Hospital waiting room can lighting

[jhoust]

Can lights are 3'6" apart requiring 3/4" FLEX in 5' lengths, there are about 12 lights in total. Wired them up with FLEX, which made the can lights bend up an inch from the tension of the flex, that bothered me. I finished the work that was laid out for me, but I couldn't help to think I could have done this better. I asked my leadman and foreman if we should have ran EMT with jboxes with FLEX coming from jboxes to service the can lights (by this time the work was already done).
They assured me that the FLEX was okay to use and as an apprentice I have said as much as I like to about the situation to far more experienced mentors, because they are teaching me.
I even tried to point out the longer lengths I had to use for two cans one 9' and the other was about the same. I tired to say that we need EMT, because it's a hospital waiting room (multiple people and the circuit should be protected by EMT, can anyone point me to a code section on this?
Will the inspector even care about the FLEX vs EMT in the waiting room?
Thank you.
J

 

[hbiss]

I tired to say that we need EMT, because it's a hospital waiting room (multiple people and the circuit should be protected by EMT, can anyone point me to a code section on this?

Even in patient care areas the lighting is not required to be wired with HCF cable or anything special, as long as the wiring method meets the building occupancy requirements. (Like no Romex.)

As for your flex putting stress on your fixtures, it would be a good exercise to think about how you might have eliminated it. Maybe securing the flex so there is no tension on the fixtures? It also seems like 3/4" is a bit much. You certainly could have used MC which would have made the job much quicker and easier than pulling conductors through flex.

-Hal

 

[Terminator5047]

Even in patient care areas the lighting is not required to be wired with HCF cable or anything special, as long as the wiring method meets the building occupancy requirements. (Like no Romex.)

As for your flex putting stress on your fixtures, it would be a good exercise to think about how you might have eliminated it. Maybe securing the flex so there is no tension on the fixtures? It also seems like 3/4" is a bit much. You certainly could have used MC which would have made the job much quicker and easier than pulling conductors through flex.

-Hal

Most hospitals spec heat loops (3/4 flex no longer than 6th) not a code requirement but a customer spec. Also em lighting around here has to be in hospital grade(which I’m not sure if that’s nec but I do know that most states hospital bureau who certifies the hospital for patient care )require this and the switch legs as well. It also depends on the height of the ceiling too

 

[Terminator5047]

Can lights are 3'6" apart requiring 3/4" FLEX in 5' lengths, there are about 12 lights in total. Wired them up with FLEX, which made the can lights bend up an inch from the tension of the flex, that bothered me. I finished the work that was laid out for me, but I couldn't help to think I could have done this better. I asked my leadman and foreman if we should have ran EMT with jboxes with FLEX coming from jboxes to service the can lights (by this time the work was already done).
They assured me that the FLEX was okay to use and as an apprentice I have said as much as I like to about the situation to far more experienced mentors, because they are teaching me.
I even tried to point out the longer lengths I had to use for two cans one 9' and the other was about the same. I tired to say that we need EMT, because it's a hospital waiting room (multiple people and the circuit should be protected by EMT, can anyone point me to a code section on this?
Will the inspector even care about the FLEX vs EMT in the waiting room?
Thank you.
J

Did you tie wire the can light to the grid and drop a pencil wire to the can as well? U can use a big bat wing to support the flex

 

[jhoust]

Did you tie wire the can light to the grid and drop a pencil wire to the can as well? U can use a big bat wing to support the flex

No, this was done between aluminum studs

 

[jhoust]

Most hospitals spec heat loops (3/4 flex no longer than 6th) not a code requirement but a customer spec. Also em lighting around here has to be in hospital grade(which I’m not sure if that’s nec but I do know that most states hospital bureau who certifies the hospital for patient care )require this and the switch legs as well. It also depends on the height of the ceiling too

Thank you for clarifying this further for me.

 

[jhoust]

Even in patient care areas the lighting is not required to be wired with HCF cable or anything special, as long as the wiring method meets the building occupancy requirements. (Like no Romex.)

