(a) The following specifications must be complied with in the constructing, installing, altering or repairing of commercial buildings or structures.
(1) Distribution panels shall be located in the office, offices, store or stores, which they serve or in a readily accessible place and shall not be located in washrooms or toilets. Service entrance conductors for all buildings used for other than residential purposes shall be installed in rigid conduit or electrical metallic tubing.
(2) Service equipment. Minimum 100 ampere service equipment with No. 2 A.W.G. CU type RH., or equal wire, shall be provided for stores, apartment houses, industrial plants, machine shops, service garages or occupancies greater than four units, operating on a voltage of less than 300 volts to ground and less than 1,200 amperes capacity shall be required for connected load and floor area of more than 300 square feet. A main switch with four wires, three blades solid neutral, or one three wire, three blade switch for power and one three wire, two blade solid neutral for lighting shall be required. Where the voltage to ground of service exceeds 300 volts, the current issue of the National Electric Code, as adopted by the state, shall be followed. Service to be protected from mechanical injury, where abutting an alley or driveway, to a minimum height of at least six feet above the earth. All commercial services must be installed either in rigid steel conduit, approved for outside use, or of designed copper bus service, suitable for type of occupancy of building.
(3) Coil cabinet (ct's used for metering over 200 amp services) shall not be used as junction box, raceway or distribution center. Conductors of size 1/0 or larger shall be permitted to be connected in parallel, electrically joined at both ends to form a single conductor, and terminate at a bus, disconnect or auxiliary gutter.
(4) No. 12 wire shall be the minimum size conductor permitted and have over current protection of 15 amperes for maximum 1,200 watts connected lighting load. Rigid conduit or E.M.T. or flexible conduit must be used. Exception-conduit shall have wire fill marked for inspection if conductors are counted, when applying the provisions of National Electrical Code Note 8 of Table 310-16.
(5) Receptacle plug outlets in industrial plants, machine shops, service garages or similar occupancies, shall be limited to four per circuit.
(6) Special outlets, store type buildings, in addition to other code requirements, at least one three-fourth-inch rigid metal conduit or E.M.T. shall be provided from the distribution panel to a point approximately midway on each longitudinal wall and at least one receptacle outlet shall be installed thereto. These outlet boxes to be flush with facing of finish wall. This requirement is for first floor only unless specifically omitted in approved electrical plan.
(7) Receptacle plug outlets shall not be on a circuit with lighting outlets except in residences or residential portions of other buildings.
(8) Exit and emergency light requirements shall be installed in a three-fourths-inch conduit with no other wiring. Duo-voltage unit equipment shall originate from the same panelboard as that of the normal lighting circuits and is provided with a circuit breaker with a lock-on feature. Emergency illumination shall include all required means of egress lighting, illuminated exit signs and all other lights as necessary to provide required illumination.
(9) When a drain is installed in a transformer room, such a drain must have a liquid seal of not less than three inches in depth. This seal may be supplied by water which is permitted to bypass into the trap from a water supply connection to a basin fountain or similar fixture or such seal may be made of a nonexplosive liquid such as a low grade engine oil.
(10) Elevator escalator machine rooms shall be wired for at least one lighting and one convenience outlet.
(11) A sign outlet rated at 1,500 watts consisting of an approved fitting with blank cover shall be provided for each store section or new or remodeled buildings with new fronts, located at least ten feet above sidewalk on front wall, connected with three-fourths inch minimum size conduit. Sign conduit to be rigid or E.M.T., where practical, and installed independent of other outlets or conductors. At least one circuit of No. 12 wires with 20 ampere double pole lock type switch shall be installed for each out-of-door sign outlet.
(12) A 125-volt, single-phase receptacle outlet ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel shall be located on the same level and within 20 feet of rooftop heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. Receptacle outlet shall not be connected to load side of equipment disconnecting means. Install disconnect on outer surface or within six feet of each unit, easily located during emergency. Each office or commercial building to have one 220 volt receptacle outlet, preferably near an outside window for air-conditioning, unless building has an overall air-conditioning unit.
(13) All alarm wiring be installed in a separate conduit. This wiring must be an approved system and installed in strict accordance with manufacturers recommendations and Life and Safety Code 101 and N.F.P.A. 72.
(14) The minimum size of commercial service shall be four No. 2 copper conductors, three phase required.
(15) Masonry walls must have proper channels for conduit or conduits to be installed in walls when constructed.
(16) No installation of plumbing equipment, refrigeration equipment, space heating equipment, duct work, cabinet partitions, or materials shall be made which will render the wiring in any electrical service equipment, distribution panel, outlet, splice, junction box or pull box inaccessible. Minimum clearance of three feet (horizontal) must be maintained from electrical equipment.
(18) All raceways underground or in concrete to equipment located outside the building in gasoline dispensing stations or similar properties shall be rigid metal conduit, galvanized or sheradized and not smaller than three-fourths inch. Raceways shall be run to each pump on the islands with a sealoff at the pump and another at first opening on supply end.
(19) Type AC cable is a fabricated assembly of insulated conductors in a flexible metallic enclosure. A green grounding conductor shall be included.
(20) Flexible metal conduit shall be one-half inch minimum; a green grounding conductor shall be included and properly terminated. Exception: three-eighths inch permitted for furnace and boiler wiring.
(21) Electrical equipment, conduit or devices shall not be mounted directly on roof or parapet walls. Maintenance coating applied to roofs and parapets coat and seal electrical equipment preventing safe operation and access having a deteriorating effect. Coated and concealed conduits are very hazardous.
(22) A detailed set of plans and specifications shall be submitted with the application for building permit for any wiring or alteration to the electrical system.
(b) The electrical drawing must include such details as lighting layouts, circuiting, switching, copper conductor and conduit sizes. Also, wattage, schedule, panel schedule, service location, riser diagram, calculations and proposed method of construction drawn with symbols of a standard form. Designer's responsibility is to comply with National Electrical Code and this article.
(Ord. No. 91-511, § 6.18, 2-13-91)