NEC 70620.85 Smoke detectors to recall elevators on Phase I recall are required to be located on each landing, Machine room-less elevator installations incorporate the elevator controller and often the primary disconnecting means in a convenient package that is located within the elevator shaft. In Part One of this series (ELEVATOR WORLD, April 2012), we began an examination of National Electrical Code (NEC) 2011 mandates for elevators and related equipment installations. Selective coordination is also required for multiple elevators per NEC 620.62. As mentioned, traditional installations of a traction or hydraulic elevator include a separate machine room. NEMA 4 : All electrical equipment, located less than 1225 mm (48 in.) Suspending the cables from the supports by a means that automatically tightens around the cable when tension is increased for unsupported lengths up to 200 ft. An NEC Informational Note defines unsupported lengths. Loss of voltage to the control circuit for the disconnecting means shall cause a supervisory signal to be indicated at the control unit and required remote annunciation. Personal protective equipment (PPE): Use appropriate PPE to protect body parts within the range of 3-16 in. He also required GFCI protection for the hard-wired sump pump that did not require it. Weight (passengers, freight, car and attendant machinery) may be fairly substantial, and speed is significant. These circuit breaker selective coordination tables can be used to identify the maximum fault current that a pair of circuit breakers can selectively coordinate. Besides the power-supply disconnect discussed, it is provided that elevators have a single means for disconnecting all ungrounded car lights, receptacles and ventilation power-supply conductors for that elevator car. These are covered for generic, non-elevator specific use in earlier articles, 376 and 378, in Chapter 3, Wiring Methods and Materials. Cross-sectional areas of conduits are given in Chapter 9, Table 4. For current-limiting fuses, the information to achieve selective coordination has been available for many years in fuse amp ratio tabular form. NEC 620.62 requires the elevator disconnecting means (fused switch or circuit breaker) to selectively coordinate with all supply-side overcurrent devices. (A) Separate Branch Circuit. A second door is required if the equipment is rated over 1200 amps and over 6 ft. wide. Hydraulic elevator installations are typically supplied from the main switchboard and have an elevator fused switch or circuit breaker in the machine room that serves as the elevator disconnect. Where necessary, it is mandated that suitable guards be provided to protect the cables against damage. Additionally, ampacities of the individual conductors and flame-retardant properties of the overall cable are important factors. PK ! Flexible cords and cables in lengths not to exceed 6 ft. of a flame-retardant type and located to be protected from physical damage are permitted in machine rooms without being installed in a raceway. The design engineer must identify the available fault current at the elevator controller to the installer so an elevator controller with adequate SCCR can be provided. It does specify wiring methods allowed, though, in 620. Electricity is often one of the initial services to fail during a storm. But the lights don't have to be in the pit itself. Second, it must be configured so as to eliminate any chance of tangling or chafing against the inner surface of the hoistway or items mounted on it. Many of these are for portable lighting.). Beginning with Article 320, Armored Cable (Type AC) and concluding with Article 398, Open Wiring on Insulators, each code-sanctioned cable and raceway is treated, ranging from the familiar Type NM (trade name Romex) to the exotic Integrated Gas Spacer Cable (Type IGS). The cord is to be a hard-usage, oil-resistant type not over 6 ft. in length. +;-mka|7! The Code provides guidance through regulations to establish requirements. endstream endobj startxref Flexible cords and cables part of listed equipment operating at 30 V (42 VDC) or less, similarly supported and protected, jacketed and flame retardant, are permitted. Many professionals believe the NEC is applicable only for voltages over a certain level, but that is not the case. Requirements for commercial garages per the National Electrical Code. The electrical system designer needs to communicate this information to the person responsible for specifying the elevator controller, which is most often the architect. Dont troubleshoot unless you can keep your shoe/boot soles dry. Requirements in Article 620 modify the articles in Chapter 3. It is worth mentioning that when 600 V is talked about as a limit in the NEC, it is generally meant that the familiar 600-V nominal-voltage system is considered to lie within the permitted zone, making it a common usage. With heavy use on a hot day, the oil can overheat, causing elevator shutdown. This is not the elevator companys responsibility. With the new elevator controller requirements, more attention will be focused on the elevator system. [emailprotected] Please check your entries and try again. from components that are not otherwise guarded. Convenience receptacles and lighting for maintenance purposes are required at the base of the pit and, in some instances (elevator manufacturer dependent), at the top of the elevator shaft. The sump pump/drain shall have the capacity to remove a minimum of 11.4 m. 3 /h (3,000 gal/h) per elevator. . q!