emergency lights in a restaurant

[maxxohm1]

How do you juice emergency lights in commercial buildings. Is it true that if there is more than two light circuits, the em. lights sit on the same phase as one of the light circuits or they should be sharing the same circuit. By the way it's in Chicago?

 

[iwire]

Re: emergency lights in a restaurant

I do not know if Chicago uses the same rule for this, here is what the NEC requires.

Part of 700.12(E)

.....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.......

There also is an exception.

Exception: In a separate and uninterrupted area supplied by a minimum of three normal lighting circuits, a separate branch circuit for unit equipment shall be permitted if it originates from the same panelboard as that of the normal lighting circuits and is provided with a lock-on feature.

 

[jerryb]

Re: emergency lights in a restaurant

If your working in Chicago then I strongly suggest that you get a copy of the Chicago Building Code. You would need to refer to Chapeter 27, Section 700.

The exact type of Emergency Lighting system depends on the "Building Use" and "Occupancy Class". You could have a Type I, II or III.

Typically Chicago requires the branch circuit wiring for emergency & Exit luminaires to have a separate hot and neutral and shall not be permitted to be connected to the same multi-wire branch circuit.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: emergency lights in a restaurant

Originally posted by jerryb:
The exact type of Emergency Lighting system depends on the "Building Use" and "Occupancy Class". You could have a Type I, II or III.

Hi Jerry. Forgive me for asking, but are you talking about type of construction (I, II, III, etc.), such as combusitble vs. non combustible?

That would be interesting, since none of the codes that I am aware of use type of construction to drive egress lighting.

A typical "use" or "occupancy" would be Assemsbly(A), Business(B), Hazardous(H), Institutional(I), Residential(R), Storage(S), etc...

 

[russ]

Re: emergency lights in a restaurant

(c) Unit Battery Equipment.
(1) All unit batteries shall be labeled as emergency lighting equipment. Individual unit equipment for code required standby
emergency illumination shall consist of the following:
(a) A rechargeable battery;
(b) A battery charging means;
(c) Provisions for one or more lamps;
(d) A relaying device arranged to automatically energize the lamps upon failure of the supply to the unit equipment;
(e) Batteries of suitable rating and capacity to supply and maintain not less than 87? percent of the nominal battery voltage for
the total lamp load associated with the unit for a period of at least 1? hours; and
(f) Acid or alkali storage batteries designed and constructed to meet the requirements of emergency service.
(2) The unit equipment shall be provided with:
(a) A test switch for checking the operating conditions of the unit;
(b) A pilot light to indicate current supply from the normal source; and
(c) A pilot light or meter to indicate the battery is charging. Where a common pilot light is used it shall have a distinctive
difference in illumination to indicate the normal charging rate and the float charging rate. It is not permitted for this pilot
light to be marked "READY" to indicate power available.
(3) Enclosure. The unit battery enclosure and lamp holder shall be made of metal. Plastic enclosures are not acceptable.
(4) Wiring.
(a) The wiring shall comply with the following:
(1) Unit equipment shall be permanently fixed in place and supplied with an approved metallic raceway;(2) Flexible cord and plug connections shall not be permitted;
(3) The branch circuit feeding the unit equipment shall be the same branch circuit as that serving the normal illumination, or
(emergency illumination where present) in the area and connected ahead of any local switches;
(4) The branch-circuit device shall be a type S plug fuse, a circuit breaker of the key operated type, or shall be provided with a
locking device to prevent inadvertent opening of the circuit and shall comply with Section 18-27-700.63;
(5) The panel directory shall be prominently marked to identify the circuits that supply the unit batteries.
(6) Where there is a separate and uninterrupted area supplied by a minimum of 3 normal lighting circuits, a separate branch circuit
for unit batteries shall be permitted, provided the circuit originates from the same panelboard as that of the normal lighting
circuits and is either a type S plug fuse, a circuit breaker of the key-operated type, or a circuit breaker provided with a lock-on
feature.

 

[jerryb]

Re: emergency lights in a restaurant

Ryan; The Type I, II or III that I was refering to are the different types of emergency systems that acceptable in the Chicago Code.

There is a table which breaks down the different building uses and their occupancy class. From those areas you can deteremine the type of emergercny system that is acceptable. I won't try and describe these three systems (because it would take up too much text). But a type III is normally self contained battery backup.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[ryan_618]

Re: emergency lights in a restaurant

Thanks Jerry.