NEC 700.16 emerg illumination - 2lamps OR 2fixtures

[syarn]

NEC 700.16 emergency illumination calls that the "...failure of any individual lighting element, such as the burning out of a lamp, cannot leave in total darkness any space that requires emergency illumination..."

do the message board participants think this means each individual emergency lighting fixture (EM) should have 2 lamps (lightbulbs) even if you have multiple EM light fixtures in a space??

aka if you have two or more EM fixtures in a space, each EM with 1 lightbulb; if one of the EM fixtures lightbulb burns out does the other functioning EM fixture satisfy the code even if the footcandle level may now be below 1???

steve yarnall

http://svyarchitect.blogspot.com/

 

[davidbeach]

It depends, does the one failed lamp leave any area in total darkness?

 

[syarn]

not in the kitchen, dining area or hallway of the proposed restaurant.

in the bathrooms it would be total darkness so we changed the EM fixture to a 2 bulb....

steve yarnall

http://svyarchitect.blogspot.com/

 

[davidbeach]

Well, there you go.

 

[rbulsara]

Stairwells are also among the vulnerable area.

The Code's intent is not to have a single point of failure in form of lamps, fixture, circuit, switch, panel, ATS or the like. If the emergency power source is a generator (vs. battery packs), there is more to think about and provide in the design like more than one circuit.



Rafiq Bulsara

http://www.srengineersct.com