NEC 600-695 — Special Equipment (Washington)

NEC 600-695 — Special Equipment (Washington Journeyman)

Learning Objectives

1.1 Electric Signs and Outline Lighting (Article 600)

Article 600 covers conductors, equipment, and field wiring for electric signs, retrofit kits, and outline lighting at any voltage, including neon tubing installations.

Listing and markings. Fixed, mobile, or portable electric signs, section signs, outline lighting, PV-powered signs, and retrofit kits must be listed and labeled and installed in conformance with that listing (600.2). Field-installed skeleton tubing need not be listed where it is installed in conformance with the code (600.2(A)). A sign using tubular light-emitting diode lamps in the existing sockets needs a label meeting 110.21(B) that warns against installing fluorescent lamps and stays visible during relamping (600.4(A)(3)).

Branch circuits. Each commercial building and commercial occupancy accessible to pedestrians needs an accessible sign outlet at each tenant-space entrance, supplied by a branch circuit rated at least 20 amperes that supplies no other load (600.5(A)(1)). Sign circuits are sized under 600.5(C)(1) or (C)(2) and are always considered continuous loads. Neon tubing may not be supplied by a branch circuit rated in excess of 30 amperes (600.5(C)(1)); all other signs and outline lighting systems are limited to a circuit rated not to exceed 20 amperes (600.5(C)(2)).

Wiring, disconnects, grounding. The supply must terminate within a sign, an outline lighting enclosure, a suitable box, a conduit body, or a panelboard (600.5(D)(1)). Listed enclosures integral to the sign may be pull or junction boxes up to 600 volts for conductors supplying other adjacent signs, outline lighting systems, and floodlights that are part of a sign (600.5(D)(2)(a)) and may hold both branch and secondary conductors (600.5(D)(2)(b)); poles, metal or nonmetallic, may enclose supply conductors (600.5(D)(3)). Signs are controlled by an externally operable switch or breaker opening all ungrounded conductors and controlling no other load (600.6), and the disconnect must identify what it controls (600.5(B)), except an external disconnect on the sign body, enclosure, pole, or controller. Metal equipment of signs and outline lighting is connected to the equipment grounding conductor per 250.118 and 250.122 (600.7(A)), and auxiliary grounding electrodes are permitted per 250.54.

1.2 Cranes and Hoists — Wiring Methods (Article 610)

Conductors are enclosed in raceways or run as Type AC, MC, or MI cable, except contact conductors, short exposed lengths at resistors and collectors, and flexible connections at motors (610.11), which use flexible stranded conductors in a listed flexible raceway or multiconductor cable.

Pushbutton stations (610.12(D)). Where multiconductor cable is used with a suspended pushbutton station, the station must be supported so that the conductors are protected against strain — with no length limit and no rigid-conduit requirement.

Flexibility to moving parts (610.12(E)). Where flexibility is required for power or control to moving parts, listed festoon cable or a suitable cord is permitted with strain relief and protection from physical damage, and in Class I, Division 2 locations the cord must be approved for extra-hard usage — a hazardous-location condition, not a universal one.

Rails. Where the rail carries one phase, every condition of 610.14(F) must be met: the other two phases are insulated, all phase power comes from an insulating transformer, the voltage does not exceed 300 volts, and the rail is bonded to the equipment grounding conductor at the transformer. Contact conductors may not be used as feeders for equipment other than the crane or hoist they primarily serve (610.14(H)).

1.3 Table 610.14(A) — Ampacities and Correction Factors

Table 610.14(A) gives ampacities for insulated copper conductors used with short-time rated crane and hoist motors at 30°C (86°F) ambient. Columns are the maximum operating temperature — 75°C, 90°C, and 125°C — each split into 60-minute and 30-minute ratings. Values to know: 4 AWG at 75°C for 30 minutes is 117 A; 2 AWG at 125°C for 30 minutes is 214 A; 8 AWG at 90°C for 30 minutes is 69 A; 6 AWG at 75°C for 30 minutes is 86 A.

