Emergency Lights

[WA_Sparky]

For exterior emergency lighting above an exit door, are there any codes that restrict using a remote emergency ballast on an exterior Gooseneck fixture equipped with an E26 Edison Bulb? Trying to get away from a typical Battery Backup Wall Pack since there will be 2 goose neck fixtures on either side of the door already. The only thing I can imagine being a counter argument is the Edison bulb life isn't as reliable as an LED.

Thanks!

 

[brantmacga]

You can use an inverter for backup power to the fixture. Have you seen the LED Edison lamps? I would recommend those over incandescent if using an inverter.


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[gh0st]

Regarding back up power, so long as the fixture has 90m of power and meets NFPA101 FC levels, it complies.

I'm in CA and the fixture/light source needs to be certified as energy efficient. So that particular fixture may not work here, but a remote ballast or driver does not disqualify the fixture.

 

[WA_Sparky]

You can use an inverter for backup power to the fixture. Have you seen the LED Edison lamps? I would recommend those over incandescent if using an inverter.


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Yeah I was bouncing back and forth between an inverter or separate battery packs. I have seen some of those and had to change my bulb to on of those Edison LED types. The fixture is wet rated, but the bulb was only damp rated. Because there isn't a canopy over the fixtures I didn't want to take a chance in getting called out on the damp rating so I went with a Wet-Listed Edison LED bulb.

 

[WA_Sparky]

Regarding back up power, so long as the fixture has 90m of power and meets NFPA101 FC levels, it complies.

I'm in CA and the fixture/light source needs to be certified as energy efficient. So that particular fixture may not work here, but a remote ballast or driver does not disqualify the fixture.

Good to know. These particular projects are in MT/WY, and I didn't see anything on their adopted codes with respect to efficiency. Is that a CA specific energy compliance requirement with a minimum lumen/watt on each fixture?

 

[GoldDigger]

Good to know. These particular projects are in MT/WY, and I didn't see anything on their adopted codes with respect to efficiency. Is that a CA specific energy compliance requirement with a minimum lumen/watt on each fixture?

It is CA specific, with overall standards for different defined areas that generally can only be met with low energy fixtures. If a fixture can use a normal Edison base bulb it must be rated that way, using maximum allowed wattage, even if you use CFL or LED.
fulthrotl can tell much more.

 

[Flicker Index]

Most E26 base lamps usually come with a warning that they're not for use in emergency fixtures. Applying them in direct contradiction to the manufacturer's instruction will make it a non-compliant installation.

 

[garbo]

For exterior emergency lighting above an exit door, are there any codes that restrict using a remote emergency ballast on an exterior Gooseneck fixture equipped with an E26 Edison Bulb? Trying to get away from a typical Battery Backup Wall Pack since there will be 2 goose neck fixtures on either side of the door already. The only thing I can imagine being a counter argument is the Edison bulb life isn't as reliable as an LED.

Thanks!

I absolutely hate all bodine red emergency ballast. We had hundreds of them in the large hospital & research center that I retired from. Saw too many of them go bad after 5 to 7 years both in switch gear rooms & 30 plus OR rooms. They started using the self test bodine ballast. Surgeons flipped out when one decided to self test.during the middle of a critical operation. I had them stop using them in 12 by 15' electrical closets due to each of the 30 plus rooms had several normal power luminares and 2 luminares from emergency power. Would recomend 2 LED low votlage heads feed from a normal battery backed emergency light. Never heardbof any restrictions on using incadescent lamps for emetgency lights. Even with LED'S each exit door must have at least 2 luminares or 2 lamps.

 

[WA_Sparky]

I absolutely hate all bodine red emergency ballast. We had hundreds of them in the large hospital & research center that I retired from. Saw too many of them go bad after 5 to 7 years both in switch gear rooms & 30 plus OR rooms. They started using the self test bodine ballast. Surgeons flipped out when one decided to self test.during the middle of a critical operation. I had them stop using them in 12 by 15' electrical closets due to each of the 30 plus rooms had several normal power luminares and 2 luminares from emergency power. Would recomend 2 LED low votlage heads feed from a normal battery backed emergency light. Never heardbof any restrictions on using incadescent lamps for emetgency lights. Even with LED'S each exit door must have at least 2 luminares or 2 lamps.

Is there a specific code article for that 2 luminaire or 2 lamp requirement? Ive gotten away with 2x4 recessed troffers before that only had one lamp and battery back up.