a Legally Required Emergency System? Or Does the AHJ have to designate it as required to be one?
Isn't an emergency "Bug-eye" light with a remote head, in fact, a code 700 emergency system?
I have seen many places at a University that I work, that have emergency lights fed from a conduit system designated "emergency", but the panels also feed things like refrigerators and freezers they don't want shut down. Is this just a blatant violation of article 700 or is there a different, legal, interpretation? If this is, in fact, illegal, why doesn't the NEC require better marking designation and control of emergency power?
First, which comes first, the designation or the loads? If a decision is made on the design level, to provide a generator that feeds the egress lighting (as a sole secondary power supply, no batteries) does that make it a Legally Required Emergency System? Or Does the AHJ have to designate it as required to be one?
Isn't an emergency "Bug-eye" light with a remote head, in fact, a code 700 emergency system?
I have seen many places at a University that I work, that have emergency lights fed from a conduit system designated "emergency", but the panels also feed things like refrigerators and freezers they don't want shut down. Is this just a blatant violation of article 700 or is there a different, legal, interpretation? If this is, in fact, illegal, why doesn't the NEC require better marking designation and control of emergency power?