Non-AC Powered Emergency Lighting?

Our insurance company wants us to install emergency hall lighting in a 14 unit multi-family. So far we’ve been unable to find emergency lighting that does not need to be connected to the building’s electricity. Said differently, we’re looking for battery-powered units that have batteries that can be removed and recharged periodically and that do not need to be hooked into the building’s AC. I assume these would come with a light sensor to determine when the building electricity has failed.  Does this exist?

ejalbk

in Electricians 12 years and 7 months ago

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Jeffehcom | 12 years and 3 months ago

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I spoke to an insurance broker who mentioned that this requirement for emergency egress lighting is now code for certain types of small buildings, including ours.  Would anyone here be able to verify that for me? and btw, is the insurance company you mentioned Harleysville?  We had the same request from them, and because of that, along with other complications that were misunderstood, our previous Board changed our insurance company.  Upon my review, I think we did not make the better choice.

heightsguy | 12 years and 7 months ago

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My insurance company requested the same thing. I am not an electrician, but we changed the light fixtures to a fluorescent, with what is called a “charged ballast”. If the power goes out, the light will stay on for an hour or so. It’s no big deal.

lennyn | 12 years and 7 months ago

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The type of emergency lights you described is not allowed by NEC and most of local codes.  I suggest you find an LED light fixture with an emergency driver that runs the fixture for at least 90 minutes upon power outage.  You may install these fixtures in place of some of your existing lights.

ellenlourie | 12 years and 7 months ago

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Friend of mine designed and produced lighting for Haiti on US goverment order,  based on solar power, on one day charge it produces 7 hours of light , also he produced battery powered lights, capable of 600 hour of operation on one charge.

shahnandersen

in Electricians 12 years and 7 months ago

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What you are looking for does not exist. You WILL have to run power to asll of these lights.

greenmountain | 12 years and 7 months ago

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Yes.  A licensed electrician will know where by code they must be installed, also similar emergency “exit” signs.  You will have to run line powers to those locations to keep the lights charged for use during a power failure.  You have a good proactive insurance company.  Better now than after somebody falls down the stairs during a hurricane.  This is not a new requirement.  You see them all over the city, but the older ones are not LED’s and don’t have the newer better batteries.