Self-illuminating exit signs

[gregory]

I am wondering where these are being installed. Are they being used for the primary exit signs above the doors or are they being used as a supplemental corridor exit sign at floor level. What do the various citys & fire departments think of these signs? Are they acceptable as the required exit sign in art 700 NEC?

Thanks

Greg

 

[ryan_618]

Re: Self-illuminating exit signs

I accept them in my city, and I'm not aware of any city in Utah that doesn't. I see them used in remodels often when it is difficult to get a wiring method into the desired location. I also know of some companies that spec nothing but these types of exit signs.

 

[ed downey]

Re: Self-illuminating exit signs

I Have Installed These Type Of Exit Signs In Many Different Installations. Generally Because It Was Difficult Or Impossible To Get A Circuit To The Area That The Inspector Required An Exit During The Temporary Certificate Of Occupancy Process. Just A Few Buildings That I Have Installed Them In Are: Pharmaceutical Production Facility, Historic Renovation Of A 100 Year Old Train Station, Riverboat Casino, And Hotel. We Have Had No Problem With Any Of These Fixtures.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Re: Self-illuminating exit signs

Greg,
The NEC does not require the installation of exit signs or emergency lighting. It just tells you how to make the installation where other codes require this equipment.
Don

 

[lightpanel]

Re: Self-illuminating exit signs

I'm always concerned about radioactive signs likes these in public places. I've spoken with a few folks who have broken them open by accident (forklift runs into one, or someone knocks one on the floor) and of course the whole area has to be evacuated and the cleanup costs usually run about a quarter-million bucks.

Much better to run wiring.

Plus they are quite dim signs--I've never seen one that semed to have any glow to it.

 

[roger]

Re: Self-illuminating exit signs

lightpanel,

the cleanup costs usually run about a quarter-million bucks.

Can you provide some documentation to support this kind of clean up cost?

Roger

 

[Guest]

Re: Self-illuminating exit signs

When the San Jose Arena (now the Compaq Arena) in CA was finished in 1994 the Fire Marshal wanted some extra exit lights up in the Press Box. The easiest solution was to use the radioactive ones. It wasn't so easy to pack all my gear through the visiting locker room, down some corridors, up an elevator, down another corridor, then up a couple of flights of stairs into the press box. It seemed like it took twenty minutes to do a round trip to the truck for each little extra tidbit screw, etc.

The GC called me in because he'd already let the EC go. The extra exit "lights" were on the GC and the architect. It was fun to go out on the catwalks and look straight down on the Calgary Flames practicing. One player was injured and could not play the next day in the game. I wish I'd had a better camera with me. I did get some snapshots with my throw-away camera.

Oh, I had to go up and down stairs and into hidden closets all over the place to get all the pieces for the exit lights. The GC furnished them, but the accoutrement's were scattered here and there-- side mounts; ceiling mounts; one-sided exit "lights"; two-sided; etc. The hardest part on that job was finding the parts; getting setup. The installation was a breeze. I was glowing with pride when I was done-- or was that the radiation that made me glow Maybe I'm still glowing

It did make me nervous that the disposal of the exit "lights" would be under the jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Committee.