Elevator pit

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Rkoss05

Member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
Electrician
Does the elevator pit light have to be battery back up?? Also does the sump pump single yoke receptacle have to be in a weather proof box with raised cover or could you just use a 4 square with a raised cover since it’s a dedicated circuit for just the pump??
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Does the elevator pit light have to be battery back up?? Also does the sump pump single yoke receptacle have to be in a weather proof box with raised cover or could you just use a 4 square with a raised cover since it’s a dedicated circuit for just the pump??
IIRC, everything below 48" has to be weatherproof, per ASME 17.1 if there are sprinklers in the pit.
 

Jolted

Member
Location
Wisconsin
IIRC, everything below 48" has to be weatherproof, per ASME 17.1 if there are sprinklers in the pit.
I would have to disagree with this statement. Earlier versions of ASME 17.1 were not worded well, but the intent has always been for that to apply to elevator equipment, not wiring in the shaft.

I went through this a year or two ago with an elevator company. Below is the letter I got from a state electrical Inspector to back me up.

"It has been over 10 years since 120 volt electrical in sprinklered pits had to be NEMA Type 4. Beginning with the SPS 318 code effective January 1, 2009, the ASME A17.1 has required only elevator electrical equipment to be NEMA Type 4. That applies to elevator electrical equipment like buffer switches, governor tailweight switches, etc. Here is the current code where (a) was added to limit the NEMA Type 4 to elevator electrical only.


So to summarize, beginning with elevators having that contract date of January 1, 2009, the 120 volt (non-elevator electrical) circuit has no longer been required to be NEMA Type 4."



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Rkoss05

Member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
Electrician
So the dedicated circuit for the sump pump don’t need to be in a nema 4 box with bubble cover?? What about the convenience gfi receptacle? Also does the light have to be battery back up?
 

Jolted

Member
Location
Wisconsin
So the dedicated circuit for the sump pump don’t need to be in a nema 4 box with bubble cover?? What about the convenience gfi receptacle? Also does the light have to be battery back up?
Right. Think about it, how is it even possible to install a NEMA 4 receptacle??? That would be wash down/explosion proof equipment. You're lucky if a bubble cover is rated 3R. And you can't use pvc, nor LFMC, or LFNMC over six feet. EMT raintight connectors are not rated NEMA 4. IMC or RMC are probably your only options, it makes no sense to try and install NEMA 4 receptacles in an elevator pit.

I can't think of any reason you need emergency lighting in the elevator pit, but then I'm not super familiar with ASME elevator standards. I'll dig into it, I have an elevator going into a building without a generator in a few weeks.

This photo is the last elevator pit I did, a Menards store.
f104fb7fada53033fcb60423f1389548.jpg


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Rkoss05

Member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
Electrician
But don’t you still need to install weatherproof box and raintight fittings due to the fact it’s considered wet/damp location in the elevator pit??
 

Rkoss05

Member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
Electrician
Right. Think about it, how is it even possible to install a NEMA 4 receptacle??? That would be wash down/explosion proof equipment. You're lucky if a bubble cover is rated 3R. And you can't use pvc, nor LFMC, or LFNMC over six feet. EMT raintight connectors are not rated NEMA 4. IMC or RMC are probably your only options, it makes no sense to try and install NEMA 4 receptacles in an elevator pit.

I can't think of any reason you need emergency lighting in the elevator pit, but then I'm not super familiar with ASME elevator standards. I'll dig into it, I have an elevator going into a building without a generator in a few weeks.

This photo is the last elevator pit I did, a Menards store.
f104fb7fada53033fcb60423f1389548.jpg


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But doesn’t the fittings and box have to be rated for damp/wet locations since that’s what the pit is rated as??
 

PaulMmn

Senior Member
Location
Union, KY, USA
Occupation
EIT - Engineer in Training, Lafayette College
Didn't someone say (in another thread) that there was A Decision that said wiring in the pit that wasn't elevator-related didn't have to be damp/wet rated??

It was message #3 in this thread!
 

Rkoss05

Member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
Electrician
Doing my first elevator pit and was told to have rain tight and nema 4 boxes so just trying to learn more. Assumed damp location cause it’s below grade and possibly water getting in the pit if sump pump would fail. Thanks guys
 

Jolted

Member
Location
Wisconsin
Doing my first elevator pit and was told to have rain tight and nema 4 boxes so just trying to learn more. Assumed damp location cause it’s below grade and possibly water getting in the pit if sump pump would fail. Thanks guys
What actually matters is the code definition. I can't think of anything that would define an elevator pit as wet or damp.

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retirede

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Doing my first elevator pit and was told to have rain tight and nema 4 boxes so just trying to learn more. Assumed damp location cause it’s below grade and possibly water getting in the pit if sump pump would fail. Thanks guys

If a below grade sump pump failure is a criterion for wet location, every basement with a sump pump would be included.
 
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