wiring emergency light

NadHuh · Feb 9, 2013

So I'm trying to find out how to wire a emergency light with a key switch and a one way switch, I have drawn a circuit diagram http://sli.so/1081084AQM

Is that how you would wire and terminate?

tbs1983 · Feb 9, 2013

First you need to establish what type of emergency light you want, do you want one that acts as a normal light and then switches to emergency mode in event of a power failure (maintained), or do you want one that is off normally and just lights up when power fails (non maintained).

Secondly do you want to kill power to both lights when keyswitch is off or just the emergency light. (some use one way, some another). If you want to keep normal light on your going to need a 3 core between both switches (assuming they are seperate switches apart from each other). Obviously easiest way is to have a 2 gamg switch with keyswitch as 1 gang and link accordingly inside.

tbs1983 · Feb 9, 2013

Also some keyswitches are double pole and some single.

Judging by your diagram your after a maintained light, in which case i think your red and brown off 3 core are wrong way round in em/light. And also the link to normal light should be in s/w side of em/light. This way the permanent live will charge battery of em/light and the s/w live will turn both lights on and off. Keyswitch will kill both lights.

D Skelton · Feb 9, 2013

This might help:

[ElectriciansForums.net] wiring emergency light

Sorry, it was rather quickly drawn

ian.settle1 · Feb 9, 2013

D Skelton said:
This might help:

View attachment 17136

Sorry, it was rather quickly drawn

You have as even if you switch off the supply via the key switch you will still have a supply via the normal switch, the link to the common should have come from Lout of the key switch not Lin

D Skelton · Feb 9, 2013

ian.settle1 said:
You have as even if you switch off the supply via the key switch you will still have a supply via the normal switch, the link to the common should have come from Lout of the key switch not Lin

Because if you have any non emergency lights wired in with the maintained fitting they will still be operational when testing the emergency lights. Your way will work, but will kill all lights connected from that switch, not just the EM lights. There is nothing wrong regulatory speaking with doing it your way, however if testing is to be done at times whereby the switching off of luminaires becomes an inconvenience to the users of the installation then BS 5266 would call for it to be done my way, habitually this is the way I always do it. See below:

My way, the normal lights stay operational when key switch isolates the permanent line and EM light:

Your way, all lights go off when key switch isolates the permanent line and EM light:

i=p/u · Feb 9, 2013

Is no write or wrong, just depends on lights used

ian.settle1 · Feb 9, 2013

D Skelton said:
Because if you have any non emergency lights wired in with the maintained fitting they will still be operational when testing the emergency lights. Your way will work, but will kill all lights connected from that switch, not just the EM lights. There is nothing wrong regulatory speaking with doing it your way, however if testing is to be done at times whereby the switching off of luminaires becomes an inconvenience to the users of the installation then BS 5266 would call for it to be done my way, habitually this is the way I always do it. See below:

My way, the normal lights stay operational when key switch isolates the permanent line and EM light:
View attachment 17137

Your way, all lights go off when key switch isolates the permanent line and EM light:
View attachment 17138

Sorry to say the way you have drawn it when you operate the key switch the emergency light will not go into emergency mode as it still has a supply to the normal side of the light thus will remain fully lit.

D Skelton · Feb 9, 2013

ian.settle1 said:
Sorry to say the way you have drawn it when you operate the key switch the emergency light will not go into emergency mode as it still has a supply to the normal side of the light thus will remain fully lit.

Erm, no it won't. The permanent line will be cut so it will go in to emergency mode automatically regardless of whether the switched terminal has a supply or not.

Edit: maybe this is true of maintained EM lights that you install but I have yet to come across one that functions in this way.

NadHuh · Feb 9, 2013

Just noticed I've connected the perm live to the SW, apart from that is there anything wrong with this install and I want the emergency light to be normally on and when testing all normal lights to go off.

Octopus · Feb 9, 2013

NadHuh said:
Just noticed I've connected the perm live to the SW, apart from that is there anything wrong with this install and I want the emergency light to be normally on and when testing all normal lights to go off.

Matey, are you wiring up a HMO without any formal qualifications? If so I hope you have good insurance for when it all goes wrong!

NadHuh · Feb 9, 2013

"Matey" not wiring up anything here just drawing different types of circuits for coursework.

Octopus · Feb 9, 2013

NadHuh said:
"Matey" not wiring up anything here just drawing different types of circuits for coursework.

Not how it looks from reading your posts.

tazz · Feb 9, 2013

ian.settle1 said:
Sorry to say the way you have drawn it when you operate the key switch the emergency light will not go into emergency mode as it still has a supply to the normal side of the light thus will remain fully lit.

All marketed em lights will switch to emergency mode regardless of sw supply,

tazz · Feb 9, 2013

Hopefuly this will help your caurse work as a schematic, it is basically D Skelton`s drawing.

wiring emergency light

NadHuh

tbs1983

tbs1983

D Skelton

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ian.settle1

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D Skelton

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i=p/u

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ian.settle1

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D Skelton

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NadHuh

Octopus

NadHuh

Octopus

tazz

tazz

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