Section 645-5 of the United States National Electrical Code states that the branch-circuit conductors must be in conduit. If these branch circuits feed a receptacle, it is acceptable for the receptacle to be located under the floor so long as the receptacle is accessible (i.e. a floor panel can be easily removed) and that the power cord is type DP (other type designations are listed in the code as well, I leave it to others to describe the differences).
I have seen computer rooms in the US with receptacles located below the raised floor and not heard of any issues. I think the bigger issue is that of having power and signal cables in the same proximity causing EMI type problems. -----Original Message----- From: ted.eck...@apcc.com [mailto:ted.eck...@apcc.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 9:12 AM To: emc-p...@ieee.org Subject: Wiring under raised floors Is it permissible to place electrical receptacles under the raised floor of a computer room? Can power cords pass through openings in the raised floor or do all power connections need to be in conduit? I have received two opinions; one stating that receptacles must be accessible above floor level and the other stating that receptacles can be placed below the floor. The United States National Electrical Code is a bit vague on the subject, although Article 645-5 (d) (2) seems to imply that conduit is only required up to the receptacle. I can find no references to raised floor installations in the Canadian Electrical Code or BS 7671, IEE Wiring Regulations. Ted Eckert Regulatory Compliance Engineer American Power Conversion Corporation ted.eck...@apcc.com The items contained in this e-mail reflect the personal opinions of the writer and are only provided for the assistance of the reader. The writer is not speaking in an official capacity for APC nor representing APC's official position on any matter. ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Jim Bacher: jim_bac...@mail.monarch.com Michael Garretson: pstc_ad...@garretson.org For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Jim Bacher: jim_bac...@mail.monarch.com Michael Garretson: pstc_ad...@garretson.org For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org
