ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues emergency electric rm.

Is it ok to run a 4" feeder for a 400a normal power panel through an emergency electric room,or do i need a 2hr seperation? I can't find it anywhere in the code that says i can't.Thanks

The US NEC only forbids placing both emergency and non emergency conductors in the same raceway or box. It is silent on separating the raceways so it must be a building code issue.
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Tom Horne

It is not a building code issue. I think it is fine.

The IBC Section 302.1.1 covers incidental Use Areas. The only electrical only type incidental use requiring a fire rated barrier wall and floor/ceiling assemblies is for stationary lead-acid battery rooms having a liquid capacity of more than 100 gallons used for facility standby power, emergency power or interrupted power supplies.
These rooms require a 1 hour rating for Group B, F, H, M, S and U occupancies and a 2 hours rating for Group A, E, I and R occupancies.

Other common incidental use areas would be: furnace rooms, boiler rooms, refrigerant rooms, parking garages, incinerator rooms, paint shops, laboratories and vocational shops, also laundry rooms, waste and linen collection rooms and storage rooms over 100 square feet, and padded cells.

It may be that your particular electrical room is backed up to a fire area or separation wall. In that case the fire rating will have to extend from floor to ceiling. Any penetrations will have to be closed in a proper manner.