As for your flex putting stress on your fixtures, it would be a good exercise to think about how you might have eliminated it. Maybe securing the flex so there is no tension on the fixtures? It also seems like 3/4" is a bit much. You certainly could have used MC which would have made the job much quicker and easier than pulling conductors through flex.

-Hal

I was under the impression (which is probably my mistake) that the max room occupancy in a hospital has something to do with using EMT over medical MC. Like hallways should be EMT because:
1 it's a route of escape incase of a fire and you don't want your light fixtures causing said fire blocking EM exits or any exits
(This waiting room also happens to be right next to elevators and stairs for the floor.)
2 this area will have multiple people (up to 10 easy) in it almost always, which is different from patient care rooms.

it's 3/4 flex because:
It's a 5 wire system 2 for controls (dimming LED)

I could have done it the way I laid out in my original post with EMT and jboxes, this would have made it so I could have gone on the top of the can lights and I wouldn't be having this problem (tension) in the first place, but this was how it was laid out for me to do.

I appreciate your responses

 

[Terminator5047]

I was under the impression (which is probably my mistake) that the max room occupancy in a hospital has something to do with using EMT over medical MC. Like hallways should be EMT because:
1 it's a route of escape incase of a fire and you don't want your light fixtures causing said fire blocking EM exits or any exits
(This waiting room also happens to be right next to elevators and stairs for the floor.)
2 this area will have multiple people (up to 10 easy) in it almost always, which is different from patient care rooms.

it's 3/4 flex because:
It's a 5 wire system 2 for controls (dimming LED)

I could have done it the way I laid out in my original post with EMT and jboxes, this would have made it so I could have gone on the top of the can lights and I wouldn't be having this problem (tension) in the first place, but this was how it was laid out for me to do.

I appreciate your responses

If your drivers are class 2 it’s a code
Violation to run the dimming in the same raceway as class 1 power wires.
Emt is all critical power and life safety for the most part and what ever else they right in the specs. Also FYI rule of thumb anywhere
In a health care space a patient has accessed to which is pretty much everything expect offices, nurses station, pharmacy, has to be Tamper proof devices

 

[jhoust]

I wouldn't know about the first two things you pointed out, but I will research them. The last thing is a very good rule of thumb to remember thank you for sharing that.

Yes, I'm starting to get the picture of what Emt is really used for in a hospital setting, it's not so random to me anymore.

 

[roger]

In hard ceilings an inspector could reject all flexible wiring methods for critical and life safety lighting. See 517.30(C)(3).

Roger

 

[jhoust]

In hard ceilings an inspector could reject all flexible wiring methods for critical and life safety lighting. See 517.30(C)(3).

Roger

Thank you for the code, looking at it now

 

[kwired]

In hard ceilings an inspector could reject all flexible wiring methods for critical and life safety lighting. See 517.30(C)(3).

Roger

If those exist in the room. Which life safety maybe can in a waiting room, critical maybe not so likely.

 

[roger]

If those exist in the room. Which life safety maybe can in a waiting room, critical maybe not so likely.

Gee, you mean if they don't exist they wouldn't be a concern, who would have thought?

Roger

 

[kwired]

Gee, you mean if they don't exist they wouldn't be a concern, who would have thought?

Roger

I was saying critical branch may be non existent in a waiting room.

life safety I suppose maybe can be in there. Similar use room in a non medical facility wouldn't necessarily require such requirement though.

 

[roger]

life safety I suppose maybe can be in there. Similar use room in a non medical facility wouldn't necessarily require such requirement though.

In all of the waiting rooms in the many hospitals I worked in there were exit lights and egress lighting on the Life Safety branch so you are pretty much on the right track. In a lot of the waiting rooms there were Nurse Stations and Critical branch Lighting was also present.

If the room was in a non medical facility it wouldn't be in this thread and 517 wouldn't be in the conversation either.

Roger