Ambient correction. Above 30°C, multiply the table value by the correction factor: 0.82 for 75°C insulation at 41–45°C, 0.87 for 90°C, and 0.92 for 125°C. A 4 AWG, 75°C conductor on a 30-minute rating in a 45°C ambient is 117 A × 0.82 = 95.94 A, rounded to 96 A — not the uncorrected 117 A.

Notes and load calculation. Conductors used with 15-minute motors take the 30-minute ratings increased by 12 percent, so the 8 AWG, 90°C value of 69 A becomes _77.28 A_, rounded to 77 A. For 5 to 8 simultaneously energized power conductors in a raceway or cable, each power conductor is reduced to 80 percent of the table value, as are 4 to 6 simultaneously energized 125°C ac power conductors. Use 100 percent of a single motor's nameplate full-load ampere rating (610.14(E)(1)); for multiple motors on one crane, use the largest motor or group for any single motion plus 50 percent of the next largest, in the column for the longest time-rated motor (610.14(E)(2)). Multiple cranes on a common conductor use the Table 610.14(E)(3) demand factors: 2 units 0.95, 3 units 0.91, 4 units 0.87, 5 units 0.84, 6 units 0.81, 7 units 0.78.

1.4 Overcurrent Protection and Disconnecting Means (Article 610, Parts IV and V)

Runway disconnect (610.31). A disconnecting means rated not less than the value calculated in 610.14(E) and 610.14(F), complying with 430.109, is provided between the runway contact conductors and the supply, and must be readily accessible and operable from the ground, lockable open per 110.25, open all ungrounded conductors simultaneously, and be within view of the runway contact conductors; only electrolytic cell lines may be out of view.

Crane and monorail hoist disconnects (610.32). A disconnect complying with 430.109 is required in the leads from the runway contact conductors on all cranes and monorail hoists and must be lockable open per 110.25. It may be omitted for a monorail hoist or hand-propelled crane bridge only where the unit is controlled from the ground, is in view of the power supply disconnecting means, and has no fixed work platform — and even then, means must be provided at the operating station to open the power circuit to all motors.

Rating (610.33). That switch or breaker must be rated not less than 50 percent of the combined short-time ampere rating of the motors and not less than 75 percent of the sum of the short-time ampere ratings of the motors required for any single motion.

Feeder protection (610.41). Runway supply conductors and main contact conductors are protected by an OCPD rated not greater than the largest branch-circuit OCPD rating or setting plus the sum of the nameplate ratings of all other loads with the Table 610.14(E)(3) demand factors applied (610.41(A)); where more than one feeder supplies the runway conductors, each feeder is sized and protected in compliance with 610.41(A) (610.41(B)).

Branch circuits, taps, overload (610.42, 610.43). Motor branch circuits are protected by fuses or inverse-time breakers rated per 430.52, and where two or more motors operate a single motion the sum of their nameplate current ratings is treated as one motor (610.42(A)). Each tap conductor to an individual motor on a shared branch circuit must have an ampacity not less than one-third that of the branch circuit, and each motor is separately protected from overload per 610.43 (610.42(B)(1)). Control-circuit taps are protected per 430.72.

1.5 Elevators, Escalators, and Moving Walks (Article 620)

Table 620.14 gives feeder demand factors by the number of elevators on a single feeder: 1 elevator 1.00, 2 elevators 0.95, 3 elevators 0.90, 4 elevators 0.85, 5 elevators 0.82, 6 elevators 0.79, 7 elevators 0.77, 8 elevators 0.75, 9 elevators 0.73, and 10 or more 0.72. The factors assume a 50 percent duty cycle and are read by counting elevators on the feeder.

Motor controller rating (620.15). The controller rating must comply with 430.83 and may be less than the nominal rating of the elevator motor only when the controller inherently limits the available power to the motor and is marked as power limited.

