Quick Hits

⚡ NEC Article 120 — Load Calcs Won't Kill You

🩺 Episode 42 — Patient Care Circuits Get Their Own Rule Too

Article: 120 — Load Calculations
Part: Part VI — Health Care Facilities
Section: 120.111
Format: Quick Hit

🎯 What You'll Learn

Health care facility load calculations don't stop at receptacles.

Section 120.111 provides a separate demand-factor method for certain branch circuits supplying patient care–related electrical equipment.

📖 The Quick Hit

🩺 Patient Care Equipment Circuits

Section 120.111 applies to qualifying branch circuits that meet these conditions:

⚡ 120 volts to ground or less

🔌 20 amperes

🏥 Supply patient care–related electrical equipment

📖 Load already calculated under 120.14(A)

When those requirements are met, the circuits can be subjected to the demand factors in Table 120.111.

📊 Table 120.111

The table organizes the qualifying circuits by number, starting with the largest circuits.

Largest 0–10 circuits

➡️ 100%

The first 10 circuits are counted at their full calculated load.

11 or more circuits

➡️ Demand factor not available in the source material used for this Quick Hit

⚠️ The supplied source text does not include the percentage for the "11 or more" row.

Rather than filling in a missing NEC value from memory, the percentage is intentionally left unidentified until the complete table can be verified.

🔢 Why "Largest First" Matters

This isn't simply:

"Take the first 10 circuits you find."

The table identifies the largest qualifying circuits.

Think of the process as:

1. Identify qualifying circuits

⬇️

2. Calculate their loads

⬇️

3. Rank them from largest to smallest

⬇️

4. Apply Table 120.111

That ordering matters when determining which circuits fall into the first 10.

🧠 Exam Takeaway

When you see 120.111, remember:

🏥 Health care facility

⚡ 120 volts to ground or less

🔌 20-ampere circuits

🩺 Patient care–related equipment

📖 120.14(A)

📊 Table 120.111

And the first 10 largest qualifying circuits are calculated at 100%.

🎯 Test Yourself

Per 120.111, qualifying circuits must be rated at what maximum voltage-to-ground and amperage?

A) 277V, 20A
B) 120V, 20A
C) 150V, 15A
D) 120V, 15A

✅ Answer

B) 120V, 20A

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🔎 NEC References

Primary: Article 120, 120.111

Related: 120.14(A) — Branch-Circuit Load Calculations
Related: Table 120.111 — Patient Care Equipment Circuit Demand Factors

⚠️ Source Verification Note

The supplied source material does not include the demand-factor percentage for the "11 or more" row of Table 120.111.

No percentage has been guessed or substituted.

Once the complete table is available, this page can be updated with the verified value and a worked example.

⚡ Series Progress

Article 120 — Load Calcs Won't Kill You

🏥 Part VI — Health Care Facilities

Episode 41: Hospital Receptacles Get Their Own Discount Table
Episode 42: Patient Care Circuits Get Their Own Rule Too

➡️ Next Part

Part VII — Marinas, Boatyards, Floating Buildings & Docking Facilities

The series continues with 120.120 — Receptacle Loads.