Exterior gas lights vs electrical lights code/lumens?

[A930Rocket]

When installing gas lights at the front door on a new house, we have always installed an electrical light fixture, such as a thin LED light in the ceiling, to provide enough lumens to meet code.

Yesterday at a new home orientation for the homeowner, the homeowners obnoxious agent said an electrical light fixture is not required for a gas light, as he just installed one at his house and the inspector didn’t say anything.

I’m thinking just because the inspector didn’t say anything, doesn’t mean it met code.

Looking online, I couldn’t find where code requires a certain amount of lumens.

Have we been mistaken all these years?

[look 171]

I have never heard of lumens as part of code. A light is required at every exit is all that's needed at least around here.

[A930Rocket]

You are correct. It doesn’t say lumens but it does say lighting outlet(/fixture).

Article 210 Branch Circuits Not Over 1000 Volts ac, 1500 Volts dc, Nominal
210.70 Lighting Outlets Required.
(A) Dwelling Units.
(2) Additional Locations.

(1)Skipped…

(2) For dwelling units, attached garages, and detached garages with electric power, at least one exterior lighting outlet controlled by a listed wall-mounted control device shall be installed to provide illumination on the exterior side of outdoor entrances or exits with grade-level access. A vehicle door in a garage shall not be considered as an outdoor entrance or exit.

[Zeke]

It's not easy to find and this is in general for stairs, closets and corridors as well as door exits:
“five lumens of light measured in the darkest corner” Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22 § 73651
There are also specifications (lots) for emergency illumination and signage. And if you keep looking, there are job site requirements, warehouse, factory, etc.

The "darkest corner" would be rather subjective on a front porch. Furthermore, all of the residential applications can be switched. Therefore, the amount of lumens is a moot point.

[A930Rocket]

Something else I think about is if you have something like a detached garage, with a three-way switch to the house, would one light fixture on the house or garage meet code?

Maybe that plays into the darkest corner, you mentioned.

[Zeke]

If it's an actual garage with a man door you need a light at the man door, but not the door for vehicles. Code states that you must have one light fixture inside the garage as well.

I put in a lot of what we call cut downs which is a door in place of where a window exists. Pretty easy since the header is already there. But there was usually some electrical in the wall below the window sill an I had to provide a light. Worked out well since a light and an outlet on the other side of the door gave me 2 new boxes to add and splice the wire. IIRC, if there was a light between the new door and an existing door within 6 feet, that satisfied the code.

So let's say you have a breezeway between the house and garage. I think the 6 foot rule might work there as long as there is light at the second door provided by the light on one or the other building. 3-way switching may be required with a switch in each building. That is a requirement for halls and stairs.

Further reading verifies the one candle foot of light at the minimum for the pathway. I assume the steps (if any) are the pathway. I found a statement that 60 watts of equivalent is required. I can't cite that code but it makes sense. And switching seems to be mandatory with no dimmers (but there is language on that too).

Even lights on poles that illuminate the exits is permitted.

What I have learned from this question is that the code is not very clear WRT to door lighting. You might need to ask the AHJ.

[Brokky]

I had to swap mine out because the gas ones weren’t giving off anywhere near enough light to meet code. The inspector flagged them during the final walk-through.

[Zeke]

The spam is lighting up.