emergency lighting

[Steve]

Shop floor, 3000sqft sales area. Approx. 70-80 x 4 tube 14w T5 fittings.

Approx. 8-10 of these are integrated EM fittings.

All the fittings are plugged into 8 KLIK boxes, on 8 circuits, all run through 4 x 4 pole contactors - two for SL and two for L.

At the front door is a switch and a keyswitch.

The switch controls the normal on/off of the lights, controls 2 contactors.
The keyswitch controls the other 2 contactors, which isolate the ceiling lights conpletely, causing the EM lights to come on. These two contactors are normally permenantly engaged.

The regs require 3 hour test of the EM lights. How is this to be accomplished during normal trading hours? It cant be. How SHOULD the EM lights have been wired? On a seperate circuit? Were they being too clever with their wiring?



In the back areas of the store, every room has a EM switch, which knocks out the lights completely in that room and illuminates the EM. Even where the EM is seperate to the ceiling lights.

Again, 3hr test anyone?

 

[flameport]

The key switch for the EMs is supposed to remove power from those fittings only. That way they can be tested without the entire building being in darkness for hours.

As for the rest - why have they got 4 contactors yet only a single switch for all the lights?

 

[Steve]

As for the rest - why have they got 4 contactors yet only a single switch for all the lights?

the "normal" switch controls two contactors, for the switched live, daily on/off operation.

the keyswitch controls all 4 contactors, removes all supply including EM charging, to test EMs.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[Steve]

its 4 months old. newly wired.

 

[ricicle]

They don't require a 3 hr test until they are over 3 years old and this only has to be carried out once a year. A one hour test bi-anually is necessary up till then (and after) and a functional test monthly.
(unless your insurance, risk assessments, fire officer says otherwise)