Emergency lighting 700.12 (F)

[qcroanoke]

Unit equipment.
Can I break the "switchleg" going to the emergency lamps through a D.C. switch to keep them from illuminating until someone reaches the site?
Un-manned site and often remote so by the time someone got there the batteries would be dead.
I really just need to know if there is some code that would prevent someone from doing this.
If the circuitry of the light won't let it work with a switch in it we will find that out soon enough and we will move on.
Thanks!

 

[RICK NAPIER]

That would not be allowed. The battery backed emergency lights listed in 700.12 (F)(4) and 701.11 (G)(4) must "energize the lamps automatically upon failure of the supply". The idea is not for someone who may show up later but for the people in the building at the time of power failure to exit the building.

 

[dbuckley]

Sounds like a good idea though.

What you would need to do is install additional, non-emergency-use DC lights with a switch in addition to the required emergency lights.

 

[qcroanoke]

Sounds like a good idea though.

What you would need to do is install additional, non-emergency-use DC lights with a switch in addition to the required emergency lights.

That's just it. These lights are not required by code.
It is a switching station that is unmanned 24/7. We are looking at ways to switch the emergency light heads so they will be operable when someone gets there during a power failure and can then switch them on.
I've thought about a double pole switch 1 side a/c the other side d/c so when the a/c lights are turned on the d/c lights are also enabled in case of a power failure while a tech is on site.
I should also mention this is a poco sub-station which technically doesn't fall under the NEC.
and I know they have their own d/c system for switching loads and we could use that. but this is what they want us to do.
Any ideas?

 

[dbuckley]

What voltage DC have you got? Many electronic ballasts will quite happily run on DC, so if its a 125VDC supply, as many substations are, you might just be able to feed that to the fluorescent lights, or possibly to standard bulbs.

Of course, if you have one set of lamps that can operate on either mains or DC, then you'll need double pole switching, or bad things could happen...

 

[hurk27]

If not 700 required emergency lights you can do about anything you want within code, just throw a switch in line with the bulbs to turn them off, so if the power is out they can't run down the battery when no one is there, this can be done simple or you can be as creative as you want to get into. there are also many motion heads that operate off 12 volts DC so these could be utilized to bring them back up on motion using a locking relay will keep them on till they go to leave inwhich they can hit a reset button to put them back on motion?

 

[qcroanoke]

If not 700 required emergency lights you can do about anything you want within code, just throw a switch in line with the bulbs to turn them off, so if the power is out they can't run down the battery when no one is there, this can be done simple or you can be as creative as you want to get into. there are also many motion heads that operate off 12 volts DC so these could be utilized to bring them back up on motion using a locking relay will keep them on till they go to leave inwhich they can hit a reset button to put them back on motion?

Ok, I like the idea of putting a switch in line with the bulbs, but how is changing the way it is intended to operate ok just because it is not required by code to be a part of the installation?

 

[qcroanoke]

Sounds like a good idea though.

What you would need to do is install additional, non-emergency-use DC lights with a switch in addition to the required emergency lights.

This is also being considered. But does that make altering the intended operation of the others ok?

 

[hurk27]

Ok, I like the idea of putting a switch in line with the bulbs, but how is changing the way it is intended to operate ok just because it is not required by code to be a part of the installation?

I agree it might be playing with the UL listing, but then so does allot of things, I actually have a EMG head hanging in my hall, cord & plug connected to my hall way outlet, I have a switch on it so if the power is still out when I want to go to bed I can shut off the lamps, but then again this is just for convenience, not a required fixture. I have also seen this done with remote heads, where the battery and charger unit was located remote from the heads, they just pipe them to a switch to control the lamps, but then again they were not require back up lights.

 

[qcroanoke]

I agree it might be playing with the UL listing, but then so does allot of things, I actually have a EMG head hanging in my hall, cord & plug connected to my hall way outlet, I have a switch on it so if the power is still out when I want to go to bed I can shut off the lamps, but then again this is just for convenience, not a required fixture. I have also seen this done with remote heads, where the battery and charger unit was located remote from the heads, they just pipe them to a switch to control the lamps, but then again they were not require back up lights.

I definitely like the way you think! LOL :0)