NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE

RULE IX ELECTRICAL REGULATIONS

9. PROVISIONS FOR TRANSFORMERS VAULTS

a. NEW BUILDING. New building requiring an expected load demand of 200 KVA or above shall
be provided with a transformer vault, except that transformers may be mounted on poles or
structures within the property if enough space is available , provided that all clearances
required can be obtained and no troublesome contamination on insulators, bushings, etc. can
cause hazards and malfunctioning of the equipment.
b. LOCATION. Transformers and transformer vaults shall be readily accessible to qualified
personnel for inspection and maintenance, vaults shall be located where they can be
ventilated to the outside air without using or ducts whenever such an arrangement is
practicable.
c. WALLS, ROOF & FLOOR. Walls and roof shall consist of reinforced concrete not less than
150mm thick, masonry or brick not less than 200mm thick, or 300mm load bearing hollow
concrete block shall have a coating of cement or gypsum plaster note less than 20mm thick.
The vault shall have a concrete floor not less than 100mm thick.
d. DOORWAYS. Any doorway leading from the vault into the building shall be protectd as
follows:
1. TYPE OF THE DOOR.
2. SILLS
3. LOCKS

10. VENTILATION

a. VENTILATION OPENINGS. When required ,openings for ventilations shall be provided in

accordance with the ff.:
1. LOCATION. Ventilation openings shall be located as far away as possible from doors,
windows, fire escapes and combustible material.
2. ARRANGEMENT. Vaults ventilated by natural circulation of air may have roughly half of the
total area of openings required for ventilation in one or more openings near the floor and the
remainder in one or more openings in the roof or in the side walls near the roof; or all of the
area required for ventilation may be provided in one or more openings in or near the roof.
3. SIZE. In the case of vaults ventilated to an outdoor area without using ducts or flues the
combined net area of all ventillating opeinigs after deducting the area occupied by screens,
gratings, or louvers, shall be not less than .006 sq, mm per KVA of transformer capacity in
service , except that the net area shall be not less than 0.1 sq. m. for any capacity under 50
KVA.
4. DAMPERS. Where automatic dampers are used in the ventilation opeings of vauts containing
oil-insulated transformers, the actuating device should be made to functio at a temperature
resulsting from fire and not a tempera which might prevail as a result of an overheated
transformer or bank of transformers.

5. DUCTS. Ventilating ducts shall be constructed of fire resistant material.

6. DRAINAGE. Where practicable, vaults containing more than 100 KVA transformer capacity shall
be provided with a drain or other means which will carry off any accumulation of oil or water
in the vaults unless local conditions make this impracticable . The floor shall be pitched to the
drain when provided.
7. WATER PIPES AND ACCESSORIES. Any pipe or duct system foreign to the electrical installation
should not enter or pass through a transformer vault.. Where the presence of such foreign
system cannot be avoided ,appurtenances there to which require maintenance at regular
intervals shall not be located inside the vaults. Arrangement shall be made where necessary
to avoid possible trouble form compensation, leaks and breaks in such foreign system. Piping
or other facilities provided for fire protection or for water cooled transformers are not
deemed to be foreign to the electrical installation.

11. CAPACITORS
a.

APPLICATION. This section applies to installation of capacitors on electric circuits in or

onbuildings.
Exception no. 1. capacitors that are components of other apparatus shall conform to the
requirements for such apparatus.
Exception no. 2 . Capacitors in hazardous location s shall comply with additional
requirements in PEC section 400-414.

LOCATION. An installation of capacitors in which any single unit contain more than three
gallons of combustible liquid shall be in vault conforming to part C of PEC section 319.
MECHANICAL PROTECTION. Capacitors shall be protected form physical damage by location
or by suitable fences, barriers or other enclosures.
CASES AND SUPPORTS. Capacitors shall be provided with non combustible cases and
supports.
TRANSFORMERS USED WITH CAPACITORS. Transformers which are components of capacitor
to a power circuit shall be installed in accordance with PEC section 319. the KVA rating shall
not less than 135 per cent of the capacitor rating in Kvar.

12. EMERGENCY SYSTEMS

a. The provision of this section shall

apply to the installation, operation and maintenance of

circuits, systems and equipment intended to supply illumination and power in the event of
failure of the normal supply or in the event of accident to elements of a system supplying
power illumination essential for safety to life and property where such systems or circuits are
required by the Fire code, or by any government agency having jurisdiction.
Emergency system are generally installed in places of assembly where artificial illumination is
required. Emergency system provides such functions where current interruption would
produce serious hazards, public address systems and other similar functions.

b. All requirements of this section shall apply to emergency system.

