Should emergency lighting be on its own circuit?

It is important that emergency lighting is illuminated if the normal lighting fails, as this might be a result of a total supply failure or my operation of the circuit protective device. Non-maintained lights must be controlled by the normal lighting supply, whereas maintained lights can be on their own final circuit.

What are the legal requirements for emergency lighting?

Article 14 of the regulations states that: “Emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs; and emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting.”

Does emergency lighting have to be wired in fire rated cable?

IET Forums – Emergency Lighting. I’m well aware that emergency lights must be wired from the local lighting circuit and if from a central battery source the cables must be fire rated, if the lights are self contained then the cable should be the same as the local lighting circuit.

What is a maintained emergency lighting circuit?

Maintained Lights Maintained emergency lighting is on at all times. Maintained emergency lights are mains powered and used as part of the normal room lighting system. But, in an emergency situation when mains power fails, it will continue to stay lit for a specific duration powered by a back-up battery.

Can I test my own emergency lighting?

Self-testing emergency lights check themselves automatically to ensure that the battery and lamp in each emergency light are fully operational. The self-test feature replaces the manual tests carried out monthly and annually.

How do emergency lighting circuits work?

How does emergency lighting work? When power is lost, AC power is therefore lost, so the backup battery unit turns on and transfers power to the lighting system (this is called DC power). When AC power is restored, the emergency lighting batteries must be fully charged within 24 hours.

Can emergency lights be switched?

Switchable emergency lighting enables you to use your emergency light like a normal light which you can switch on and off. A switchable emergency light will still come on in the event of a power failure even if it is switched off at the light switch as it will automatically take the power from the back-up battery.

Are emergency lights always on?

Should emergency lighting be on all the time? Emergency lighting should always be connected to its power source, but it does not need to be always illuminated. Self-contained emergency light fittings (ie emergency light fittings that each have their own batteries) can be installed as maintained or non-maintained.

Do external emergency lights have to be maintained?

Government guidelines (Fire safety risk assessment: offices and shops, p 101) state that all emergency escape lighting systems should be regularly tested and properly maintained to an appropriate standard (i.e. BS 5266 – Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises).

Who can do emergency light testing?

Annually – A full system inspection and duration test of the emergency lights should be performed by a ‘competent person’, this being a person with the necessary skills, training and knowledge to perform emergency lighting maintenance and servicing.

Why are emergency lights staying on?

Power surges are the most common cause for this problem. The sudden loss and regain of power will trigger your security lights override system, forcing them to stay on indefinitely.

Is emergency light testing a legal requirement?

You may be wondering if you need an emergency lighting test or service. Well, UK fire safety legislation stipulates that emergency lighting must undergo a full test once a year, and be ‘flick-tested’ at least once a month.

Does emergency lighting need to be independent of other electrical wiring?

All wiring from emergency sources must be kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment, unless in accordance with 700.10 (B) (1) through (5). Part V of Article 700 indicates switches installed in emergency lighting circuits must be arranged so that only authorized people have control of emergency lighting.

How do emergency lights work on circuit boards?

Emergency Light Circuit Boards If the ‘heart’ of an Emergency Light is the battery then the circuit board must be its ‘brain’. Each Emergency Light is equipped with a small circuit board that controls its various functions, which include: Keeping the battery fully charged.

What is the purpose of an emergency light switch?

This ensures that the emergency lighting circuits are not inadvertently turned off, thereby disabling the lighting. Switches connected in series or three- or four-way switches are not permitted in emergency lighting circuits. Additional switches that act only to put emergency lights into operation, but not disconnect them, are permitted.

What should I do if my emergency light fails?

Should an Emergency Light fail during maintenance or an actual emergency, test the bulbs and battery with a multi-meter. If they prove satisfactory, the circuit board should be changed out. Replacing circuit boards is easy and does not require a static-free environments like computer circuitry.