emergency lights

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buck33k

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Wiring from an emergency source shall be kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment per 700.9.


Would a barrier in a switchbox containing emergency and normal power satisfy this requirement or would two boxes be necessary?

edited for spelling
 
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Not sure. I do not think it is worded in a way that would allow that.

But if you put a switch on emergency lighting you have to provide a way it will come on during a power failure regardless of the wall switch position.
 
iwire said:
A typical problem for us in office building conference rooms, they want to be able to kill the lights for presentations. We keep the switches in separate boxes.
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That's what I hoped he would say, versus, "I don't know. The owner wants to turn them off to save energy". I've had that request more than once. I always tell them that what's required to make that legal will cost them more than they'll ever save. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut. :cool:
 
mdshunk said:
That's what I hoped he would say, versus, "I don't know. The owner wants to turn them off to save energy". I've had that request more than once. I always tell them that what's required to make that legal will cost them more than they'll ever save. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut. :cool:
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When I worked for CES we had an office job where we had to shut off the e-light in each conference room. We ended up using a RIB relay but I forget the exact details of how I did it, despite the fact that I wired all of them. :roll:
 
I did a large anchor store at a mall and it was set up to turn everything off when the last person went out the door at night, Exit signs, emergency lights receptacles, Pretty much everything except the server room, cash room and mangers office. It was all about saving money but every circuit used Square D power link breakers so it was pretty easy to do.
 
buck33k said:
BTW...A note indicates using Bodine GTD 20 or equivalent to bypass switch.

Would you consider a relay at the emergency panel location equivalent?
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I've actually done that in the past with one of those Dayton open frame relays from Grainger. It's a fairly inexpensive way to accomplish the same thing.

3X748.JPG
 
buck33k said:
Wiring from an emergency source shall be kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment per 700.9.


Would a barrier in a switchbox containing emergency and normal power satisfy this requirement or would two boxes be necessary?

edited for spelling
Click to expand...

Its my understanding that entirely independent means seperate boxes. The reasoning with for this was because if there was ever a damage issue (fire, fault etc) that it would reduce the risk of it affecting the emergency power. We have always had./been required to put them in seperate boxes. Only time you use a divider is if they are both the same power (ie normal) and of different voltages that add up over 300 ie 277 and 120 switch. ;)
 
mdshunk said:
I've actually done that in the past with one of those Dayton open frame relays from Grainger. It's a fairly inexpensive way to accomplish the same thing.

3X748.JPG
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The relay Marc shows above is what I had in mind. I just want to make sure that this conforms to the intent of 700.9(B)(1). Located in its own enclosure, coil energized by normal power, emergency power from relay to either switch or direct to fixtures.
 
brother said:
Its my understanding that entirely independent means seperate boxes. The reasoning with for this was because if there was ever a damage issue (fire, fault etc) that it would reduce the risk of it affecting the emergency power. We have always had./been required to put them in seperate boxes. Only time you use a divider is if they are both the same power (ie normal) and of different voltages that add up over 300 ie 277 and 120 switch. ;)
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Entirely independent is somewhat vague. We have always used boxes with suitable barriers to satisfy the requirement and it has never been an issue.
 
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