March 4, 2025

by William (Bill) Burr^{^[i]}

Section 30 – Installation of Lighting Equipment

The Code is a comprehensive document. Sometimes it can seem quite daunting to quickly find the information you need. This series of articles provides a guide to help users find their way through this critical document. This is not intended to replace the notes in Appendix B, or the explanations of individual requirements contained in the CEC Handbook but will hopefully provide some help in navigating the Code

Section 30, as outlined in rule 30-000 Scope, is a supplementary or amendatory section of the code and provides additional and specific requirements for the location, installation, wiring, protection, and control of all lighting equipment. Appendix B contains important additional helpful notes, and the CEC Handbook contains helpful information on determining conductor sizes and protection ratings.

Rule 30-002 – Special terminology, has definitions for terms specifically used in this section for specific types of lighting:

Cabinet lighting systems, Undercabinet lighting systems and Landscape lighting systems are complete extra-low-voltage lighting assemblies that are packaged by the manufacturer & which include installation instructions.

Cable lighting systems are extra-low-voltage lighting systems with bare secondary conductors for one or more luminaire heads, commonly referred to as trapeze lighting.

Recessed luminaires, Type IC, inherently protected, Non-IC, and Non-IC with marked spacing are luminaires intended to be wholly or partially recessed in a ceiling or surface and are either intended to be in contact with insulation, not in contact with insulation, in contact with insulation but inherently thermal protected or not in contact with specifically marked spacing.

General

Rules 30-100 to 30-110 cover general requirements for the installation and wiring of luminaires, lampholders, incandescent filament lamps, electric discharge lamps and associated electrical equipment.

Rule 30-102 requires that branch circuits for luminaires etcetera be limited to a nominal system voltage of 600Y/347 volts and 150 volts-to-ground in dwelling units.

Rule 30-104 requires that the rating of protection of luminaires be based on the voltage involved, whether in a dwelling unit or non-dwelling unit, and type and arrangement of the luminaire as per sub rules (a) to (d).

Rule 30-106 requires that the overcurrent device for high-intensity discharge lighting equipment shall not be included in the luminaire or ballast box unless the combination is so marked.

Rule 30-108 specifies that an overcurrent device be provided for each arc lamp or series of lamps.

Rule 30-110 requires that, except for cases of line-to-line voltage, luminaires shall be polarized so that the identified insulated conductor is attached to the identified terminal.

Rule 30-112 requires the non-current carrying metal parts of luminaires to be bonded to ground as per the rules of Section 10.

Rule 30-114 provides that the total load on a branch circuit must not exceed the continuous operation marking on the overcurrent device protecting the circuit.

Location of Lighting Equipment

Rule 30-200 provides requirements for luminaires when installed near or over combustible material.

Rule 30-202 outlines the requirements for luminaires installed in show windows.

Rule 30-204 gives restrictions on the location of luminaires, and prohibits the installation of some types of luminaires, in clothes closets.

Installation of Lighting Equipment

Rules 30-300 to 30-324 provide requirements for the installation of all lighting equipment. These rules cover such areas as preventing exposure of live parts, proper supporting of luminaires, providing covers for associated outlet boxes, providing adequate wiring space for insulated conductors and connections, and preventing temperatures exceeding insulated conductor ratings.

Rules 30-308 to 30-310 provide requirements for circuit connections and for the insulation of conductors when the luminaire is used as a raceway.

Rules 30-312 to 314 provide requirements governing the installation of luminaires with combustible shades and enclosures and protection of luminaires below a minimum height. (Note that these requirements reflect requirements in the National Building Code as referenced in Appendix G).

Rules 30-316 to 30-322 provide requirements for luminaires installed in damp or wet locations, lighting equipment in damp locations near grounded metal, where exposed to flying objects, and for totally enclosed gasketted luminaires.

Rule 30-324 provides requirements for the installation of arc lamp luminaires either indoors or outdoors.

Wiring of Lighting Equipment

Rules 30-400 to 30-412 provide requirements for connection of all lighting equipment. They cover connection of luminaires, colour coding of insulated conductors, conductor insulation, exposed conductors on suspended luminaires, connection of ceiling outlet boxes, connection of show window luminaires and the use of tap connection insulated conductors.

Rule 30-500 has been reserved for further use.

