NEC 700.9 (B) (2)

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chevy

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WORKING ON LAYOUT FOR ROWS OF LIGHTING FIXTURES.EACH ROW HAS 2 CIRCUITS FROM NORMAL UTILITY AND 1 FROM EMERGENCY GENERATER SET.NEC 410.32 ALLOWS FOR THE BRANCH CIRCUITS.NEC 700.9 (B) (2)ALLOWS FOR TWO SOURCES OF POWER.INSPECTER SAYS THIS IN NOT ALLOUD.CAN ANYONE HELP INTERPRET THIS. THANKS CHEVY
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Re: NEC 700.9 (B) (2)

If you are taking about a continuous row of lights and you have the emergency circuit passing through the fixtures that run on the 'normal' power in my opinion the inspector is correct.

The only places that normal and emergency sources can 'meet' is where there is no other choice.

An example would be a single fixture with one ballast fed from the emergency source and one ballast fed from the normal source.

BY THE WAY stop using all capitols it is tough to read and is considered yelling on forums. :)
 
Re: NEC 700.9 (B) (2)

Originally posted by chevy:
Iwire, did you read 700.9 or just reply.
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No I did not read it but I am very familiar with it. Most of the jobs I work have Emergency sources so I have to know Article 700s rules.

But lets both take a look. :)

700.9(B) Wiring. Wiring of two or more emergency circuits supplied from the same source shall be permitted in the same raceway, cable, box, or cabinet. Wiring from an emergency source or emergency source distribution overcurrent protection to emergency loads shall be kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment, unless otherwise permitted in (1) through (4):

(1)Wiring from the normal power source located in transfer equipment enclosures

(2)Wiring supplied from two sources in exit or emergency luminaires (lighting fixtures)

(3)Wiring from two sources in a common junction box, attached to exit or emergency luminaires (lighting fixtures)

(4)Wiring within a common junction box attached to unit equipment, containing only the branch circuit supplying the unit equipment and the emergency circuit supplied by the unit equipment
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You stated

EACH ROW HAS 2 CIRCUITS FROM NORMAL UTILITY AND 1 FROM EMERGENCY GENERATER
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That is not two emergency circuits supplied from the same source that is two circuits supplied from the different sources.

So that section does not help you...unless 700.9(B)(1), (2), (3), or (4) applies which I doubt from your limited description.
 
Re: NEC 700.9 (B) (2)

Iwire,you are correct.This is not 2 emergency circuits.This is why i have exp.#2.
 
Re: NEC 700.9 (B) (2)

One correct way to wire this row of fixtures is to have 2 sets of conduits and a junction box above each fixture. 1 conduit would be the normal circuit and the other conduit for the other circuit. You could then run a single fixture whip from each junction box to each fixture. However, the whip would need to have 5 wires in it - 2 hots, 2 neutrals, and 1 grounding wire. Could pose a problem with mixing up neutral unles you were using black and white for one circuit and blue as the neutral for the other circuit or something like that.

However, if each fixture has 2 of more knockouts such that you can run 2 whips you would be better off to have 2 different sets of junctions boxes, conduits, and fixture whips. If the fixtures are cord and plug connected to facilitate maintenance then this would be the only way. If both ballasts operate the same numberand size of bulbs you probably would not need 2 diffent plug configurations but I would rather that the emergency circuit use locking plugs and the normal circuit something else such as straight blade or a different locking configuration.

The non-nema locking configurations are still being made and would be a good choice for the emergency circuit if cord and plug connecting. For that matter, I have used non-nema locking plugs and connectors when a switch loop needed to be cord and plug connected such as for material stackers.
 
Re: NEC 700.9 (B) (2)

Originally posted by chevy:
Iwire,you are correct.This is not 2 emergency circuits.This is why i have exp.#2.
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700.9(B)(2) is not an exception but regardless that section allows both the emergency and the normal in a single fixture, not a row of fixtures being used as a raceway.

We run separate conduits along the top of the rows of fixtures to overcome this problem.

mc5w's suggestion to use one whip containing both normal and emergency is also a violation.
 
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