Comletely Baffled how to do it otherwise

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GeorgeW

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This is truly a unique situation that has my head spinning. I am installing a contactor to 'override' the house lights in a bar/ restauarant, so when the fire alarm system is activated, the lights jump to full illumination, and the sound (televisions, juke box, stereo, etc) shut down. The problem is that the work area is so limited and tight (it has 2 separate main panels, one to the far left, one to the far right, and a subpanel in between being fed from the panel on the left) that my ONLY option is to install the contactor about 2" below a horizontal trough used as a wire way for service entrance cable, and to move circuits from the far right panel to the middle panel (these are for receptacles and will be shut down using a shunt trip breaker at the main panel, the one on the left) and circuits from the middle panel to the far right panel ( these are lighting circuits that will go through the contactor). I have NO alternative but to use the panels as 'raceways' and splice the circuits I am moving onto THHN, run through emt for one panel to the next. So a circuit in the far right panel is removed from a breaker, and spliced onto THHN, through emt pipe into the middle panel and landed on a breaker there, The neutrals are moved as well. The same goes for moving the circuits from the middle panel to the far right. IS THIS LEGAL ????????
 
You can use the panels as raceways but you can not have branch circuits or feeders in the same raceway / trough as service conductors.
 
Your question is long, which is fine, but hard to dig out what you are asking.
I believe you are asking if the panels can be used as pull boxes to extend circuits thru.
The NEC allows panels to be used for this as long as the splices don't exceed 75% of the gutter space (at the sides) or exceed 40% fill.
 
I am installing a contactor to 'override' the house lights in a bar/ restauarant, so when the fire alarm system is activated, the lights jump to full illumination, and the sound (televisions, juke box, stereo, etc) shut down.
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This seems to be a desire of the owner and not a NFPA requirement.
Is this a fair assumption ?

I'd take extra care that the required exit and illumanation requirements are still met or still maintained or even upgraded!

The side thought to this it, if theres no power, well how could a F/A bring that all up to full bright, the fire alarms will not be sounding with lights out but one will still be eating by bug lites.

Frankly, I was think'n a few troughs or a few large boxes, interception of home runs, and a avoiding just panel to panel transitions.

You can't put branch circuits in a service trough. You said it was below by 2 " but seemed to imply something eles.
my ONLY option is to install the contactor about 2" below a horizontal trough used as a wire way for service entrance cable, and to move circuits from the far right panel to the middle panel
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But it is a Cool Idea ...
 
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cadpoint said:
This seems to be a desire of the owner and not a NFPA requirement.
Is this a fair assumption ?

I'd take extra care that the required exit and illumanation requirements are still met or still maintained or even upgraded!

The side thought to this it, if theres no power, well how could a F/A bring that all up to full bright, the fire alarms will not be sounding with lights out but one will still be eating by bug lites.

Frankly, I was think'n a few troughs or a few large boxes, interception of home runs, and a avoiding just panel to panel transitions.

You can't put branch circuits in a service trough. You said it was below by 2 " but seemed to imply something eles.


But it is a Cool Idea ...
Click to expand...

I had an entertainment venue several years ago where the fire dept required this. They want power killed to the sound and effects/stage lighting, so people can hear the fire alarm, and see the F/A strobes and be able to tell there is something wrong and its not part of the venue lighting system, and they want the 'house' lights to come on so people can see to get out.
 
cadpoint said:
This seems to be a desire of the owner and not a NFPA requirement.
Is this a fair assumption ?

I'd take extra care that the required exit and illumanation requirements are still met or still maintained or even upgraded!

The side thought to this it, if theres no power, well how could a F/A bring that all up to full bright, the fire alarms will not be sounding with lights out but one will still be eating by bug lites.

Frankly, I was think'n a few troughs or a few large boxes, interception of home runs, and a avoiding just panel to panel transitions.

You can't put branch circuits in a service trough. You said it was below by 2 " but seemed to imply something eles.


But it is a Cool Idea ...
Click to expand...


The city of Boston wants this done. ONLY the main house lights are affected.
 
LarryFine said:
Is the main disco(s) ahead of this trough, or in the two panels?
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The main disconnects (one for the panel on the far left, and one for the panel to the far right) are IN the panels, AFTER the trough. The trough is about 8' off the floor and the contactor is between the panel and the trough
 
It may be easier to install a system of new lights (maybe fluorescents with an emergency ballasts for added safety) that would only be used in this instance.

You could also install an override switch and they could turn them on for cleaning the place.
 
Can any devices be installed locally?.If there is an av system,this can normally be shut down by breaking two lv contacts,on the stereo system.This would take care of sound,if the cable/satelite boxes are in the same rack the same fa relay could be used to break the signal to the tvs.If its feasible individual relays could be mounted local to the light fixtures or the dimmer switches.
 
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