Short-circuit current rating (620.16). An elevator control panel must be marked with its short-circuit current rating, based on a listed assembly or an approved method (620.16(A)); it may not be installed where the available fault current exceeds that rating and must be field-marked with the available fault current at its line terminals.

1.6 Electric Vehicle Power Transfer (Article 625)

Article 625 covers conductors and equipment connecting an electric vehicle to premises wiring for charging, power export, or bidirectional flow, and stops at the vehicle: wiring inside the vehicle is outside the NEC (625.1). EVSE and wireless power transfer equipment, including bidirectional units, are always continuous loads (625.41).

Rating and load management (625.42). The supply to EVSE must have sufficient rating for the load served unless the overall rating can be limited through controls. Load-management power control systems must comply with Article 130 Part II and must limit the total load to the capacity of the supplying branch circuit or feeder, not to the sum of the connected nameplate ratings. Every EVSE calculation starts at 125 percent of the maximum load, so a 40-ampere unit requires a 50-ampere overcurrent device and an 80-ampere unit requires 100 amperes.

Disconnecting means (625.43). EVSE must be provided with one or more disconnecting means; for permanently connected EVSE it must be readily accessible, lockable open per 110.25, and identified by a plaque or directory when installed remote from the equipment. Cord- and plug-connected EVSE rated not more than 60 amperes and not more than 150 volts to ground may use the cord and plug as the disconnecting means.

Connection and location (625.44, 625.50). EVSE must use one of the connection methods of 625.44, and plug-connected equipment needs an attachment plug rated not less than 125 percent of the equipment's maximum rating. Unless listed and marked for the location, the coupling means must be stored not less than 450 mm (18 in.) above the floor indoors or 600 mm (24 in.) above grade outdoors, and outdoor equipment must be listed and marked for outdoor use. The connection to the vehicle is by a listed connector or listed cord and plug with the equipment grounding conductor carried through it, so a receptacle without a grounding pole does not comply. Older material cites 625.10 for that rule, but the NEC 2026 text does not use 625.10 — the rules are in 625.44 and 625.50.

1.7 Pools, Fountains, and Similar Installations (Article 680)

Equipotential bonding (680.26). Bonding under 680.26(B) and 680.26(C) reduces voltage gradients and is required for pools with or without electrical equipment (680.26(A)). The parts in 680.26(B)(1) through (B)(7) are bonded together with solid copper or 40 percent copper-clad steel conductors — insulated, covered, or bare, and not smaller than 8 AWG copper — or with rigid metal conduit of brass, reinforcing steel, or steel structural welded wire reinforcement, connected per 250.8 and 680.7(C). Those parts are the conductive pool shell, which includes cast-in-place, sprayed, and concrete block shells but not vinyl liners or fiberglass shells (680.26(B)(1)); perimeter surfaces, bonded not less than 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally beyond the inside walls and between 900 mm (3 ft) above and below the maximum water level, with no maximum spacing required (680.26(B)(2)); metallic components of the pool structure, including metal ladders (680.26(B)(3)); underwater lighting, including metal forming shells and mounting brackets (680.26(B)(4)); metal fittings and structures within or attached to the pool or perimeter surface (680.26(B)(5)); electrical equipment within 1.5 m (5 ft) of the inside wall or 3.7 m (12 ft) above the water level, where the pump motor sits (680.26(B)(6)); and fixed metal parts such as metal piping, raceways, awnings, fences, and door and window frames in that envelope (680.26(B)(7)). Double-insulated pump motors are not bonded, and a solid 8 AWG copper conductor must extend from the bonding means to an accessible point near such a motor. The water is not a bonded part: where no bonded part connects with the pool water, the water must contact an approved corrosion-resistant conductive surface (680.26(C)). Isolating a metal ladder, or grounding it to a panelboard, is not a substitute for bonding.

