Exit Lighting

davelerave

i'm looking for general advice from other sparkies on exit lighting for commercial work .Type of fittings used, wiring method (maintained /switched),connection to local circuits and testing.

2011

i'm looking for general advice from other sparkies on exit lighting for commercial work .Type of fittings used, wiring method (maintained /switched),connection to local circuits and testing.

I am not too sure what you are looking for.
Do you mean emergency lighting as well?? I have information on this, if you want let me know.

Anyway below are a few bits about exit signs that spring to mind!




There are 2 main types of exit signs:

1) Maintained. These lights are on at all times that the building is in use under normal conditions.

A good example would be in a cinema. While watching a film you will notice that the exit signs are on all of the time. In the event of mains failure the light will switch on and will be powered from a battery (rather than the mains).

Maintained exit signs would be wired with a switched live, permanent live, neutral and earth.

2) Non-maintained. These exit signs turn on when the mains supply to them fails. The lamp in the exit sign is powered from a battery supply. Under normal operating conditions they would not be lit.

These would typically be installed in offices, shops etc.

These fittings would be wired with a permanent live, neutral and earth.

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Both types above have an LED to show that the mains supply is "healthy". The permanent live in both cases is used to charge the internal batteries. In general emergency lighting systems use battery packs that are either within the emergency light fittings, or local to them with one battery pack per light fitting. Sometimes a "central battery system" is used, but this is not that common. It is expensive and the cabling from the battery room to the emergency fittings has to be in MICC (pyro) or similar. I have seen this done in hospitals.

All emergency lights (including exit signs) should be installed with a "central test unit". This is a glorified timer and contactor that is used to turn off the permanent live to all lighting circuits (in the installation or in an area) so that the emergency lighting can be tested. Test periods would be typically 3 hours. At the end of the 3 hour test period all emergency lights should still be operating at a level that will conform to regulations.

Exit signs should be installed over all exits, and at every change of direction along an "escape route". A minimum of 1 lux must be maintained with emergency lighting all of the way along escape routes.

Emergency lighting (like a fire alarm system) should be serviced, tested and recertified on a regular basis. This would be an insurance condition for many commercial premises.

Sustained emergency light fittings contain 2 lamps, one that operates like all other lights (on a local switch or whatever) the other will only operate under fault conditions (i.e. the permanent supply has failed).

davelerave

sorry ya i know the basics.
'Maintained' exit fitting with switched live-connect to local lighting circuit or not?
as it may be switched off in event of local circuit failure.ditto sustained fittings.

When do exits need to be maintained 24/7?
Bulbs seem to last about 3-4 months connected this way.

looking for recommendations for standard maintained/sustained fittings as well

2011

All emergency lights must be connected to thier local circuits. This applies to maintained, sustained and non-maintained.

It is rare that exits need to be maintained. Cinemas are one of the few examples. Shops and offices would be non-maintained normally. Exits only need to be maintained 24/7 if the building is occupied 24/7.

Sorry can't type any more until tomorrow, on iPhone!!!
Will reply tomorrow if you have questions.

davelerave

a 'maintained' fitting on independent circuit would be always lit.connect it to local circuit and if local circuit fails it switches to battery with noticeable drop in light output?

2011

Emergency lighting should always be connected to the same lighting circuits that are local to where the emergency lights are installed. That way if a lighting circuit fails the emergency lighting will provide enough light to exit safley.

If maintained lights were on their own independent circuit and it failed the situation may not be noticed until long after the batteries in those lights had completley drained. If normal lighting then failed there would be no Working exit signs.

The good thing about having emergency lights on the same circuit is that if they loose mains power people quickly notice as normal lighting is lost in an area and the situation can then be resolved. A dedicated emergency lighting circuit failing may not be noticed for months.

NEL (National Emergency Lighting) and Profile are two companies that I had dealings with in the past. I found both very good.

The "blade" type exit signs are now very popular as the look smart!

Maintained exit signs are not required very often.
What type of premesis is it ?

davelerave

afaik only non-maintained EL needs connection to local circuit but i will check this.

afaik testing of EL shouldn't interrupt general lighting.i'm thinking lighting circuits feed into multipole N/C contactor (for
EL feeds and central testing) and into multipole N/O contactor for (switched lives and central switching of exits)

just wondering about interlinking fire panel and EL in general?

2011

afaik testing of EL shouldn't interrupt general lighting

Yes you are correct. Emergency lighting is tested by getting the cental test unit (CTU) to break the permanent supply going to the emergency lights This does not effect the live supply (from the same circuit) going to normal lighting.

Compact din rail mounted CTUs can be bought easily and can be installed in distribution boards. Make sure sure you leave enough room for them!

afaik only non-maintained EL needs connection to local circuit but i will check this.

That was not my understanding, but it is now!

I checked it out, you are correct maintained EL can be on its own dedicated circuit.

There is a (dated) powerpoint that you may find helpful here:

2011

i'm thinking lighting circuits feed into multipole N/C contactor (for
EL feeds and central testing)

This is correct.

and into multipole N/O contactor for (switched lives and central switching of exits)

Yes, that is the way I would do it too for a maintained system.
Why do you feel you need to go maitained though??

just wondering about interlinking fire panel and EL in general?

I have never heard of any such interconnection, nor can I see a reason for it.

It would not be desirable to have the fire alarm to activate just because a lighting circuit has failed or visa versa.

davelerave

the multipole N/O contactor would be for central switching of exit fittings when building occupied(not maintained 24/7) .
i think there may be need in some cases for fire alarm to activate EL but i will check this

2011

i think there may be need in some cases for fire alarm to activate EL but i will check this

I was just thinking about this. Perhaps it would be good to turn on all maintained emergency lights (through mains switched supply) in the event of the fire alarm going off. I can not see a downside to this type of interconnection.

I would suggest that you talk to the fire officer.

davelerave

Maintained exits(link or switched) connect to local lighting circuits?prob not due to drop in light output on changeover as they're already illuminated.
Can someone clarify this!

For immediate evacuation of a cinema for example you would prob want general lighting or non-maintained lighting activated automatically in event of fire.

Any decent alternative to regular maintained fittings (bulb-life is very short with these fittings)prob led?

2011 i'm only looking for general info atm .Not related to any particular job.:D
Rules on their own are useless without an understanding of what you are doing.

2011

Any decent alternative to regular maintained fittings (bulb-life is very short with these fittings)prob led?

yeah, sustained is a good alternative. LEDs are also a great idea.

As for a cinema the exits must be maintained.

davelerave

2011 wrote: »

yeah, sustained is a good alternative. LEDs are also a great idea.

As for a cinema the exits must be maintained.

switched or unswitched

2011

They would be on a switch so that they can be turned off when the building is empty