Definition of Electrical Equipment Room

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dema

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What constitutes an electrical equipment room as referred to in NFPA 13 as having to be fire rated or sprinklered. (NFPA 13 8 15 11 2)?

I can't find a definition other than a room that contains electrical equipment. So, if we want to put a 400A panel and some lighting contactors in a room and call it "electrical" does that mean the room has to be sprinklered or fire rated? I suppose usually if the building is sprinklered, that that room has to be sprinklered so maybe this question doesn't come up.

So why does the question come up?

Mostly because I am strange that way.

But related to that is the requirement for Large Equipment to have entrances. Entrances implies a room. I have interpreted the section in that way. Does it need to be in a room? If it isn't in a room, then does whatever room it is in become an electrical equipment room?

Okay, maybe I am snapping at gnats here. Any comments?
 
Weird stuff

Weird stuff

Thanks, that's not exactly where I was going. My real question is when is a room required and at what point do you not need exit hardware and various other issues that just aren't clearly defined.

Example - if I put the electrical gear in a corner of a mechanical room with double clearance, does the mechanical room have to have escape hardware on the door?

I've been designing drawings for years. The issue here is that a contractor didn't do things in the traditional way so I am having to go through each issue in the code based on intent.

Large equipment is in a closet and not a room. The doors are 7' wide. A person can't get in the closet so those doors don't have escape hardware. The space outside the closet is sprinklered - so that is okay. But then what? I always put 1200A gear in a room. Now it isn't in a room. So basically the only issue seems to be is there a 24" minimum width path to run like crazy? And this path has to exist even with the closet doors open such that the closet doors don't block the path.

And so on.

I keep thinking that the weird stuff will have to repeat itself eventually, that the world should run out. But I guess that never happens.
 
Meet the 4 conditions and you don't need heads in that room.
dedicated to elec equip only
no oil filled tranny's, lead-acid batteries, etc.
2hr envelope
no storage of combustibles.
 
dema said:
Thanks, that's not exactly where I was going. My real question is when is a room required and at what point do you not need exit hardware and various other issues that just aren't clearly defined.

Example - if I put the electrical gear in a corner of a mechanical room with double clearance, does the mechanical room have to have escape hardware on the door?

I've been designing drawings for years. The issue here is that a contractor didn't do things in the traditional way so I am having to go through each issue in the code based on intent.

Large equipment is in a closet and not a room. The doors are 7' wide. A person can't get in the closet so those doors don't have escape hardware. The space outside the closet is sprinklered - so that is okay. But then what? I always put 1200A gear in a room. Now it isn't in a room. So basically the only issue seems to be is there a 24" minimum width path to run like crazy? And this path has to exist even with the closet doors open such that the closet doors don't block the path.

And so on.

I keep thinking that the weird stuff will have to repeat itself eventually, that the world should run out. But I guess that never happens.
Click to expand...
You have to have the door hardware when you reach the requirements for 110.26(C)(3)
 
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