emer lights

[maguire]

I have been asked to look into the following a building has around the outside maintained emergency lighting I have been asked to have then go off in daytime and on at dusk. As you will know I cannot switch the live as this will bring on the battery back up I have thought about switching the the link to maintained side but this would mean a photocell at each lamp about 30 lamps in all any ideas
DM

 

[londonboy]

How are they fed? Just with a perm live and neutral?

 

[maguire]

Yes an unswitched supply and a link to the maintained term as I said if you remove or somehow switch the link they go on non maintained some kind of photcell will work but it would be a hell of job on 30 odd lights suposse I could do them in groups maybe any ideas would be great
Dev Maguire

 

[Spark123]

What make are they? Some do not allow you to switch in banks, such as Eterna.

 

[ColJack]

tell them they can't do that.. they have to remain on at all times that the building is or could possibly be occupied..
this in general means all the time..how can you predict the days you'll be doing overtime untill 3 in the morning etc...

 

[Monkeh]

Draw a switched line through from a single photocell (via a contactor) and leave the perm on the emergency packs?

 

[ColJack]

and you'd ensure that they're all on the same phase how?
what about providing local isolation?

as has already been said, some don't let you use an external switched live and make use the live provided at the fitting..

it's probably a lot easier to just drill a hole in the case and fit a photocell to each one..
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLPS40.html?utm_source=froogle
7 quid a pop though.. and need a fairly room fitting..

 

[GaryMo]

tell them they can't do that.. they have to remain on at all times that the building is or could possibly be occupied..
this in general means all the time..how can you predict the days you'll be doing overtime untill 3 in the morning etc...

That's how a dusk/dawn photocell works - it'll be on a 3 in the morning along with all the dark hours. It's only the daytime hours when they won't be on when there's adequate external lighting.

In either case, the whole idea sounds ludicrous and one which should have been forgotten as quickly as it was mentioned.

 

[LoveRocket]

You're gonna have to run 3C+E and use the extra core as a switch live replacing the link. Switch this with a single lux sensor.

 

[maguire]

Some good ideas there chaps as to the phase I think as the lights go round the building they are fed from from different boards, right now this is where I am with this, and to complicate matters some are ELV maintained from the original part of the building on a battery bank, I have no idea how this is set up, its a 60V bank on permanent charge but the lamps are all 12V could this be 6v batteries in series in 5 groups supplying different areas I could find no switch panel for these lights and knocking of the main switch for the battery panel put all on battery power no one who works for the company has been there long enough to remember how the system was set up any one got any experience on this type set up ?? and should there be a main switch to isolate the battery power ??
DM