Placing Low Voltage Wiring in Conduit for Health Care Facilities under NEC 517

[jar546]

Under the NEC 2008, section 517, do all low voltage systems such as a nurse call, fire alarm, Cat 5/6 wiring, etc need to be installed in conduit in patient care areas?

 

[north star]

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Yes !.........Refer to Article 517.13(A) & 517.80, `08 NEC.

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[jar546]

Are you sure about that?

 

[north star]

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Article 517.13(A) seems pretty straighforward to me !......What am I missing ?

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[raider1]

$ $Yes !.........Refer to Article 517.13(A) & 517.80, `08 NEC.

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The 2011 NEC has clarified the issue of 517.13 in regards to low voltage systems. Here is what the 2011 says;

517.80 Patient Care Areas. Equivalent insulation and isolationto that required for the electrical distribution systems

in patient care areas shall be provided for communications,

signaling systems, data system circuits, fire alarm systems,

and systems less than 120 volts, nominal.

Class 2 and Class 3 signaling and communications systems

and power-limited fire alarm systems shall not be required

to comply with the grounding requirements of

517.13, to comply with the mechanical protection requirements

of 517.30©(3)(5), or to be enclosed in raceways,

unless otherwise specified by Chapter 7 or 8.

Secondary circuits of transformer-powered communications

or signaling systems shall not be required to be enclosed

in raceways unless otherwise specified by Chapter 7

or 8.

Chris

 

[north star]

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Chris,

The OP is referencing the `08 NEC.

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[jar546]

$ $The OP is referencing the `08 NEC.

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Yes, but please realize that a clarification is not a code change, but clarifying the intent and meaning of the current and previous edition. There was no need to change the code because the intent was there all along.

This is good stuff!!

 

[jar546]

Here is the position of the NFPA for this concerning the 2008:

Section 517.80 requires all wiring for communications, signaling systems, data system circuits, fire alarm systems and systems less than 120 volts, nominal, within the patient care area (see the definition of patient care area in 517.2) to have equivalent insulation and isolation to that of the electrical distribution system. However, the requirement for insulation and isolation is not a wiring method requirement, and the wiring method requirements for these systems in patient care areas are the applicable rules of Articles 725, 760, and 800. To further reinforce this point, a new last sentence was added to 517.80 for the 2008 edition which states: “Secondary circuits of transformer-powered communications or signaling systems shall not be required to be enclosed in raceways unless otherwise specified by Chapter 7 or 8.” Additionally, 517.30©(3) specifies the wiring requirements and mechanical protection of emergency system wiring, and 517.30©(3)(5) permits the secondary circuits of Class 2 or Class 3 systems classed as emergency to be installed with or without raceways.

 

[raider1]

Here is the position of the NFPA for this concerning the 2008:

Correct, the wording of 517.80 in the 2008 NEC only requires low voltage system wiring to have equivalent insulation and isolation to that required for the electrical distribution system.

517.13 deals with grounding of fixed electrical equipment so 517.80 would not require that you follow 517.13 for low voltage systems. Many low voltage systems are not even required to be grounded.

Chris