Conveyance Electrical
Many elevators have cameras, monitors or other devices that require a Category 5 or Category 6 cable for their operation. If an elevator traveling cable containing a Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable is not available, how can such a cable be connected to the elevator?
Where traveling cables are not available for situations where Cat 5 or Cat 6 wiring is needed to an elevator car, such a cable can be suspended along with the traveling cable. It should be a CL2R or CL2P rating to be used in the hoistway, meaning Class 2, R meaning Riser and P meaning Plenum. Cables of types CL3R or CL3P could be used by substitution. The Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable must be supported independently of the elevator traveling cable at each end. The Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable may be wire-tied to the traveling cable as necessary to prevent the Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable from swaying or becoming entangled in elevator equipment.
Note:
Electrical Code, NEC [2011], 620.22 requires elevator car lights, receptacles, emergency lighting and car ventilation to be the only devices connected to the circuit required for them. Elevator car air-conditioning and heating are the only devices that may be connected to the circuit required for them also. Other equipment may not be powered using these circuits.
Elevator Code, ASME A17.1 [2013], 8.7.2.8 and 8.7.3.8 require hoistways, machine rooms, machinery spaces, control rooms and control spaces to be used only for equipment directly necessary for operation the elevator per A17.1, 2.8.1. Per department policy, these spaces may contain the minimum equipment necessary to make the elevator more readily usable for building occupants. Cameras and information screens are permitted inside the car. Communication equipment to ensure building occupants will not lose wireless communication while in the building’s elevators is permitted within or on top of the car subject to limitations. Hoistways, machine rooms, machinery spaces, control rooms and control spaces may not contain equipment for communication between non-elevator spaces within the building or to locations outside the building.
Elevator Code, ASME A17.1 [2013], 2.14.1.9.1(d) includes requirements for information screens, cameras and similar equipment exposed to the inside of the elevator car. 4) Accessing elevator hoistways is dangerous. See this article on the elevator web page for this department’s policy regarding safe access to hoistways.