^mDtsnEX3_ shvqu+X9@w3gSj`g Through numerous editions, the NEC has, to a great extent, mitigated the hazards accompanying widespread use of electricity, particularly with respect to elevator technology. z!0: - [Content_Types].xml ( n0EUb*>-RxV=QUAl"93dFk%Y?l}MGDV GFCIs in elevator pits During an inspection of the elevators in a commercial building, the state inspector failed us for using a GFCI-type circuit breaker to protect a receptacle in the elevator pit. These conductors may be covered with suitable shielding for telephone, audio, video or higher-frequency communications circuits. Similarly, underground wiring in mines is not NEC regulated, although other, non-mine wiring below ground (such as lighting in an underground traffic tunnel) is covered. above the seal plate, adjacent to the ladder. However, this can vary depending on building conditions and exterior grade. All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Privacy Policy. (B) Lighting Switch. Notice the definition mentions the full range of operating times. If a smoke detector goes into alarm, it signals the elevator to go into Fire Recall Function, at which point the controller directs the elevator cab to travel to its pre-programmed designated landing, open its doors, and remain stopped there until the alarm clears. Therefore, elevator equipment rooms must maintain a temperature between 50F and 90F. %PDF-1.5 % z, /|f\Z?6!Y_o]A PK ! Flexible cords and cables (same conditions as within hoistways). As such, elevator controller manufacturers should make the effort to rethink their designs to avoid costly system design changes. The surest means of avoiding an arc-flash hazard is to lockout and tagout the electrical service to a controller. First, it is now clear that elevator controllers must be marked by the manufacturer with their SCCR. He has focused on writing since 2006, having written for such magazines as ELEVATOR WORLD, Electrical Construction and Maintenance, Cabling Business, Electrical Business, Nuts and Volts, PV Magazine, Electrical Connection, Solar Connection, Solar Industry Magazine, Fine Homebuilding Magazine and Engineering News. It is further specified the machine-room lighting switch be located at the point of entry. Therefore, there will be two signals to the elevator control panel related to smoke detectors: one from the designated floor smoke detector and another combined signal from the smoke detectors at the other lobby landings and in the equipment room. Lights and convenience outlets in elevator pits shall be installed to comply with the requirements of CCR, Title 24, Part 3, Article 620. David Herres holds a New Hampshire Master Electricians license and has worked as an electrician in the northern part of that state for many years. We resume with a look at wiring methods, overcurrent protection, grounding and other NEC provisions as they relate to these installations. Freight Elevator Door Control: An Opportunity for Wireless Technology. He participates in IEEE (Senior Member) with Industrial and Commercial Power Systems, NEMA (member of the Codes & Standards Committee), NFPA (committee member for NEC CMP-13 and NFPA 79), UL (508/60947 and 508A) and IAEI activities. From the website: Mohawk Lifts offers car lifts and auto lifts for purchase, including 2 post lifts, 4 post lifts, storage lifts, heavy duty mobile column lifts, parallelogram lifts, and other specialty items. These are the principle NEC 2011 Article 620 mandates. In addition, the shunt-trip voltage must also be monitored by the Fire Alarm System. The demand factor ranges from 1.00 for one elevator on a single feeder to 0.72 for 10 or more elevators on a single feeder. First, the traveling cable must be composed of very fine-stranded conductors so it can flex with a minimum of internal stresses, ensuring long service life and reliability. A single dedicated receptacle supplying a permanently installed sump pump does not have to be a GFCI type. You need to Subscribe to continuing reading. As for height, the working space must extend from the grade, floor or platform to 6-1/2 ft. or the height of the equipment, whichever is greater. This strategy works to improve the flexibility of the traveling cable, but it is contrary to a general NEC rule concerning the paralleling of conductors, which is generally done in very large sizes to avoid unwieldy wire pulls and terminations. Specifically, Section 725.43 provides that overcurrent protection for conductors 14 AWG and larger is to be provided in accordance with the conductor ampacity without applying ampacity adjustment and correction factors. %%EOF The electrical energy does not traverse the human body, but proximity to the explosion means severe injury is possible from the intense heat and concussive shockwave. In the event of a breakdown, that phone must automatically call a location staffed 24 hours a day. Receptacle for pumps located in the pit shall be a single non-GFCI and shall be located 6 inches above the lowest landing. Examples of PPE that may be appropriate are non-conductive eye protection, clean leather or fire-resistant gloves, and natural-fiber or fire-resistant-rated long-sleeved shirts and pants, or fire-resistant-rated long-sleeved coveralls. Your IP: Use the below learning-reinforcement questions to study for the Continuing Education Assessment Exam available online at www.elevatorbooks.com or on page 81 of this issue. Which equipment requires a separate branch circuit in the elevator car? Is lighting required to be GFCI protected in the machine room? Where is the lighting switch to be located in the machine room? What is the maximum raceway conductor fill