Fountains (680.50 through 680.54). Parts I and V apply to permanently installed fountains. Fountain luminaires, pumps, and similar equipment must be GFCI protected unless listed for low-voltage operation; luminaires are limited to 150 volts between conductors and submersible pumps to 300 volts. All electrical equipment within the fountain or within 1.5 m (5 ft) of its inside wall, equipment associated with the recirculating system, and panelboard enclosures not part of the service equipment that supply fountain equipment must be connected to an equipment grounding conductor (680.54(A)). A bonding conductor must be a minimum 8 AWG solid copper conductor, and the bonded parts connected to the branch-circuit equipment grounding conductor are metal piping systems associated with the fountain, metal fittings within or attached to the fountain, and the metal parts of equipment associated with the fountain water-circulating system, including pump motors (680.54(B)). Underwater luminaires and every other metal part within or attached to the fountain are bonded to that system — never isolated. Older references cite 680.56 for fountain bonding; in the 2026 text that rule is 680.54, while 680.56 covers flexible cord-connected fountain equipment, including GFCI protection and extra-hard-usage cord types with a "W" suffix.

1.8 Rapid Shutdown of PV Systems on Buildings (Article 690)

Applicability (690.12). PV system circuits installed on or in buildings must include a rapid shutdown function to reduce shock hazard for firefighters. Ground-mounted circuits entering a building that only houses PV equipment, and circuits on nonenclosed detached structures such as carports, are excepted.

Controlled limits (690.12(B)). The array boundary is 305 mm (1 ft) from the array in all directions. Controlled conductors outside the array boundary, or more than 1 m (3 ft) from the point of entry inside a building, must be limited to not more than 30 volts within 30 seconds of rapid shutdown initiation, measured between any two conductors and between any conductor and ground (690.12(B)(1)). Inside the array boundary, control is either a reduction of shock risk within a damaged array for firefighters or a limit of the highest voltage inside equipment to not more than 80 volts within 30 seconds of initiation (690.12(B)(2)). PV rapid shutdown equipment and PV hazard control equipment and systems must be listed (690.2).

Initiation (690.12(C)). Initiation devices must be readily accessible and consist of one or more of the service disconnecting means, the PV system disconnecting means, or listed switches as specified in the equipment instructions. For one- and two-family dwellings they must be outdoors, so a switch at an indoor main service panel does not satisfy the rule. For a single PV system, any single initiation device must initiate shutdown; where several systems share a service, not more than six grouped devices must shut down all of them together.

Labeling (690.12(D)). A permanent label is required at each service equipment location to which PV systems are connected, or at an approved readily visible location, indicating the location of the rapid shutdown initiation devices. The label includes a diagram of a building with a roof and the words "SOLAR PV SYSTEM EQUIPPED WITH RAPID SHUTDOWN" with instructions to turn the switch to the "OFF" position.

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Summary

Articles 600 through 690 add their own numbers and conditions to the general rules of Chapters 1 through 4. Article 600 governs signs and outline lighting: listing under 600.2, continuous-load treatment and the 30-ampere and 20-ampere circuit limits of 600.5(C), the sign outlet of 600.5(A)(1), the wiring rules of 600.5(D), disconnect marking under 600.5(B), and grounding under 600.7. Article 610 governs cranes and hoists, where Table 610.14(A), its correction factors, and its notes set ampacities and Parts IV and V fix disconnecting means, feeder protection, tap ampacity, and overload protection. Article 620 brings the Table 620.14 demand factors, the power-limited controller allowance of 620.15, and the short-circuit current rating marking of 620.16. Article 625 treats EVSE as a continuous load, sizes the supply at 125 percent, permits load management only through a power control system complying with Article 130 Part II, and requires a readily accessible, lockable disconnect. Article 680 bonds every conductive part of a pool or fountain with a conductor of not less than 8 AWG copper extending 3 ft beyond the pool wall. Article 690 requires rapid shutdown for PV circuits on or in buildings, defines the array boundary at 305 mm (1 ft), and limits controlled conductors to 30 volts outside and 80 volts inside that boundary.