Seperate loads?

[Hoyt]

Hello,

Working on a remodle of a fire station in WI. Mostly HVAC upgrades: New Boiler, AHU, etc. Some small archy wall changes.

I was at the site the other day and it appears as if the emergency generator is backing up the entire building.

Service conductors come in and hit a 400a disc. then go thru a CT cab. w/ meter and hit a wire way. In this wireway the these conductors are spliced with a panelboard feed, a motor feed, and a set of conductors to a 200a ATS. ATS then feeds panel MDP (main distribution panel - MLO - 400a). ATS is also feed via generator 50 KW - 120/208 - Nameplate rating of 174a.
...So normal is lost on the and the ATS will switch to the gen backing up all of MDP.

We are doing some lighting upgrades in some rooms and a corridor or two....but I only have one ATS and loads are not seperated from life safety to Equipment (the whole building is backed up). I think there is 6 branch panelboards in the whole building and every one has at least 1 exit light circuit, etc.

At what point am I required to updated all this....? It is all from the early 60's, they don't have a ton of money and want to spend it on HVAC upgrades.

Thoughts?

 

[iwire]

Only the local area can answer when the amount of remodeling will trigger upgrading the rest.

However an easy, code compliant, low cost way to fix this and one I would push as an extra would be to provide battery units for the required egress lighting and exit signs. Leaving the existing generator as an optional standby unit.

 

[Hoyt]

Good point. Always hard telling an Owner that has a generator for the past 40 years that they now need battery units.

But if they saw the cost of seperating all this out the batteries would look might good!

...ya know now that i think of it there was two exit lights in the basement on a battery....I bet this was the issue and they just put in the battery and called it a day.

 

[augie47]

"and a set of conductors to a 200a ATS. ATS then feeds panel MDP (main distribution panel - MLO - 400a). "

on a different light... do I read a 200 amp ATS downstream of a 400 amp disconnect and feeding a 400 a MLO panel ??

something doesn't sound right.

 

[Hoyt]

Yes.

400a disc. (not sure what the fues are. Secondar side of 400a disc. they have 500 MCM in a wireway. In that wireway they tap those conductors with 3 other feeds. One 200a Air Con. disc. One MCB 70a panelbaord. One 200a ATS...then ATS feeds MDP...which is a MLO.

All located right next to each other and all conductors rated for there equipment not the 400a.

Not sure I want to get into touching that. We are doing some lighting upgrades, small amount of walls moving, and as previouslly mentioned I would use battery units for Egress lgt. I shouldn't be required to touch any of the other items...right.