Emergency and exit lighting raceway

[sparkync]

I have a "place of assembly" that is required to have exit lights, and emergency lights. I know the wiring to the emergency lighting must be on the same circuit as the normal lighting, but can they be run in the same conduit? Also can the exit lighting be run in the same conduit as normal lighting. The way I read the code especially exit lighting, it cannot. Am I right?? Ceilings are very high and hard to get to in a renovation type area that already has ceiling grid installed. Thanks for the help.

 

[texie]

I have a "place of assembly" that is required to have exit lights, and emergency lights. I know the wiring to the emergency lighting must be on the same circuit as the normal lighting, but can they be run in the same conduit? Also can the exit lighting be run in the same conduit as normal lighting. The way I read the code especially exit lighting, it cannot. Am I right?? Ceilings are very high and hard to get to in a renovation type area that already has ceiling grid installed. Thanks for the help.

I'm not sure if you are saying you have "unit" equipment (700.12(F) or a full blown emergency power system. If you have unit equipment there is no wiring to separate. You just hook 'em up the proper circuit as they are stand alone emergency sources. Now if you have a, say a generator or central inverter system, that's another matter.

 

[GoldDigger]

If you have fixtures with built in battery lighting (more often exit signage than egress illumination) you cannot connect them to switched circuits. So they will either be unswitched power circuits or constantly on illumination circuits.
As mentioned, if the lights are supplied from an external emergency power source, then the situation is more complicated since that power source will typically not be energized at all except during a power outage and will typically not be controlled at all by the normal lighting switches.

Tapatalk!

 

[sparkync]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm thinking of installing (1) emergency ballast in 3 tube florescent fixtures to meet the requirements of emergency lighting ( tying one of the tubes to the emergency ballast). These lights will be switched. The code says they must be connected ahead of any local switches Art 700.12 (F) (Paragraph right before the exceptions). There are about 50 (2x4) lay in lights in the ceiling space. Ceilings are about 20ft. high. The amount of emergency lights will be up to the fire marshal, inspector, or architect. The architect has drawn in separate "gimbel" type recess emergency lights, but says that they can be changed to another type. There is no emergency standby generator system. I am also to add up to 2 exit lights. It' my assumption that these conductors will have to be run in separate conduit ( this may be where I'm overthinking it). Been looking through the code, but can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Anyway, any help will be appreciated. It's been a while since I've done any major commercial work. Thanks again

 

[GoldDigger]

You need to determine whether the emergency ballast works with the associated tube always on and battery backed or with the associated tube off except when the power fails. Since the AC feed does not power the light for emergency operation, I do not see any reason to separate the wires, but it would be nice to identify them....
Where will the test button be mounted?

Tapatalk!

 

[sparkync]

The lights will be on, with battery back up, and the test button is normally on the cover for the ballast in the fixture with a red light identifying it as an emergency fixture. Just wanted to make sure it is "code compliant". Like I said, it has high ceilings and hard to get to. Don't want to do it again if you know what I mean. Is there a code reference maybe that I'm missing that says they can be run together? Thought it might be Art. 700.10 (B) (4), but I'm not sure.

 

[pjholguin]

I am at a loss here, what are You talking about running separate? Is it the hot conductor to the battery pack? This conductor is not powered from an emergency source, so there is no need to run two raceways to this fixture. What might be good to do is label the fixture that there is a power conductor that is no switched...IMHO.

PJHoluin

The lights will be on, with battery back up, and the test button is normally on the cover for the ballast in the fixture with a red light identifying it as an emergency fixture. Just wanted to make sure it is "code compliant". Like I said, it has high ceilings and hard to get to. Don't want to do it again if you know what I mean. Is there a code reference maybe that I'm missing that says they can be run together? Thought it might be Art. 700.10 (B) (4), but I'm not sure.

 

[iwire]

This conductor is not powered from an emergency source, so there is no need to run two raceways to this fixture.

:thumbsup:

And that is the answer.

 

[sparkync]

I guess this pertains to exit lights also, since there is no separate emergency power source. They can be run in the same conduit as regular circuits?? Just want to make sure. Like I said, I don't want to have to do anything over again and don't to miss anything in the code. Thanks again

 

[iwire]

I guess this pertains to exit lights also, since there is no separate emergency power source.

That is correct.

However, if that exit light had remote heads connected to it those conductors would have to be kept separate.

Same if you had a wall mounted emergency battery unit, the line voltage supply would not normally be from an emergency source but any low voltage conductors supplied from the battery unit would be emergency conductors.

 

[sparkync]

thanks a lot for your help. Think I got it now..