Emergency/exit lighting

[heavytlc]

I am collecting the materials to wire my new shop. In the last 10 years I was only caught in my shop when the power went out once. It was enough for me to know that I want to install emergency exit signs and lights. I was just wondering what everyone else was using. With the size of the new shop I could be 60ft from a door. I will be mounting flashlights at all exits, next to the fire extinguishers, but they are no use when I am in the middle of the shop.

Is there any type of battery backup that is better than the rest.

 

[Junkman]

I just purchased new exit lights with emergency lighting for my wife's store. I changed them over from the old ones because the new exit signs are LED, rather than bulbs, so they will draw less battery power when the power goes out. The emergency lighting part of the fixtures is still bulbs. If you are not required by law to have exit signs, then you can just purchase emergency lighting and space it out ever 20 feet or so.
Dusty

 

[heavytlc]

I am not required to have anything. I will have to look into the led exit signs.

 

[ScottS]

I put some battery back ups on a few of the flourescent fixtures at work. Good fr about 20 mins.

Scott

 

[Ign]

Interested to hear what you find heavytlc. I've been thinking of the same thing. Just enough to get me to the door in the dark w/out completely stumbling over every axle, cord and hose.

I've seen the exit signs at Harbor Freight but that seems sketchy. I think most Home Depots carry something too, but I always wondered about battery life if they're not used for years. I realize they're charged all the time but most (cheaper) batteries like to be cycled.

 

[VvvJRvvV]

The exit signs with the LED's are much better. As far as emergency lighting, you are probably better off going to your local electrical supply house instead of the big box store. The last time I bought them they were around $20 - $30 each. Before you make a big investment in them, you may want to mount 1 and see what it does for you. Unless your shop is commercial, they are not required by code, it never hurts for safety reasons though.

 

[Junkman]

Interested to hear what you find heavytlc. I've been thinking of the same thing. Just enough to get me to the door in the dark w/out completely stumbling over every axle, cord and hose.

I've seen the exit signs at Harbor Freight but that seems sketchy. I think most Home Depots carry something too, but I always wondered about battery life if they're not used for years. I realize they're charged all the time but most (cheaper) batteries like to be cycled.

I put one in my garage last year that I purchased about 3 or 4 years ago. Once the battery was charged, it has worked well for me. We loose power at least every other month if for only a few hours at a time. I placed mine just above the door connecting two garages together. I also have one in the cellar illuminating the stairs and circuit breaker panel. My experience with those in our store has been about 5 to 7 years and the batteries need to be replaced. Seems that the batteries that get exercised regularly, last longer.
Junk.

 

[Gummi Bear]

I put one in my garage last year that I purchased about 3 or 4 years ago. Once the battery was charged, it has worked well for me. We loose power at least every other month if for only a few hours at a time. I placed mine just above the door connecting two garages together. I also have one in the cellar illuminating the stairs and circuit breaker panel. My experience with those in our store has been about 5 to 7 years and the batteries need to be replaced. Seems that the batteries that get exercised regularly, last longer.
Junk.

This is true. With battery technology improving, they are lasting longer and longer too (which is good for everyone).

Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are lasting considerably longer than the lead acid batteries that we had a few years ago.

You can get decent exit/emergency egress lighting at Home Depot or Lowes. Look at the packaging, see the type of battery it includes.

LED technology has changed egress lighting IMO for the better. We get longer run times, lower power consumption, and loger lamp lifes. There's no downside. There aren't many incandescent exit lights being manufactured nowadays, but pay attention, and be sure of what you're getting.

If you want to be 'off the grid' you may want to look at nuclear exit signs. They last 10-20 years, and are a decomposing radioactive material, just like Tritium Night Sights for your pistol.

They're not necessary, but they do work, and make a great conversation piece. No power is required for them at all.

Here's some reading. They're kind of fun:

http://www.elights.com/quesabsrsele.html


A funny note:
My first experience with these, I was a first year apprentice, doing a service call at the local electric utility providers office. I found it funny that they had stuff in their office that didn't run on electricity. "Sticking it to the man"

 

[Ign]

So what about lead calcium batts? I'm not familiar

http://www.elights.com/haldualheade.html

 

[Gummi Bear]

So what about lead calcium batts? I'm not familiar

http://www.elights.com/haldualheade.html

Me either. I've never run across one that I can recall.

I've put in fixtures styled like that before, but they had the NiMH batteries.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

So what about lead calcium batts? I'm not familiar

http://www.elights.com/haldualheade.html

Delco/Delphi automobile batteries (the ones with the "green eye" in the top of them), are Lead-calcium batteries.

Charles