Lampholders

Rules 30-600 to 30-608 are the requirements for the installation of lampholders. These rules cover the connection of the identified insulated conductor to lampholders, switched lampholders used on an unidentified circuit, luminaires with pull-type switch mechanisms, lampholders in wet or damp locations, and pendant lampholders.

Electric-discharge Lighting Systems Operating at 1000 V or Less.

Rules 30-702 to 30-712 provide the requirements for the non-use of oil-filled transformers, installation on DC circuits, voltages in dwelling units, installation of auxiliary equipment such as reactors, capacitors, resistors, control of luminaires, and branch circuit capacity.

Electric-discharge Lighting Systems Operating at More Than 1000 V*

Rules 30-802 to 30-822 cover prohibition of equipment with voltage of more than 1000 volts in dwelling units, installation of lighting system control, transformer ratings, prohibition of liquid filled transformers except for non-flammable liquids, secondary connection of transformers, location of transformers, wiring methods, transformer loading, lamp supports, lamp terminals and lampholders, and marking.

Recessed Luminaires

Rules 30-902 to 30-908 provide the requirements for the installation and spacing of various types of IC, non-IC and designed-for-non-combustible-surfaces luminaires recessed in cavities in ceilings or walls.

Rule 30-910 provides requirements for the connection of recessed luminaires.

Permanent Outdoor Floodlighting Installations

Rules 30-1000 specifies that the requirements of this part are for installation of Permanent Outdoor Floodlighting Installations mounted on poles or towers and with the understanding that, except for changing of lamps, all maintenance is done by qualified persons.

Rules 30-1002 to 30-1014 cover service equipment, underground wiring methods, wiring methods on poles, disconnecting means at poles, overcurrent protection of pole-top branch circuits, branch circuit insulated conductors, cables, and joints.

Rule 30-1006 requires that a disconnecting means be provided for all electrical equipment on the pole and each pole be provided with a prominent sign warning against climbing the pole if the disconnecting means is not in the open position, unless all conductors and live parts, other than those used for pole-top wiring, are guarded against accidental contact in one of the ways listed.

Rules 30-1016 and 30-1018 are requirements for the location and overcurrent protection of transformers.

Rule 30-1020 specifies the switching requirements for floodlights.

Rules 30-1022 to 30-1028 apply to the grounding and bonding of permanent outdoor floodlight installations in accordance with Section 10. Also note diagram B30-1 in Appendix Bfor additional guidance.

Rule 30-1030 applies to the necessity for and installation requirements of climbing steps on poles.

Exposed Wiring for Permanent Outdoor Lighting

Rules 30-1100 to 30-1118 provide the requirements for the installation of exposed insulated conductors and cables for permanent outdoor lighting other than floodlighting, where the circuits are run between buildings or poles. These rules apply to insulated conductor and cable types, use of insulators, height of insulated conductors and cables, spacing from combustible material, spacing of insulated conductors and cables, lampholders, protection of lampholders, use and installation of messenger cables, and branch circuit loading and protection.

Extra-Low-Voltage Lighting Systems

Rules 30-1200 to 30-1208 are the requirements for extra-low-voltage lighting systems and provide guidelines for sources of supply and the installation of landscape, cable and cabinet and undercabinet lighting systems.

Previous Installment: Section 28 – Motors and Generators

In the next installment, we will be discussing Section 32 – Fire Alarm Systems, Fire Pumps, and Carbon Monoxide Alarms.

[i] William (Bill) Burr is an associate member of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1, Technical Committee and formerly Chair of the Canadian Advisory Council on Electrical Safety (CACES), Chief Electrical and Elevator Inspector for the Province of BC & the Northwest Territories, Director of Electrical and Gas Standards Development and Director of Conformity Assessment at CSA Group. Bill can be reached at Burr and Associates Consulting billburr@gmail.com..

[i] Source: CSA C22.1:24, Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1 – Safety Standard for Electrical Installations. © 2021 Canadian Standards Association. Please visit Store – CSA Group or call 1-800-463-6727. With the permission of CSA Group, the material is reproduced from CSA Group standard CSA C22.1:21, Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1 – Safety Standard for Electrical Installations. This material is not the complete and official position of CSA Group on the referenced subject, which is represented solely by the Standard in its entirety. While use of the material has been authorized, CSA Group is not responsible for the manner in which the data are presented, nor for any representations and interpretations. No further reproduction is permitted. For more information or to purchase standard(s) from CSA Group, please visit Store – CSA Group or call 1-800-463-6727.