c. All equipment for use on emergency systems shall be properly approved.
d. Test and Maintenance
1. the authority having jurisdiction shall conduct or witness a test on the complete system
upon completion on installation and periodically afterwards.
2. systems shall be tested periodically accordance with a schedule acceptable to the authority
having jurisdiction to assure that they are maintained in proper operating condition.
3. where battery systems or unit equipment are involved, including batteries used for starting
or ignition in auxiliary engines, the authority having jurisdiction shall require periodic
maintenance
4. a written record shall be kept of such tests and maintainance.
e. Emergency systems shall have adequate capacity and rating for the emergency operation of
all equipment connected to the system.
f. Current supply shall be such that in the vent of failure of the normal supply to or within the
building to group of buildings concerned, emergency lighting to emergency power will be
immediately available.
g. A storage battery suitable rating and capacity shall supply, by means of a service installed
according to section 200 of the PEC and maintained at non more than 90 per cent of sytem
voltage, the total load of the circuits supplying emergency lighting and emergency power for
a period of atleast hour.

h. A generator set driven by some form of prime mover, with sufficient capacity and proper rating
to supply circuits carrying emergency lighting or lighting and power, equipped with suitable
means for automatically starting the prime mover on failure of the normal service shall be
provided.
i. There shall be two service, each in accordance with section 200 of the PEC, widely separated
and electrically and physically to minimize the possibility of simultaneous interruption from
an occurrence within the building or group of buildings served.
j. Connection on the line side of the main service shall be sufficiently separated from said main
service to prevent simultaneous interruption of supply through an occurrence within the
building or group of buildings served.
k. The requirements of section 12.3 and section 12.6 also apply to installations here the entire
electrical load on a service or sub-service is arranged to be supplied from a second source.
l. Audible and visual signal devices shall be provided, where practicable, for the ff. purposes:
1. To give warning of dearrangement of the emergency use shall be supplied
2. To indicate when a battery or generator set is carrying a load.
3. To indicate when a battery charger is properly functioning.
m. Only appliances and lamps specified as required for emergency use shall be supplied by
emergency lighting circuits.
n. Emergency illumination shall be provided for all required exit lights and all other lights
specified as necessary for sufficient illumination.

o. Branch circuits intended to supply emergency lighting shall be so installed as to provide

service immediately when the normal supply for lighting interrupted. Such installations shall
be provided:
1. An emergency lighting supply, independent of the general lighting system with provisions for
automatically transferring to the emergency lights by means of devices approved for the
purpose upon the vent of failure of there general lighting system supply.
2. Two or more separate and complete systems which independent power supply, each system
providing sufficient current for emergency lighting purposes and are both lighted, means
shall be provided for automatically energizing either system upon failure
p. For branch circuits which supply equipment classed as emergency , there shall be an
emergency supply source to which the load will be transferred automatically and
immediately upon the failure of the normal supply.
q. Emergency circuit wiring shall be kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment
and shall not enter the same-race-way, box or cabinet with other wiring except:
1. In transfer switches
2. In exit or emergency lighting fixtures supplied from two sources.
r. The switches installed in emergency lighting circuits shall be so arranged that only authorized
persons have control of emergency lighting except:
1. When two or more single throw switches are connected in parallel to control a single circuit,
atleast one of those switches shall be accessible only to authorized persons.

2. Additional switches which act only to put emergency lights into operation but not disconnect
them may be permitted
s. All manual switches for controlling emergency circuits shall be located at the most accessible
place to authorized persons responsible for their actuation.
t. Lights on the exterior of the building which are not required for illumination when there is
sufficient daylight may be controlled by an automatic light-actuated device approved for the
purpose.
u. In hospital corridors, switching arrangements to transfer corridor lighting in patient areas of
hospitals from overhead fixtures to fixtures designed to provide night lighting may be
permitted, that switches can only select between two sets of fixtures but cannot extinguish
both sets at the same time.
v. The branch circuits over current devices in emergency circuits shall be accessible to
authorized persons only.
w. Where permitted by the authority having jurisdiction, in lieu of other methods specified
elsewhere in this section, individual unit equipment for emergency illuminations:
1. Battery
2. Battery charging
3. One or more lamps
4. A relaying device arranged to energized the lamps automatically upon failure of the normal
supply to the building.

Batteries shall be suitable rating and capacity to supply and maintain at not less than 90% of
rated lamp voltage.
Storage batteries shall be designed and constructed to met the requirements of emergency
service.
Unit equipment shall be permanently fixed in place and shall have all wiring to each unit
installed in accordance with the requirement of any of the wiring methods discussed in
chapter 11 of the PEC.

13. EFFECTIVELY
a.
b.

c.

All primary and secondary supply lines alerady existing shall comply with the provisions of
this rule within two years from the effectivity of this rule.
Transformers to be installed attached t or in buildinigs shall comply with the requirements
of this rule. Transformer installations alerady existing shall comply with requirements within
two years from the effectivity of this rule.
Non-compliance with the provisions of this rule shall be subject to the penal provided.