MC HCF Luminary:

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EMSmith

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Location
Berlin Nj
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Sales associate at Billows Electric Supply
I have yet to ask any vendors that our company buys from so I don't have any input other that a question. In health care facilities are the lighting circuits required to use HCF MC?
 
To add to my post, I'm asked by a contractor to provide a cost for HCF MC luminary. I am familiar with MC with the luminary wires but it is not HCF.
 
EMSmith said:
I have yet to ask any vendors that our company buys from so I don't have any input other that a question. In health care facilities are the lighting circuits required to use HCF MC?
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If the lighting is in a patient care area, the wiring method must comply with 517.13(A).
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
If the lighting is in a patient care area, the wiring method must comply with 517.13(A).
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Does 517.13(B)(1)(4) exception 2 give you any relief from the raceway qualifying as a equipment grounding conductor plus having a full size equipment grounding conductor for luminaires located above 7-1/2’ in patient care areas.
 
On most of the health care jobs I've seen the contractors use HCF-MC rather than a wiring method allowed by 517.13 exception simply to keep from having a 2nd wiring method on the job.
 
HEYDOG said:
Does 517.13(B)(1)(4) exception 2 give you any relief from the raceway qualifying as a equipment grounding conductor plus having a full size equipment grounding conductor for luminaires located above 7-1/2’ in patient care areas.
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Yes. Luminaires located above 7-1/2’ in patient care areas and switches outside the patient care areas can be treated as outside the patient care area and wired using non-HCF cable. But as @augie47 said, why bother with two wiring methods.

I notice you refer to raceway. MC cable is not raceway.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
Yes. Luminaires located above 7-1/2’ in patient care areas and switches outside the patient care areas can be treated as outside the patient care area and wired using non-HCF cable. But as @augie47 said, why bother with two wiring methods.

I notice you refer to raceway. MC cable is not raceway.

-Hal
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You are correct MC is not a raceway! I have not seen the difference in price for a long time between hcf and mc. However if you are doing a lot of wiring in Patient care areas and also in non patient care areas the difference in price might be well worth having two different types of cable!
 
There is HCF MC luminary available. I was quoted 12-2 wg w/ 16-2 Luminary wire / 120V , and the cost of a 250 ft coil is just about $50 more vs non-luminary HCF. Thank you for all the replies.
 
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