Quick Hits

Episode 2: GFCI Protection, Conductor Sizing & Fault Currents (620.7 – 620.16)

SLIDE 1 (HOOK / COVER) ⚡ NEC Quick Hit: GFCI Protection & Feeder Sizing (Part 2 - Article 620) ⚡ 

Where are GFCIs strictly required in elevator shafts and machine rooms? How do you size conductors for intermittent elevator duty? Let's check out Part I and II of Article 620! 👇

SLIDE 2 (MANDATORY GFCI PROTECTION) Protecting Mechanics in Pits and Machine Rooms:

• Pits & Hoistways: Every 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle installed in pits, hoistways, car tops, platform lift runways, and escalator wellways must be a listed Class A GFCI.

• Machine Rooms: All 15- and 20-amp receptacles in machine rooms, control spaces, and truss interiors also require Class A GFCI protection.

SLIDE 3 (CONDUCTOR SIZING & SHORT-CIRCUIT RATINGS) Intermittent Duty & SCCR:

• Conductor Ampacity: Because elevator motors operate on an intermittent duty cycle, feeder and branch-circuit conductors are sized using specific motor percentage tables (Section 430.22).

• SCCR Marking: Elevator control panels must be marked with their short-circuit current rating (SCCR), and available fault current at the line terminals must be calculated and field-marked.

SLIDE 4 (WRAP-UP) 💡 Apprentice Pro-Tip: 

Traveling cables in high-rises can experience massive voltage drops. Section 620.12 permits 20 AWG copper conductors to be installed in parallel for car lighting circuits, provided their combined ampacity equals at least 14 AWG!

💬 Save this post for your next elevator control panel audit! 🔗 

More code breakdowns at www.JoshTheSparky.com

← View Chapter 6 Home

← Back To Article 620 Home

← Back To Quick Hits Home