# Wiring requirements for an OB-Gyn Office



## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

I've got this really effed up project coming up. I do work work for the building owner, and they hired a GC to oversee this project. The GC is acting like a developer and I have a feeling we are all going to be treated as primes rather than subs. There are no MEP drawings. Nothing was stamped by the city. Basically they are going the D/B route and will get sigatures and stamps during construction. 

517 is real foreign to me and without drawings or a spec book, it's kind of up to me to figure this crap out. Calling the AHJ is almost impossible. Automated system, and inspectors are rotated so often to different areas, they don't like to give advise unless they have been assigned to the project.

My questions:

HG-AC (it is AC and not MC, correct) - where is it required? I am assuming all outlets in the "exam" rooms. What about switches inside the exam room? exam room sconces at 6'? 2x4's at 8'?

Could I go the 180va rule on the outlets, and feed multiple exam rooms with one circuit, or do you need dedicated for each exam room. 

TR & HG outlets - I don't think I need them. No gases to be used, that I know of. 

Motion Sensors and E ballasts - I don't believe I need them in the exam rooms. Rooms are 80 square feet and I believe T24 says over 100 square feet for the the sensors. I don't think I need e ballasts in the exam rooms, because nothing important goes on in there but examining. (there's a joke there). 

I could get the answers from the AHJ about the outlets, sensors, and ballasts at rough wall inspection, but I would still like your input because these items will increase the job costs.

As far as the HG-AC, do you guys just stub it out of the exam rooms and them MC or EMT home, or do you HG-AC all the way home?

By the way, I'm still on the 2005 NEC.

Thanks.


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## MarkyMark (Jan 31, 2009)

_HG-AC (it is AC and not MC, correct) - where is it required? I am assuming all outlets in the "exam" rooms. What about switches inside the exam room? exam room sconces at 6'? 2x4's at 8'?

_*Definitely the exam rooms, but you are going to have to get with the AHJ on this for sure regarding other rooms. Sometimes there may be rooms where they draw blood or take x-rays, or perform other simple procedures where the AHJ will require you to use HG-AC.*
_
Could I go the 180va rule on the outlets, and feed multiple exam rooms with one circuit, or do you need dedicated for each exam room. 

_*I can't think of any thing special about a an OB-GYN that would require dedicated circuits unless a piece of equipment required it.*_

TR & HG outlets - I don't think I need them. No gases to be used, that I know of. 

_*Careful with this one. Some medical equipment is listed to require an HG outlet. It's kind of silly, and most inspectors won't catch it, but CYA anyway.*_

Motion Sensors and E ballasts - I don't believe I need them in the exam rooms. Rooms are 80 square feet and I believe T24 says over 100 square feet for the the sensors. I don't think I need e ballasts in the exam rooms, because nothing important goes on in there but examining. (there's a joke there). 

_*Ha Ha!!!*_

I could get the answers from the AHJ about the outlets, sensors, and ballasts at rough wall inspection, but I would still like your input because these items will increase the job costs.

As far as the HG-AC, do you guys just stub it out of the exam rooms and them MC or EMT home, or do you HG-AC all the way home?
_
*Stub out HG then hit the EMT all the way home.**An OB-GYN is actually one of the easier "517" related installations. Just get the HG-AC right the first time, and get good cut sheets on ALL the equipment, and you should be fine. I have found it is often easier to communicate directly with the doctor on the equipment requirements and cut out all the middle men. Good luck with this.
*


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## Darkjim (Aug 7, 2009)

knowshorts said:


> I've got this really effed up project coming up. I do work work for the building owner, and they hired a GC to oversee this project. The GC is acting like a developer and I have a feeling we are all going to be treated as primes rather than subs. There are no MEP drawings. Nothing was stamped by the city. Basically they are going the D/B route and will get sigatures and stamps during construction.
> 
> 517 is real foreign to me and without drawings or a spec book, it's kind of up to me to figure this crap out. Calling the AHJ is almost impossible. Automated system, and inspectors are rotated so often to different areas, they don't like to give advise unless they have been assigned to the project.
> 
> ...


..............................


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. Actually, I wont be working too far away from the existing doctors office on Monday. That's a good idea about checking out which machines they are using and getting cut sheets on them. 

At first thought, I didn't think they used much, I was figuring a spreader and a flashlight, but I forgot they probably use sonograms, lasers, and who knows what else.

The original suite is quite old and is ran all in emt and flex. That's probably how they managed their redundant grounding. 

As far as properly feeding these exam rooms, I need a phisical EGC from the outlets back to the panel, as well as a conduit system that acts as an EGC (green mc and emt). Correct?


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## Darkjim (Aug 7, 2009)

correct


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

knowshorts said:


> Thanks for the replies. Actually, I wont be working too far away from the existing doctors office on Monday. That's a good idea about checking out which machines they are using and getting cut sheets on them.
> 
> At first thought, I didn't think they used much, I was figuring a spreader and a flashlight, but I forgot they probably use sonograms, lasers, and who knows what else.
> 
> ...


If you intend on reusing any of the EMT and Flex, you can only have 6' of flex in the same ground return path, and a 20 amp breaker max - 250.118(5)


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

JohnJ0906 said:


> If you intend on reusing any of the EMT and Flex, you can only have 6' of flex in the same ground return path, and a 20 amp breaker max - 250.118(5)


The existing suite is all emt and flex. There is a vacant suite where the work will be done. It's still all flex and emt, but it's all coming out and going to the scrap yard.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

knowshorts said:


> The existing suite is all emt and flex. There is a vacant suite where the work will be done. It's still all flex and emt, but it's all coming out and going to the scrap yard.


:thumbsup:


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## manchestersparky (Mar 25, 2007)

Do not forget that if the light switches are in the patient care area, they will need to be wired to meet 517.13 also.
If the switches are in the corridor outside the rooms and the lights are over 7 1/2' above the floor you do not need to meet 517.13


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