First of all, I would like to thank everyone in doing the leg work on helping me out on this topic. As usual thanks to this board forum, everyone can help others.
The information you supplied me that I accessed this morning was of great help.
Discussed the situation with the Electrical Foreman. I did receive a comment from, I believe Joe T., and somehow found it’s way throught the backdoor of my e-mail. I thought I would print it out for everyone to see. Hope noone minds.
700.12(F) Unit Equipment Individual unit equipment for emergency illumination shall consist of the following:
(1) A rechargeable battery
(2) A battery charging means
(3) Provisions for one or more lamps mounted on the equipment, or shall be permitted to have terminals for remote lamps, or both
(4) A relaying device arranged to energize the lamps automatically upon failure of the supply to the unit equipment
The batteries shall be of suitable rating and capacity to supply and maintain at not less than 87 1/ 2 percent of the nominal battery voltage for the total lamp load associated with the unit for a period of at least 1 1/ 2 hours, or the unit equipment shall supply and maintain not less than 60 percent of the initial emergency illumination for a period of at least 1 1/ 2 hours. Storage batteries, whether of the acid or alkali type, shall be designed and constructed to meet the requirements of emergency service.
Unit equipment shall be permanently fixed in place (i.e., not portable) and shall have all wiring to each unit installed in accordance with the requirements of any of the wiring methods in Chapter 3. Flexible cord-and-plug connection shall be permitted, provided that the cord does not exceed 900 mm (3 ft) in length. 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 branch circuit that feeds unit equipment shall be clearly identified at the distribution panel. Emergency luminaires (illumination fixtures) that obtain power from a unit equipment and are not part of the unit equipment shall be wired to the unit equipment as required by 700.9 and by one of the wiring methods of Chapter 3.
Exception: In a separate and uninterrupted area supplied by a minimum of three normal lighting circuits, a separate branch circuit for unit equipment shall be permitted if it originates from the same panelboard as that of the normal lighting circuits and is provided with a lock-on feature.
Compliance to what exists complies to most of this I believe.
I believe we are in compliance with everything said, except that is it readily accessible?
The light fixtures are all on battery back up and dedicated circuits, but to test them, you have to go in the attic and see if the light is on indicating battery charging.
Attic is accessible through a 2’x2’ ceiling access where you need a 12’ ladder on one, and a 16’extension ladder on the other. Seeing that there are five AHU in the attic that will need periodic checks for filters, greasing, belts, etc., would you think that testing the emergency lights at this time would be prudent?
Not quite readily accessible, but once you get your fat #ss up there, it is accessible ha. ha…
Paul A.
Thanks for the respose:
The Recessed Downlighting 1143 Lytecaster by Lightolier and IC flourescent comes with remote ballast installation kit. IS:1102FEM if that means anything.
Thanks.
Michael B.
Thanks for the information, and curious as to where or what code you refered too in the NFPA?
I have access to all these 2000 codes, but could not find it. Was it from the NFPA 5000?
Thanks.
I have a meeting tomorrow for the project and will bring this documentation with me and let him make the decision. Then when the State Electrical Inspector comes in for the Final, we will go from there I guess.
Thanks to everyone as usual.
Sorry this ended up so long and Thank you Joe T. for your part.
Marcel