in an elevator hoistway? How many disconnecting means are required for an elevator power supply? NEC has a further note that the term wheelchair lift has been changed to platform lift.. Dan Neeser is a Senior Field Application Engineer with Eatons Bussmann Division. Another location that requires a separate branch circuit for lighting and receptacle(s) is the hoistway pit. Be sure to provide a horn/strobe alarm in large equipment rooms because they can be noisy, isolated places. Each fused switch or circuit breaker in the panelboard is used as an elevator disconnect. Here are 23 ways that both chapters and the national office can meet todays major challenge of making members feel valued, IAEIs Online Training allows you to learn at your own pace or live with an expert instructor, from the comfort of your laptop or PC. Provide continuous, non -slip, horizontal rungs every 12" for the full height of the pit ladder. When you're designing an electrical system for a building, don't let elevator requirements bring you down. ,l7CLHmcX9*F -{Q|^"XL`b1y]$,y *R/2Rn{\xG L*vMP.uKW,)68]Y}+ FYS1B=Q0S>Hc Part X, Emergency and Standby Power Systems, is simple and straightforward. This room is to be secured against unauthorized access (kept locked). Car air-conditioning and heating units 3. (C) Duplex Receptacle. Three wiring categories within hoistways are allowed in addition, each with exceptions. A different occurrence involves exposure to the explosive blast when there is a line-to-line or line-to-ground arc blast. But, building codes had been in existence for many centuries. Instruments: Use category III multimeters and be familiar with their use and limitations. or larger is permitted to be installed in lengths in excess of 6 ft. Where motor-generators, machine motors or pumping-unit motors and valves are located adjacent to or underneath control equipment and provided with extra-length terminal leads not exceeding 6 ft. in length, such leads are permitted to be extended to connect directly to controller terminal studs without regard to carrying-capacity requirements. He had been with Eaton (Cutler-Hammer and Bussmann) since 1993 and specializes in training on the design and application of overcurrent protective devices and equipment in electrical distribution systems in accordance with the National Electrical Code and equipment in accordance with the various product standards. The main concern is to ensure that workers may escape to safety in the awful circumstance of an arc-fault event. Fluid pressure in the cylinder raises and lowers the elevator cab. On existing or listed equipment, conductors are permitted to be grouped together and taped or corded without being installed in a raceway. All rights reserved. The NEC rule specifies that the minimum size for paralleled conductors is 1/0 AWG, which is much too big for an elevator traveling cable. Feeders may be installed within the hoistway where the elevator has a driving-machine motor in the hoistway or on the car or counterweight. Fuses: Verify that the correct size, type and capacity are installed. The disconnecting means is also to be a listed device. The cover shall be secured and level with the pit floor. You are a subscriber that needs to Sign In. 1. And as the designer, you can become the fulcrum on which all of these requirements and authorities exert their leverage, but an understanding of elevator basics can help you handle the pressure. Good documentation is of key importance to recalling what decisions were made and why. Depending on your local codes, you can do this by installing heat or smoke detectors within 24 in. The demand factors are given in Table 620.14, which allows significant reductions as the number of motors is increased. The basic idea is that there must be a separate, dedicated circuit for car lights, receptacles and ventilation on each car. 6 feet, and shall meet the requirements of NEC 70 620.21(A)(1)(d). There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 3. Mobile, AL 36606 USA Every building is different. (g) Stop Switch in Pits. Similarly, the integrity of the traveling cable is emphasized. The light switch in the pit must be mounted 42 in. Also located in this room might be, but not limited to: exhaust fan, cooling unit (depending on local requirements and/or requirements set forth by the individual elevator supplier), lighting, voice and/or data drop serving the elevator cab emergency phone, elevator controller primary fused disconnect, elevator feeder shunt-trip circuit (i.e., shunt-trip circuit breaker), elevator cab lighting fused switch, and convenience receptacle(s). If you provide your elevators with emergency power, you must run communications wires between the automatic transfer switch (ATS) and the elevator control panel. It is further stipulated that internal voltages of power-conversion equipment and functionally associated equipment, and the operating voltages of wiring interconnecting the equipment, are permitted to be higher, provided that the equipment and wiring are listed for the higher voltages. You must run a separate insulated grounding conductor with the feeder conductors from the electrical source to the elevator controller. Many undertake trips in these devices two or more times daily in full confidence that they will survive an uneventful experience with a minute chance of disaster or even inconvenience. The electrical conductors and equipment for non-mine elevators that extend below grade are under NEC jurisdiction. If you can illuminate the pit using lights that are "above the top of the pit" (whatever that .