Emergency Lighting

Seanieke

Hi all,

Hoping someone can confirm something for me.
I'm swapping out some fittings in a place and the Emer's have the Mains healthy LED, the new ones I'm fitting have an external sausage pack and as they're recessed fittings there's no way of seeing the LED status without hacking into the fitting.

Called the supplier of the new fittings and he told me that Emer fittings just need to be highlighted against the rest of the fittings, ie a small red sticker indicating that that light is an Emer fitting will do...

Is this correct or is he talking a load of

Thanks
Seán

2011

Seanieke wrote: »

Hi all,

Hoping someone can confirm something for me.
I'm swapping out some fittings in a place and the Emer's have the Mains healthy LED, the new ones I'm fitting have an external sausage pack and as they're recessed fittings there's no way of seeing the LED status without hacking into the fitting.

Called the supplier of the new fittings and he told me that Emer fittings just need to be highlighted against the rest of the fittings, ie a small red sticker indicating that that light is an Emer fitting will do...

Is this correct or is he talking a load of

Thanks
Seán

Without seeing the LED there is no way to know that the batteries are charging when the light is switched off. I would be pretty sure that this would not comply with the regulations.

Seanieke

That be what I was thinking but I called the NSAI today and no one could tell me! I thought they set the standards!

M cebee

nobody knows anything-always the way in these situations

could he be right that the sticker to identify the emergencys will suffice

does the led make any difference for EL
test purposes ?

dolittle

i`m nearly sure that the fittings led has to be visible now to get your cert

2011

According to this Emergency Lighting Design Guide:

"Function test:
All emergency luminaires should be tested be breaking the
supply to them and checking that they operate satisfactorily.
The supply must then be restored and the charging indicators
must be seen to be operating correctly. This test must be
performed at least once per month and the results logged"


To me the part that I have indicated in bold suggests that the LED is not optional as it is required as part of the normal testing procedure.

M cebee

yes i was thinking of the latter test in my post
but that also requires charging indicators to be checked
and there would prob be the functional test also with the shorter interval

The testing requirements in the code of practice are:
• Function test
All emergency luminaires should be tested be breaking the
supply to them and checking that they operate satisfactorily.
The supply must then be restored and the charging indicators
must be seen to be operating correctly. This test must be
performed at least once per month and the results logged
• Discharge test
The luminaires must be tested for their full rated duration period
and checked for satisfactory operation. The supply must then be
restored and the charging indicators rechecked. This test must
be performed at least annually and the results logged


is that a uk link-i'd say we'd have similar testing requirements here

2011

M cebee wrote: »

is that a uk link-i'd say we'd have similar testing requirements here

I just found it from Googling to be honest. Although it mentions several EN and BS standards, so I would thin it is applicable.

M cebee

that would be the critical part alright after testing

"to recheck the charging indicators after testing"

-hard to see how the labels can comply then

2011

M cebee wrote: »

that would be the critical part alright after testing

"to recheck the charging indicators after testing"

-hard to see how the labels can comply then

Indeed.

I have been thinking about this since. It would seem to me that a lit LED does not necessarily mean that all is well with a particular emergency light, it just indicates that some components are functioning correctly and the fitting has a healthy mains supply. However an unlit LED immediately indicates to a casual observer that there is an issue.

Dardania

I had a problem on a project with an exit sign, which I only found out about when I was function testing the firemans switch on the main incomer.

The exit sign was maintained as it was a public space. It would indicate that it was charging with the green LED, and pressing the CTU would leave the fitting lit. All good.

However, when I rocked up to the premises at 4am, so that we could hit the fireman's switch, to test the UPS', security systems etc, I noticed that the particular fitting didn't light :mad:

Moral of the story for OP's scenario, you need to have the LED visible - refer to IS EN 3217 and 8138 (I think - been a while...) and test the emergency lighting by isolating power to the entire board if possible, to be sure to be sure. Also, the regs around 2005 I think outmoded red LEDs, so the red sticker is a complete red herring.

Also, who is going to certify the commissioning part of the emergency lighting - make sure they're happy to do so, paritculary if, as it sounds, you have spearate inverters to fittings, as who holds the manufacutring warranty for the complete emergency light fitting?