circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

[jcd]

do exits and fixtures with battery backup (for emergency egress) require a
separate circuit? i think the answer is 'yes,' in accordance with NEC
700.15.

seems like a simple enough question, right?

the thing is that i have often seen installers pull one circuit for all the fixtures, and
simply pull an unswitched hot to ones on battery back up. - i am thinking
they have unknowingly been violating the NEC all this time. they insist they are following the NEC, though.

thanks,

jcd

 

[guesseral]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

No I don't think that have been violating the code the intent is for the em lighting to come on in the area where power has been lost. Look a 702.11 F (4) last paragraph seems to be the area.

Correction: Sorry 701.11 F (4)

[ December 29, 2004, 02:28 PM: Message edited by: guesseral ]

 

[guesseral]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Now I have to post a reply on my reply, 700.12 E (4) makes the same statment and answers the question in the same manner.

But my new question is how do you determine if it is emergency or if it is legally required? It makes a difference in the system wiring, emergency systems require keeping normal source power and emergency source power wiring entirely independent 700.9 B. But legally required systems may occupy the same raceways, cables, boxes and cabinets with other general wiring 701.10. I hate it when I answer a question and create my own!

 

[kpepin]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Most jobs I've been on state on the prints that emergency and exits to be fed from local lighting circuits. This makes perfect sense to me. If a circuit is feeding the lighting in an area and that circuit is lost, the emergency lighting in the same area should come on.

The local Fire Marshall in my area usually makes us shut off the circuit breaker feeding the lights in an area to test the emergency light function.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

guesseral,

But my new question is how do you determine if it is emergency or if it is legally required?

If you are talking about the supply wires to "unit" equipment (internal battery back-up), then the wiring is neither. It is just an ordinary branch circuit.
Don

 

[jcd]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Originally posted by kpepin:
Most jobs I've been on state on the prints that emergency and exits to be fed from local lighting circuits. This makes perfect sense to me. If a circuit is feeding the lighting in an area and that circuit is lost, the emergency lighting in the same area should come on.

The local Fire Marshall in my area usually makes us shut off the circuit breaker feeding the lights in an area to test the emergency light function.

 

[jcd]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Originally posted by jcd:

Originally posted by kpepin:
Most jobs I've been on state on the prints that emergency and exits to be fed from local lighting circuits. This makes perfect sense to me. If a circuit is feeding the lighting in an area and that circuit is lost, the emergency lighting in the same area should come on.

The local Fire Marshall in my area usually makes us shut off the circuit breaker feeding the lights in an area to test the emergency light function.

 

[jcd]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Originally posted by don_resqcapt19:
guesseral,

But my new question is how do you determine if it is emergency or if it is legally required?

If you are talking about the supply wires to "unit" equipment (internal battery back-up), then the wiring is neither. It is just an ordinary branch circuit.
Don

QUESTION: what about NEC 700.15????

 

[roger]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Jcd, why would you put a Battery Back-Up unit on an Emergency Branch Circuit?

Roger

 

[jcd]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Originally posted by roger:
Jcd, why would you put a Battery Back-Up unit on an Emergency Branch Circuit?

Roger

roger, its lighting fixures. i have no generator. i am putting battery backup units on some lighting fixtures for emergency egress. i am providing exits with battery backup, as well. but, NEC 700.15, says ... (read it). the way i usderstand it is that a separate dedicated circuit must be routed for the egress (em) lighting fixtures and exits. i.e., segarated from all the other fixtures which are to be fed from another circuit. what am i missing? thanks!

 

[guesseral]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

No the wiring I am talking about is after the battery unit say to a remote head. Unit equipment is referenced in 700 and 701, 700.15 would require the remote head wiring to be separate from the branch circuit wiring but per 701.10 the wiring to the remote head could reasonable be run in the same conduit as the branch circuit. Same exact battery unit same function different wiring requirement. So how would you know which section would prevail? Not a life or death situation but still.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

jcd,
Lights with battery back-up are unit equipment and 700.12(E) requires unit equipment to be served by the normal area lighting circuit. You do not use an "emergency" circuit to feed unit equipment.

700.12(E) ... The branch circuit feeding the unit equipment shall be the same branch circuit as that serving the normal lighting in the area and connected ahead of any local switches. ...

Don

 

[jcd]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Originally posted by don_resqcapt19:
jcd,
Lights with battery back-up are unit equipment and 700.12(E) requires unit equipment to be served by the normal area lighting circuit. You do not use an "emergency" circuit to feed unit equipment.

700.12(E) ... The branch circuit feeding the unit equipment shall be the same branch circuit as that serving the normal lighting in the area and connected ahead of any local switches. ...

Don

 

[jcd]

Re: circuiting emergency egress and exit lighting

Originally posted by don_resqcapt19:
jcd,
Lights with battery back-up are unit equipment and 700.12(E) requires unit equipment to be served by the normal area lighting circuit. You do not use an "emergency" circuit to feed unit equipment.

700.12(E) ... The branch circuit feeding the unit equipment shall be the same branch circuit as that serving the normal lighting in the area and connected ahead of any local switches. ...

Don

don,
thank you for the clarification! now i get it!
jcd.