Definition of unit equipment?

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slong100

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I'm going back and forth with a plans reviewer on the definition of unit equipment per NEC 700.12 (F). Would a battery pack in a 2'x4' fluorescent fixture on the general lighting circuit to be unit equipment as described in NEC 700.12 (F)?
 
Welcome to the Forum.

Who thinks it isn't?

(F) Unit Equipment. Individual unit equipment for emergency illumination shall consist of the following:
(1) A rechargeable battery
(2) A battery charging means
(3) Provisions for one or more lamps mounted on the equipment, or shall be permitted to have terminals for remote lamps, or both
(4) A relaying device arranged to energize the lamps automatically upon failure of the supply to the unit equipment

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.
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I guess my real question is: if you have installed an emergency battery pack within a 2x4 fixture, then does it label that entire fixture as unit equipment. Then in this case, would we have to label the circuit accordingly? If this were the case, then just every circuit with emergency battery packs would need to be labeled. This could impact every lighting circuit?
 
slong100 said:
I guess my real question is: if you have installed an emergency battery pack within a 2x4 fixture, then does it label that entire fixture as unit equipment. Then in this case, would we have to label the circuit accordingly? If this were the case, then just every circuit with emergency battery packs would need to be labeled. This could impact every lighting circuit?
Click to expand...

My answer would be no. If that light fixture is not being used to meet the egress lighting requirements, then article 700 has no bearing on that particular fixture.

Someone (I think it was Charlie) once gave an example of this same sort of thing: If you use a stick of conduit to support a light fixture, (assume the conduit doesn't contain any wiring - its only used as a support) then that conduit doesn't have to meet the wiring method requirement in Article 300.

Emergency lighting used for another purpose doesn't have to meet the emergency lighting requirements.
 
slong100 said:
I guess my real question is: if you have installed an emergency battery pack within a 2x4 fixture, then does it label that entire fixture as unit equipment. Then in this case, would we have to label the circuit accordingly? If this were the case, then just every circuit with emergency battery packs would need to be labeled. This could impact every lighting circuit?
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The plans reviewer wants you to change your panel schedules as per this:?

The branch circuit that feeds unit equipment shall be clearly identified at the distribution panel.
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If thats the case why don't you change the name of those cirs. from Lighting to Lighting/EM Lighting?

BTW I have never seen this issue hold up a set of plans. Where are you located?
 
We will label the panel schedule appropiatley but I wanted to get a general consensus on the issue.

This comment is coming from a third party plans reviewer for the City of Goodyear, AZ.

This same plans reviewer is also referencing 2005 NEC 408.4 for panelboard circuit identification. Again we have no problem complying but what do you in the event you are alternating circuits in the same general location.

I understand why code requires us to do this, but don't you feel that in most circumstances this is unessary?

Thanks for your help.
 
I don't think there is any question that these fixtures fall under 700.12(F) assuming they are for required Egress lighting.
 
Yes, from the last replies, it looks like these are for emergency lighting.

From the 1st two posts, I didn't think the battery packs were supplying the required egress lighting. It sounded like they were installed for some other reason.

So it sounds like in some buildings, you would have every lighting circuit labeled as "Lts/ Emergency Lts". Sounds like the right thing to do, but personally, I have never seen a panel labeled like that.

Steve
 
I've seen the same review comment in AZ as well.

What about this approach: Provide an unswitched (locked-on) nightlighting circuit that covers multiple spaces (for normal egress lighting requirements) and connect all emergency egress lighting to that same nightlighting circuit. This would keep the "EM lighting" labeling to just one circuit and meet the requirements of 700.12 (F).

Of course, there may be multiple nightlighting circuits depending the project....but it may alleviate this possible labeling nightmare in those tough jurisdictions.......
 
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