# Would You Pass This?  Electrical Question 1 Sept. 2018



## jar546 (Sep 1, 2018)

OK, it really does not matter if you are on the 1999 NEC or 2017, so no need to specify.

You are called for a final electrical inspection of an office building.  It is time to inspect the emergency lighting system.  The electrician proudly shows you how he put the emergency lighting on its own circuit.  He trips the breaker and sure enough all of the emergency lights come on as expected.

Is this a code compliant installation?

*Added Info:
There is no generator or any form of backup power
This is an office with closed offices and doors
There are no luminaires with built in emergency light ballasts


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## Francis Vineyard (Sep 1, 2018)

What's left of my memory there's an exception to have it on a separate circuit  (can't remember what it is, I believe it has something to do same panel in the area and with exterior lights) but the battery backup should be on the general lighting circiut.


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## fatboy (Sep 2, 2018)

I'd have to look it up to back it up, but our jurisdiction has always required emergency lighting be tied to a local lighting circuit.


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## linnrg (Sep 7, 2018)

fatboy said:


> I'd have to look it up to back it up, but our jurisdiction has always required emergency lighting be tied to a local lighting circuit.



Not in I-2 where all of this is on a life safety circuit.

to JAR546,  for office buildings, where all of the lights were the fluorescent and those emergency light were the ones with batteries - yes we usually tested the whole building by throwing the main or the lighting circuits they may be attached too.  Are you trying to discuss the confusing language of 700.10 B?  I say the contractor did it correct - one of several acceptable ways that it could be done.


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## RJJ (Sep 8, 2018)

I think he is referring to 700.12


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## Paul Sweet (Sep 10, 2018)

NEC 700.12(B) says "... The branch circuit feeding the unit equipment shall be the same branch circuit as that serving the normal lighting in the area and connected ahead of any local switches. ..."  The exception doesn't apply since there are closed offices and doors.


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## linnrg (Sep 10, 2018)

Paul Sweet said:


> NEC 700.12(B) says "... The branch circuit feeding the unit equipment shall be the same branch circuit as that serving the normal lighting in the area and connected ahead of any local switches. ..."  The exception doesn't apply since there are closed offices and doors.



What version are you quoting from?


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## RJJ (Sep 10, 2018)

You do not need emergency lighting in the offices, only for the means of egress!


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## steveray (Sep 11, 2018)

RJJ said:


> You do not need emergency lighting in the offices, only for the means of egress!



Open office area with 50 people you would....


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## RJJ (Sep 11, 2018)

Steveray: I agree! On that statement I was thinking of a common hall with office doors and office space beyond. You need 1 foot candle on all egress areas even if it is from a single office.


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## Paul Sweet (Sep 13, 2018)

Linnrg, I'm quoting from the 2005 NEC, which is the latest hard copy we have.  I think this has been in the NEC since the 70s or 80s.  I hope that we can get a newer hard copy now that Virginia has finally adopted the 2015 IBC (we don't like to rush things here!)


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## linnrg (Sep 13, 2018)

Paul Sweet said:


> Linnrg, I'm quoting from the 2005 NEC, which is the latest hard copy we have.  I think this has been in the NEC since the 70s or 80s.  I hope that we can get a newer hard copy now that Virginia has finally adopted the 2015 IBC (we don't like to rush things here!)



Paul,  I looked at 2005 online with NFPA but 700.12 B is Generator Set.  Is your 2005 amended by Virginia?  I have read all of 2008, 2011 etc. and I can not find the sentence you quoted.  In the 2005 that I am reading 700.15 which is part of Division IV Emergency Systems for Lighting and Power seems to be the closest restriction and even then I am unsure.  700.12 F which is unit Equipment (specific things) does have a similar line "the branch circuit feeding the unit equipment shall be the same branch circuit as serving the normal lighting in the area and connected ahead of any switches".

If you need a 2008 handme down I could get you that.  We are now on the 2014 and the original number 700.10 B is not even in those older versions


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## Paul Sweet (Sep 14, 2018)

I don't know where the "B" came from.  It should be 700.12(F).

I just looked up the 2017 edition on-line.  It's now 700.12(F)(2)(3).


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