Elevator Pit Sump Pump NEC Surge Protection Requirement

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chunt984

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An inspector on a recent elevator modernization project stated that the power panel feeding the elevator pit sump pump must have surge protection on it. They said it was an NEC requirement, but did not cite a specific Article. Does anyone know where this requirement might be found in the 2017 NEC?

Thanks
 
Did you look in the article on elevators? I am not knowledgeable on elevators, WA
electricians can't work beyond the elevator disconnect.
Is the power panel fed from an emergency generator?
 
Yes, there are some requirements for surge protection on the elevators themselves, but I can't find anything for ancillary equipment like the sump pump. The panel feeding the sump pump, lighting, receptacles, etc., is not fed from an emergency generator.

Whether or not the sump pump would be considered "emergency equipment" is up to interpretation, I think. It may be that this inspector considers it as such.
 
This is the only time the words surge protection appear in Article 620:

620.51(E) Surge Protection. Where any of the disconnecting means in 620.51 has been designated as supplying an emergency system load, surge protection shall be provided.
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Thanks for the responses, turns out the inspector is considering the pit sump pump an emergency system, so he/she was referring to Article 700.8. Never had an inspector consider that an emergency system before.
 
chunt984 said:
Thanks for the responses, turns out the inspector is considering the pit sump pump an emergency system, so he/she was referring to Article 700.8. Never had an inspector consider that an emergency system before.
Click to expand...
Is there enough money at stake to fight the designation? I see by your posts the panel serving the sump pump is not already on the article 700 generator.
 
Emergency system, unlike emergency equipment(?), is very tightly defined in the NEC. If the sump pump is not on the emergency system ATS it is not an emergency system load.
The downside of fighting it is that you might have to move it to the Article 700 panel. :(

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