lighting control - fire alarm - help!!!!

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emahler

Senior Member
ok, so it's not so dire...but i have a fire marshal that wants one of our customers to upgrade their fire alarm/life safety to the newest IBC code for an A2/Nightclub...

most of it is simple, but the issue is with the lighting...they currently have a location in the facility that has approximately 24 individual switch/dimmers to control the lighting in the nightclub...it's a small building, about 4500 sq feet...

what the fire marshal wants is to have all the house lights go full bright if there is an alarm...

we've done this in the past through lighting control systems like Lutron Grafik Eye...

i was told Lutron makes a line voltage control that handles upto 6 circuits, and can be interconnected with the fire alarm...

anyone have any ideas? short of installing a complete lighting system?
 
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active1

Senior Member
Location
Las Vegas
First thing that comes to mind is a lighting contactor.

I think the graffic eye would control 6 different lighting legs but is limited on wattage to maybe 2 2000w circuits. They come in different models and specs. I believe they can also be chained together.

I know lutron has the HP-2, HP-4, HP-6 dimmers rated for 1, 2, or 3 2000w circuits each. They have inputs for all on. They can be connected together to make a chain of the dimmer modules working of the same switch. They have other systems also.

The next thing that I'm wondering is why would they want so many dimmers. I'm guessing if they had a choice they would not want so many.

If many of the dimmers are for the same type of lighting then the HP-6 is great.

If the lighting is a lower wattage but set at all different levals then the graffic eye might be more what you need.

IMO I did not like programming the graffic eye and did not think it was an easy for the customer to understand except for the most basic fuctions.

Someone elce msy have some suggestions for other systems.

For a lighting control you really need to figure how many lighting circuits are used, the wattage on each dimmer, type of light controlled, and how many seperate lighting areas (min. # of dimmer switches).

No lighting control of that size will be cheap.
 
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emahler

Senior Member
can the contactor work with a dimmer?

it's a small club with 5 bar locations, other areas, wall packs, etc...it's a freaking mess and a nightmare...but the checkbook doesn't bounce...
 
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active1

Senior Member
Location
Las Vegas
I would figure on connecting the NO terminal to the existing dimmer leg, NC terminal to the circuit hot before the dimmer, and the light to the other side. That way the lighting is powered by the dimmer load side until the fire alarm activates the contactor. Then the lighting is powered by the hot before the dimmer (the dimmer load side would be open).
 
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emahler

Senior Member
active1 said:
I would figure on connecting the NO terminal to the existing dimmer leg, NC terminal to the circuit hot before the dimmer, and the light to the other side. That way the lighting is powered by the dimmer load side until the fire alarm activates the contactor. Then the lighting is powered by the hot before the dimmer (the dimmer load side would be open).
Click to expand...

ok..that makes sense...similar to how we override timers/photocells for parking lot lights all the time...i'll see if we can't make this one work...thanks
 
Davis9

Davis9

Senior Member
Location
MA,NH
I'm sure you could do something with some relays, but will it be approved for the use? UL....Fire etc?

Tom

Something to isolate the dimmers from the load side, not sure how they'd react if backfed.:-?
 
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Jacob S

Senior Member
You could use an "emergency lighting transfer switch". Several manufacturers make them, but the following are well built, listed, and reasonably priced compared to similar units made by ETC and other lighting companies: http://www.stagecraftindustries.com/products/emergency_lighting.htm.



These are normally wired in the circuit between the dimmers and the lights so that the lighting loads can be switched to constant emergency power when a loss of power is detected or a fire alarm or something similar triggers it. They have a variety of I/O for interfacing with external devices and systems.

There website sucks, but they can help you out.
 
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