Switching maintained emg lights

[Luckyme]

How do i go about wiring maintained emgs that switch on with lighting controlled by a sensor ? There will also be a test kit.

 

[westward10]

You would connect them exactly as the normal lights with the live to the Switch terminal (see instructions for terminal references). For the emergency fittings you have a separate permanent live to keep the battery charged, this is not switched off by the sensor it is permanently live. The test facility which is required in the UK is connected through this permanent live.

 

[Luckyme]

Hi , Thanks for the reply. I've wired a permanent supply for the emg and a supply for sensor which will have its switch wire to the lights for normal operation. I guess my only question is in regards to the neutrals. Are the neutrals for the emg the same as the lights? As current have its own that go back to the switchboard

 

[davesparks]

Hi , Thanks for the reply. I've wired a permanent supply for the emg and a supply for sensor which will have its switch wire to the lights for normal operation. I guess my only question is in regards to the neutrals. Are the neutrals for the emg the same as the lights? As current have its own that go back to the switchboard

Only one neutral is needed as the light is connected to only one circuit, the permanent live and switch live must be on the same circuit.

 

[Luckyme]

So just to clarify,
1 supply cable for sensor (neu, earth, active)
Switch wire from sensor through lights (neu, earth, active)

Our regs stipulate that emg lights/exits must be own circuit.

I was running a supply cable back to the switchboard for exits also .
I keep confusing myself ??

 

[davesparks]

So just to clarify,
1 supply cable for sensor (neu, earth, active)
Switch wire from sensor through lights (neu, earth, active)

Our regs stipulate that emg lights/exits must be own circuit.

I was running a supply cable back to the switchboard for exits also .
I keep confusing myself ??

If the emergency lights have to be on their own circuit then they can't be switched by the normal lighting circuit.
But this doesn't make sense, because if you have all of your emergency lights on different circuits to your normal lights then they won't come on when the normal lighting circuit fails.
Are you sure you have understood the regulations correctly?

 

[Luckyme]

Probably not as every rule contradicts the other. ??

I'm wiring as follows and assuming this will work..

Supply to sensor , then Switch wire from sensor through all lights (including emg)

Supply to exit light and an sdi from exit to the emg light as my permanent active.



Per room I have 3 lights controlled by a sensor 1 with maintained emg and 1 exit.

 

[westward10]

I don't know the rules in Australia but if the permanent live and switched live are from separate circuits you are going to end up with crossed neutrals.

 

[Luckyme]

Thanks, I intend on keeping the emg lights switch wire on with the normal lights. I'm planning to run a single active from my exit lights to the emg lights as a permanent active.

I thibk the ting that confused me the most is, is it ok to run the switch wire for the emg lights with the standard lights.

 

[westward10]

In the UK if this resulted in separate circuits then no due to crossed/borrowed neutrals.

 

[davesparks]

Thanks, I intend on keeping the emg lights switch wire on with the normal lights. I'm planning to run a single active from my exit lights to the emg lights as a permanent active.

I thibk the ting that confused me the most is, is it ok to run the switch wire for the emg lights with the standard lights.

If you are connecting two different circuits to the same fitting and using the same neutral you are creating a very dangerous situation which could put anyine working on this in the future in serious danger of receiving an electric shock.

 

[Luckyme]

Hi Dave,

I only intend of having the light switch cable terminated at the fittings, i wont be using 2 differnt neutrals

I will have a separate hard active for the emergency so the battery can charge

 

[westward10]

This will result in a shared neutral conductor between different circuits.

 

[ElectroChem]

Hi Lucky,

If you want normal and emg lights switched from the same sensor you have a couple of options:
1 - Put them all on one circuit, i.e. supply the sensor, emg lights, normal lights, and test setup from one MCB/RCBO.
2 - Put your standard and emg lights on two different circuits. Have your sensor/switch control two switched wires, either with a dual pole switch or a relay in the board.

As others have said, you cannot have a single neutral supply all your lights if their actives are on two breakers, this creates an interconnected circuit that is a hazard to life and will also trip any RCD used for either circuit.

 

[davesparks]

Hi Dave,

I only intend of having the light switch cable terminated at the fittings, i wont be using 2 differnt neutrals

I will have a separate hard active for the emergency so the battery can charge

But that seperate live for the emergency must have its own seperate neutral if it is fed from a different circuit breaker, my point is that if you are using two different circuits you must use two neutrals and they must be seperate in the fittings (the fitting must be designed to have feeds from two different circuits)