Emergency Lighting - Adding extra lights to circuit

Liam Clement · Nov 20, 2016

Hi,
Hoping someone can give me some insight into emergency lighting circuits. I've never had to install an emergency lighting circuit, only testing of the circuit.

We have an emergency lighting circuit in place but I've been asked to add a couple of additional emergency lights to an area that has no emergency lighting currently.

I presume the circuit is similar to a normal lighting circuit, so am I able to take my feed from a nearby emergency light to my new couple of lights and then back to that emergency light?
Are you limited to how many emergency lights you can have in a circuit etc?

davesparks · Nov 20, 2016

The new emergency lights need to be on the same circuit as the normal lighting in the area, they can be extended from the existing emergency light assuming the circuit can take the extra load and that it complies with requirements for emergency lighting (test switch etc). I'm not sure why you want to take a feed from it and back to it though? That doesn't sound like any normal lighting circuit!

Also the the type of emergency fitting and location need to be designed to comply with the current requirements, you can't just add a couple of lights randomly as there's every chance it won't comply.

Pete999 · Nov 20, 2016

Liam Clement said:
Hi,
Hoping someone can give me some insight into emergency lighting circuits. I've never had to install an emergency lighting circuit, only testing of the circuit.

We have an emergency lighting circuit in place but I've been asked to add a couple of additional emergency lights to an area that has no emergency lighting currently.

I presume the circuit is similar to a normal lighting circuit, so am I able to take my feed from a nearby emergency light to my new couple of lights and then back to that emergency light?
Are you limited to how many emergency lights you can have in a circuit etc?

Request Rejected - http://www-public.tnb.com/eel/docs/emergilite/Emergi-Lite_Emergency_Lighting_Design_Guide.pdf

Richard Burns · Nov 20, 2016

davesparks said:
Also the the type of emergency fitting and location need to be designed to comply with the current requirements, you can't just add a couple of lights randomly as there's every chance it won't comply.

I would reiterate that part, although the rest is also relevant.
You need to design emergency lighting carefully. Think about what you need to show on the certificate has everything been covered?
A diagram I did before to show one way of doing various types of self contained emergency light wiring.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Emergency Lighting - Adding extra lights to circuit

Liam Clement · Nov 21, 2016

Hi,

Thanks for the quick response!
I understand the new emergency lighting has to be on the same circuit as the lights in that area and the test switch being necessary but as far as the requirements for the actual lighting I was advised that it simply had to be "suitable and sufficient"?

The diagram is useful, thank you.

My background is electrical maintenance in manufacturing (injection moulding, CNC's, automation etc.), haven't had a great deal to do with the domestic side of things. Did my 17th edition etc. a few year back but never really put it into practice. So I'm a bit out of touch to say the least.

With the information you've provided I should be able to add these new emergency lights in and I'll brush up on the regs.

Thanks

westward10 · Nov 21, 2016

I wonder why emergency lighting installations, and fire alarms come to that rarely comply to current standards, I wonder. It always amazes me most sparks have BS7671, well they generally have to but when it comes to safety systems it is like BS7266 and BS5839 just don't exist.