Wiring Methods for Patient Care

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dpenbert

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Article 517.13(A) in NEC 2002 states that all branch circuits serving patient care areas shall be provided with a ground path for fault current by installation of metal raceway.
I have a life safety panel that branches out to many rooms for life safety service. The branch panel is fed from a distribution panel which is then fed from the generator via an automatic transfer switch. According to code am I only required to have metal raceway installed from the branch panel to the branch circuits, or do I also need to use metal raceway from where the branch panel is fed?

Thanks.

David
 
Re: Wiring Methods for Patient Care

David
Look further into 517 and you will see that your life saftey panel is part of the emergency sytem and is required to be in a metal raceway or MI cable. Also Why would you be feeding patint care stuff from the life saftey panel? Life saftey is mostly ingress/egress lighting and things like that. Make sure you look at what is allowed to be fed from a life saftey panel.
 
Re: Wiring Methods for Patient Care

Good point, I didn't word my information correctly. The life safety panel is branching out for lighting purposes and an ansul controller. I am using critical branch circuits for the patient rooms emergency lighting and power.
 
Re: Wiring Methods for Patient Care

As odd as it may seem, there is no requirement for feeders to the panelboards to be metalic for redundant grounding. However, 517.30(C)(3) stops you from using a non metalic raceway for any Emergency System wiring that would be feeding branch circuits in Patient Care areas which would effectively assure a redundant ground path to the source.

The Normal Branch wiring could use PVC to the panelboard, go figure.

Roger
 
Re: Wiring Methods for Patient Care

Yeah, I just caught that and also noticed in 517.10 it states that areas of nursing homes and limited care facilities where the areas are used exclusively as patient sleeping rooms shall not apply.
Thanks.
David
 
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