Okay people, what is the code requirement for lighting in an unfinished basement in a residential building with a frunace and sump pump in the basement? Where does the switching need to be? We have a debate going here in Michigan.

Ditto Joe's post.

I agree gentlemen and the issue I should have stated is when a furnace , for example, is at the far end of a basement we typically have a stairway lighting outlet controled by a set of three points at the top and bottom of the stairs. From the bottom of the stairs we have a series of pull chain fixtures along the way to the furnace sometimes a distance of 50 to 100 feet. Is this, in your opinion what the code says to the purist?

George,

I'll bite ...
I'm guessing the debate is whether the switch for the light by the Furnace should be by the stairs. That may be what the code language requires.

Bill

You hit the nail on the head Bill. I do think that's what the words say in the Code but I don't know that this is being done elsewhere or that it is that important. So the words say that the control should be at the entrance to the area and the lighting outlet should be at the equipment requiring servicing. This really is a two part question- How many lights do we need in the basement if any, besides the one at the furnace?

George...the wording in 210.70(A)(3)requires the lighting outlet at the furnace equipment to be controlled by the switch at the usual point of entry to the basement,as I read it in the 2002 NEC. I use to wire unfinished basements with pullchain lampholders as you have described, but now I wire all the lights on the switch at the stairs leading to the basement.
A home owner told me a story of how his son went to the basement with a pail of hot water for some project he was doing for school and he was using a small step ladder to try to turn on a pullchain light that had the string broken off and somehow he steped into that pail of hot water when he was coming down off the step ladder and was burned by the hot water.

shortcircuit

George, I would say you need 3 lights in your basement. At the furnace, sump pump, & electrical panel. This is based on 210.70(A)(3) equipment requiring servicing.

Also like shortcircuit I do not use pull chains anymore. I put the switch at the entrance to the basement area.
Al

Done the pullchain bit myself over the years. What I have done recently is wire them to the switch at the stairs - that way (if the basement isn't really being used for anything)the HO can control the number of lights he needs on at any one time, but it still complies with the Code.

Although, to argue the point, I think that if the stairway lighting (controlled by a 3-way circuit, S1 @ the top (1st floor) and S2 @ the bottom (basement)) illuminates enough of the basement to get to pullchain lamp #1, you might be able to that "...one point of control" is at the foot of the stairs.

I'm glad you said 'purist' there George, after all, i can't imagine anyone building a 100+ ft long residence to argue about how many porcelians would be in thier basement..

~S~

Residential Building Code of NY State


R303.4 Stairway illumination.
All interior and exterior stairways shall be provided with a means to illuminate the stairs, including the landings and treads.Interior stairways shall be provided with an artificial light source located in the immediate vicinity of each landing of the stairway.

Exception: An artificial light source is not required at the top and bottom landing, provided an artificial light source is located directly over each stairway section.

R303.4.1 Light activation. The control for activiation of the required interior stairway lighting shall be accessible at the top and bottom of each stairway without traversing any steps. The illumination of exterior stairways shall be controlled from inside the dwelling unit.

Exception: Lights that are continuously illuminated or automatically controlled.


E3803.3 Storage or equipment spaces.
In attics, under-floor spaces, utility rooms and basements, at least one lighting outlet shall be installed where these spaces are used for storage or contain equipment requiring servicing.

This tells me that NY State electrical contractors and their men are required to install a minimum of one lighting outlet for the stairs and one lighting outlet for the basement.

Pierre