I have a commercial building, open to the public. It has no over hang for signs but the customer wants to put two large signs on the side of the building and feed these signs from a wall pack circuit. Their electrical engineer tells me 600.5a only applies to outlets at entrances to a commercial space. My interpretation of the code and experience tells me a dedicated circuit is required. Is there another section of the NEC which permits these signs from sharing a wall pack circuit?

Good question. NEC Sect. 90.3 Code Arrangement says that Chapter 6 supplements or modifies Chapters 1 thru 4. Section 600.5 requires sign branch circuits that supply no other load; only sign outlets...I don't think that you need any additional code...

Or we could look at this differently - if the requirements are met for 600.5 and additional signs to be added, who cares which circuit they are fed from, as long as that circuit is sized to handle load on it. 600.5 says the one required sign circuit may feed no additional loads, it does not specify if other circuits may include signage. IMHO of course!

Joe, can you define what you are calling a "wall pack" ?

I imagine Joe is refering to one of these:




I really don't see a code violation having a sign or signs supplied from a circuit serving other loads as long as the REQUIRED sign circuit and outlet is provided elsewhere.

I don't know, sometimes people refer to interior lighting as a "wall pack" even emergency lighting.

Outlet. A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment.
600.5 Branch Circuits.
(A) Required Branch Circuit. Each commercial building and each commercial occupancy accessible to pedestrians shall be provided with at least one outlet in an accessible location at each entrance to each tenant space for sign or outline lighting system use. The outlet(s) shall be supplied by a branch circuit rated at least 20 amperes that supplies no other load. Service hallways or corridors shall not be considered accessible to pedestrians.

Refering to the definition of outlet and 600.5(A), I would not allow the connection of the signs to the circuit feeding lighting. 600.5(A) talks about "at least one outlet" and "The outlet(s)...that supply no other load", that to me means if additional signs are installed then they are to be connected to the existing sign circuit or additional sign circuits are to be installed. General lighting circuits would be an "other load".

What I see here is an additional signs being installed on the side of the building, 600.5 requires an outlet at each entrance to the building or tennent space, if that outlet is there, then the one on the side doesn't fall under 600.5 and is supplemental and can be fed from elsewhere as long as the total load does not exceed the limits of the overcurrent device

The outlets are required to be there even if the sign is not. Branch circuit for sign, no other load. 600.5 Handbook has some good reading. IEAI weekley update. http://www.iaei.org/magazine/?p=4827

I agree. All sign outlets to be supplied by sign br. ckts. We all know that sign types and loads vary dependent on type and size and changing out of old signs or teneants...