ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Required Sign Circuits

Oddly enough, this is one requirement that I have seen complied with, here ... at least, in new construction of 'strip' commercial rentals. That is, every ORIGINAL tenant space WAS provided with a circuit that fed nothing but a single receptacle, either above the door, or on the facade.

Naturally, over time and multiple tenant improvements, doors get moved, walls added and removed, and circuits tapped into. That 'sign circuit' is almost always used to feed the reception counter.

I agree that the requirement is not new; I just find it interesting the way it has been applied: to say that signs need to be on a sign-only circuit.

I talked to my wife about this and she said the sign on the facade was actually on the house panel. Her "open" sign and the other plug ins were on with the front of the store overheads. The "show window" circuit also fed the two wall receptacles in the front of the store but they were sort of close to the window.
Can the 20a sign circuit serve multiple tenants?
That would seem to be the case here. The landlord owned the sign can and the tenant bought the lens with their name/logo or whatever on it.

New construction/renovation up here has a 20 amp dedicated sign circuit at the storefront facade/soffit/canopy etc. This has been since at least the 60's/70's. Also, IF the space had a tenant with signage that exceeded 16 amps, an additional circuit would be installed.

Show window receptacles/circuitry dedicated as required based on storefront. (But NEVER enough for liquor stores)

I agree with Reno; 600.5(A) has nothing to do with any signage except the storefront, be it soffit/facade/canopy.

Reno:
Yes, modifications for tenant changes causes a lot of havoc with existing circuitry, and the temptation of 'snagging' the sign feed, or the show window feed for something 'new' is common....but most if not all of us inspectors catch it.

Well... just looking this over again, I guess I can see how the NEC could cause some confusion.
For branch circuit load calcs, 220.14[f] states that sign and outline lighting outlets shall be calculated at a minimum of 1200VA for each required branch circuit specified in 600.5[a].
If it’s 120V, that’s only 10A for the entire circuit?
Then 600.5[a] on the other hand, appears to be written in the singular, even beginning with "Required Branch Circuit".
Seems like there also should be at least some mention in there that sign lighting should be considered a continuous load.

Couldn’t someone wiring a commercial building with several public entrances and unknown future occupancy or signage, read that 600.5[a] requires only one branch circuit with a minimum 20A rating and no other outlets for all sign outlets for each of these entrances?
If the specs called for several outlets at each entrance for future sign use, couldn’t that lead to a situation with many sign outlets of unknown maximum wattage on this one branch circuit? How do you know that the load won’t be over 16A on a 120V circuit?
This seems like it would leave a lot up to the discretion of the person doing the wiring.

Kjay:
Remember....the NEC is not a design manual.

On a 'plain vanilla box space'; as an AHJ, I have to plan review based on code compliance of mandatory required items. Hence, a single 120 volt, 20 amp 'sign' circuit is compliant. It would be up to the tenant fit-up plans to indicate exterior signage loads, and if any additional circuits would be required, which would have to be code compliant.

Yes, wording within the NEC can be questionable to say the least.

Bear in mind 240.4(D) keeps you from getting in too much trouble with 14 or 12 ga wire. The 80% max is built in to the maximum O/C protection allowed. That still doesn't relieve you of the article 210 limitations but they are really unenforceable if you have receptacles and lamp holders.

It is not unusual for me to learn something from this BB. After reading all the comments I have revised my thinking to consider that the need is in the code for a branch circuit for a sign or outline lighting. The calculated load for this circuit is not less than 1200va. I do agree that if you have several small sign they could all be installed on the same circuit and they should not exceed 16a. by virtue of the fact that this would be considered a continuous load. I think there should be only sign outlets on this circuit. The load could exceed 1200va. if the load were 16a.- 1920va would be the calculated load for the service.

The sign load is also dependent on the type of business.
The last auto dealer that we did got a sign that took over 5KW.
Some of these things get out of hand, especially when the "sign designers" decide to use incandescent for everything.

Also keep in mind that more and more signage is getting electronic displays in it; that adds to the loads and usually doesn't like sharing a circuit with anything else.