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404.1 Lighting Equipment

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Bryan Holland

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Oct 18, 2009
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241
Location
SW Florida
404.1 Lighting equipment. A minimum of 50 percent of the lamps in permanently installed lighting fixtures shall be high-efficacy lamps.
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I have a couple of problems with this section.

1. The National Electrical Code does not use the terms "lighting fixtures" any longer. Luminaires are installed not lighting fixtures.

2. Unless the installer leaves the lamp packaging on the job-site, there is no practical method for determining lamp efficacy. The lumens per watt of a lamp are typically not marked on the lamp itself.

3. Once the final inspection has been approved and a CO has been issued, the homeowner / tenant are no longer held to this standard / requirement.

So, what is the real practicality and point to this requirement???
 
In a way I agree, but, not entirely. I think it is a start to get the ball rolling with energy efficiency in residential homes, although when you look at the bulbs for sale in stores, most qualify as high efficacy anyway. I have observed the following:

1) Electricians are not aware of the requirement much of the time and the increase in cost is a surprise to them.

2) Recessed can lights are a problem when the owner wants to have them dimmed. The alternative for dimming them is usually LED which is still cost prohibitive in my opinion.

3) Recessed cans are also an issue because there are normally not many luminaires in houses until the cans are installed and it dramatically increases the amount of luminairs that have to be energy efficient.

4) Do we count all of the individual bulbs on a fancy chandelier that has 20+ bulbs or just the device as 1?

Yeah there are problems with this but it is a start I suppose. Just a pain in the *&^
 
I don't find a lot of people on the street using the term luminaire...sorry. :roll:
 
Bryan Holland said:
I have a couple of problems with this section.1. The National Electrical Code does not use the terms "lighting fixtures" any longer. Luminaires are installed not lighting fixtures.

2. Unless the installer leaves the lamp packaging on the job-site, there is no practical method for determining lamp efficacy. The lumens per watt of a lamp are typically not marked on the lamp itself.

3. Once the final inspection has been approved and a CO has been issued, the homeowner / tenant are no longer held to this standard / requirement.

So, what is the real practicality and point to this requirement???
Click to expand...
So

Light fixture is common US usage; in British English it is called a light fitting. luminaire is French.

You assume all writers of all codes use the same terms.....

NFPA think they are right

ICC think they are right

You say Drywall, I say gypsum Wallboard... Does not change the meaning.....

The point of thesection is to save energy...
 
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Lamps give off lumens

and are

installed in Fixtures or "Luminaires" same difference.

Compact FL 's are energy efficient Led's are more energy efficient

80 lamps in the house the any 40 must be efficient and there is not even a

remote suggestion that the "load" be equally distrubuted among "lumen output"

OMG I see a DOE code change being suggested .............
 
I would comply by hanging a massive chandelier (french again) in the foyer (damn french) that had o say 200 lamps .

install a couple of LED christmas lamp strings in it and party on with som High Pressue sodium lamps throughout the rest of the house.
 
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