Exit sign /building power.

[nizak]

Do exit signs have to be powered from the same circuit that supplies the lighting in that area? I have always done so by obtaining power ahead of any switching devices from that circuit.

I am looking at doing renovation work in a commercial building with approx 25 combination heads and most all are feeding from general purpose wall receptacles.

It will be considerably easier to leave existing wiring and just change out the fixtures if acceptable. I would imagine it falls under some code other than the NEC.

Thanks.

 

[packersparky]

Unit equipment (battery backup exit and egress lights) must be supplied from the normal lighting circuit that serves the area ahead of any switches. See 700.12(F)(3) in the 2014 NEC. The requirement was the same in the 1990 NEC. That is the oldest NEC I have. You have been doing it correctly.

 

[david]

How did you determine that it is a general purpose circuit?

Look at 700.12 ,you are allowed to supply unit equipment with a short cord and plug and rec. configuration. If this area has three or more normal lighting circuits and a breaker with a lock on device it nay be compliant.

By the way there is a deference between exit signs witch do not have the same requirement as Emergency lighting, you did however clarify that the exit signs in discussion also provide emergency lighting.

 

[jumper]

Beyond the fact that the NEC requires that the EM lights need to be on the lighting circuit serving the area where they are installed as shown in the above posts, it really is common sense that they do.

You want the EM lights to come on when the lighting circuit does not have power.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I do not see exit lights are being lights that supply normal illumination to an area, and see no reason why they have to be connected to the area lighting circuit. Exit lights are on all the time, so no matter what circuit feeds them the switch to battery power when the normal power fails.

Of course emergency lighting does need to be fed from the circuit that feeds the normal area lighting. If the exit light has EM heads, then it is covered by the EM rules.