Emgcy lights located in rows

[gstandin]

I work for a fluorescent lighting manufacturer. My question involves 700.9 (B) exception (2) as it applies to wiring emergency circuits located in fixtures mounted in rows. I want to know if the two scenarios that follow are permissible under exception (2):

1) In a row of fixtures in which every other fixture must be wired to an outside emergency power source (as opposed to an internal emergency battery), is it permissible to provide a single emergency feed separate from the normal feed and passing through those fixtures in the row having only normal power? Must the emergency wiring be separated from the normal wiring by a barrier within the fixture?

2) In a row of fixtures having one lamp per fixture on normal power and one lamp per fixture wired to an outside emergency source, is it permissible to provide one separate feed per row for those lamps on the emergency circuit? Must normal and emergency wiring in the same fixture be separated by a barrier, or can the whole row be treated as in exception (2)?

 

[roger deas]

Re: Emgcy lights located in rows

Question # 1 If we use 410.32 we don't have to consider the row of fixtures a raceway, we can call it an assembly. So this would comply with 700.9(B)(2)with no separating necessarry. Note the plural "luminaires".

#2 No separation necessarry by the wording of 700.9(B)(2) These fixtures would be "emergency luminaires" even though they double as normal lighting.

Roger

[ May 05, 2003, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: roger deas ]

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Emgcy lights located in rows

Roger,
I think that is really stretching 700.9(B) for question #1. I agree with the answer to question #2.
Don

 

[iwire]

Re: Emgcy lights located in rows

Don,
We install a lot of linear fluorescent fixtures that mix the emergency and normal power and when I asked about this I was told that the entire unit is a "fixture".

These fixtures come from a manufacturer with the wiring already done and nylon connectors plug the sections together, UL listed as a unit when assembled to the prints provided by the manufacturer.

We keep the systems separate till we get to the feed point from there the factory wiring is mixed.

I do not like it but it seems to be compliant.

Bob

[ May 05, 2003, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: iwire ]

 

[roger deas]

Re: Emgcy lights located in rows

Don,

I think that is really stretching 700.9(B) for question #1

this may be, but it would be an arguable stretch.

Wouldn't be the first time we stretched something here.

Roger

 

[frenchelectrican]

Re: Emgcy lights located in rows

dang you guys are try to strech that question #1 yeah i know i can see that part about the lumaires it is kinda mixed bag depend how the nec can define it and it is listed as raceway so therefore it is a hard call here but i feel more confotbale( sorry for spelling ) with question #2 but some of the jobs i been working i used the feild wireing set up and few other have factory wiring setup but here the catch after leave the luminaires the normal and emegercy lines go seprate conducts per nec code section 400 and 700 and note the fine note prints for set up ( that basied on 96 codes but 02 is pretty simuair ) i am sure one of us can show alot about nec codes related with that

merci marc