Track Lighting Circuitry

[Scott Korte]

How many lineal feet of single circuit track can I put on a 20-amp 120-volt circuit based on 2002NEC?

Also, the same questions for a dual circuit track.

 

[steve66]

Re: Track Lighting Circuitry

In my opinion, there is no limit. There is only a limit to the size and number of heads installed.

The length of track installed does affect the calculations for the service and feeder sizes. I think you could install 12,000 feet of track on a 20A circuit, but you might have to increase the service size by 200 amps.

Steve

 

[rr]

Re: Track Lighting Circuitry

Art 220.12(B)

 

[ryan_618]

Re: Track Lighting Circuitry

220.12 only applies to the feeder and service calculations.

See 410.101(B)

 

[marketman]

Re: Track Lighting Circuitry

Steve66 is correct and I can regurgitate some background on it. Prior to the 96 NEC you were required to carry 180 va of load for every 2 feet of track when doing a branch circuit calculation. This required x amount of circuits based on lineal footage no matter how few heads you may actually have installed on the track. The ammendment to the 96 NEC Article 410-102 revised the wording "branch circuit" to "load" and also 180 to be 150 va for every 2 feet of track. The "load" only applied to feeders, not branch circuits by virtue of the FPN there. This intent was to soften up the requirement for track branch circuits and promote flexibility of layouts. Therefore the length of track is no longer a limiting factor but the load of your heads is.

This evolved into what we see in 2002 NEC 410-101(b). A confusing evolution because I cannot identify a corresponding change in 99 NEC that highlights the revision. Anyway, I hope it helps.

Similarly for dual circuit track.

[ March 18, 2005, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: marketman ]