Emergency Lights & Exit Signs | Code Compliant | CircLighting

Emergency Lights & Exit Signs | Code Compliant - Buy Online | CircLighting

When Time Is Everything: Emergency Lights Explained

Power goes out in a building full of people. Complete darkness. Then, emergency lights turn on brightening the way to safety. Exit signs glow reassuringly. It's not luck that the part is all lit up — it's good emergency lighting doing what you want it to do.

Emergency lighting is the sort of thing people tend not to think about until they need it. But for building owners and facilities managers, learning about such systems is not a choice. Here at CircLighting we've discovered that the correct emergency lighting is about more than meeting inspectors – it's about delivering real life safety protection.

Why Emergency Lighting Regulations Exist

The code requiring emergency lighting in today's buildings had to be learned the hard way. When people are unable to find their way out in the dark, panic ensures predictable tragedies. Every emergency light in your facility is a life saving piece of equipment on standby.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, properly operating and maintained emergency lighting systems can reduce evacuation times and injury rates in emergency situations. We're talking about the line between orderly evacuation and disaster.

The Three Essential Components

Emergency Light Fixtures

Emergency light fixtures are used for general illumination along exit routes. Contemporary LED assemblies provide wide, even light throughout egress routes, stairwells and corridors. These are not typical lights — these are emergency-specific tools.

Exit Signs

Exit Signs light the way out with energy-saving LEDs that are visible for hours on emergency battery power. They have to cut through smoke and be seen at angles, with strict standards for letter height and color and brightness.

Battery Backup Systems

Battery Backup Systems are equipped for light even when utility power is out. Industrial-grade sealed lead-acid or nickel-cadmium batteries provide at least 90 minutes of run time immediately upon power failure. These aren't consumer batteries — they're rated for (and designed to last) thousands of charge cycles, and years of reliable use.

Self-testing procedures execute automatically and the results get stored, taking maintenance from a logistical nightmare to an entirely controllable task in large facilities.

What You Need to Know About Code Requirements

Emergency lighting needs are dictated by occupancy and building types, as well as local requirements. The NFPA 101 is the basis for it, but state and local authorities frequently require more.

Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings require emergency lighting along all paths of egress—hallways, stairwells and corridors. The level of light called for is one foot-candle at the floor, which is about all that is needed to provide safe passage so you do not trip.

High-Occupancy Spaces

High-occupancy spaces such as restaurants and theaters require stricter standards — more lights, quicker activation and longer lasting battery. While healthcare facilities have specialized needs for patient rooms, surgery areas, and critical care zones.

Industrial Facilities

Manufacturing plants require explosion-proof enclosures, chemical-resistant constructions and the ability to withstand extreme heat or cold. Paint booths and chemical storage areas will not accept standard commercial units.

Testing Requirements

Testing mandates are a monthly operation and an annual full-duration test. Detailed records are mandatory. Running away from tests is against the law and can jeopardize insurance claims.

Choosing the Right System

LED Technology

Emergency Lighting has truly been transformed by the LED revolution. New-generation LED models use a fraction of the energy, last for decades without needing a bulb change and deliver brighter, more consistent illumination than old incandescent or fluorescent versions.

Battery Chemistry

Battery chemistry affects long-term costs. Conventional sealed lead acid batteries requires replacement every four to five years. Nickel-cadmium batteries are also more long-lasting and can withstand temperature extremes. Newer lithium-ion choices have a longer life but cost more upfront.

Self-Contained vs. Central Battery Systems

Self-contained vs. central battery systems are basic decisions to be made. Self-contained units, each fixture has its own battery—easy to install and easy to maintain. Central battery systems are used to supply power for an entire facility from a single battery bank—more difficult to install, but maintenance is contained at one point and this type of system works well in larger facilities.

Combination Units

Combo units combine several emergency lighting and exit sign fixtures into a single, self-contained unit to install with less expense than other types of units. Yet, most high-mounted exit signs require additional floor-level emergency luminaires for adequate path lighting.

Professional Installation Matters

Licensed electricians are necessary when installing emergency lighting. These systems tie into the electric in your building and require exact code specifications.

Placement Rules

Placement follows strict rules. Emergency lighting must provide completely illuminated and overlapping coverage on the evacuation path. There must be lights in the stairwells at every landing. Entrance doors must have lights on both sides of door. Runs more than 40 feet require multiple units.

Proper Wiring

Correct wiring is connection to unswitched circuits, so that the lights can't be switched off inadvertently. This system needs fire-rated mounting procedures, correct wire size, circuit protection and proper grounding in order for the system to actually work.

Post-Installation Testing

After the installation, the testing procedure assures each one is working (the lights come on), shining bright enough and long enough when stuck to battery power. Photos and light meter readings are a must for inspections.

Maintenance That Prevents Failures

Monthly Testing

Monthly testing should be simple but complete. Press test buttons and confirm lighting, check battery indicators. Record any failures ASAP and replace defective equipment.

Annual Full-Duration Testing

Once a year, full duration testing means we shut off the power and run each unit on battery for the full length of time (typically 90 minutes). This is indicative of diminished battery capacity even with no true emergencies.

Battery Replacement

Replace the battery according to a factory-recommended schedule, usually every 4 to 6 years for sealed lead-acid batteries. Don't stretch this interval. Old batteries can't take the pressure, and the cost to replace is a blip next to liability risk.

Documentation

Document everything you test, replace and repair religiously. Such reports are mandatory in many places for inspections, and insurance companies require them after incidents. Most current self testing system create records by manual means.

CircLighting's Commitment

Our emergency lighting options cater for reliability, compliance and ease of use are our main priorities. We use industrial components built for a lifetime of use, not consumer hardware that fails prematurely.

We realize real needs for your very facility. There are no cookie-cutter answers to emergency lighting. We will be happy to get your program compliant in the most cost-effective and timely manner.

We offer systems that operate without constant attention: self-testing units, batteries that last 10 years and more, clear documentation. Emergency lighting is not complicated, it just needs to work when you need it.

Getting Started

Call your local building department or fire marshal to find out which codes pertain to your building. Seek professional design and installation assistance — correct installation will pay for itself in prevention of failures and reduced liability.

Think long-term about maintenance costs. Higher quality systems that use longer-life components and self-test features might cost more up front but cheaper in the long run.

Emergency lighting, which you never want to need but can't afford not to have. And if there is a power failure requiring an evacuation, well-maintained emergency lighting can mean the difference between order and chaos.

You can count on CircLighting to get it right the first time and keep it running dependably for years to come.

Shop by Application: Commercial Buildings • Industrial Facilities • Healthcare • Restaurants • Offices

Shop by Type: Exit Signs • Emergency Light Fixtures • Combination Units • Self-Testing Systems

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