Fire Alarms And Emergency Lights

[ProDave]

I don't normally do fire alarm stuff, and wouldn't take this on as a paid job.

But it's for my sailing club.

I've just had an email:   

"The emergency lights do not come on when I test the fire alarm"
 
 
So I take it when the alarm sounds it is supposed to turn on the emergency lights, but it no longer does?

Is that then just a volt free relay contact from the alarm that activated the lights?:

 

[NozSpark]

Why would you turn on the emergency lights just because of a fire alarm activation? I would have thought that it would be better to have full lighting with the fire alarm and that the emergency lights would only come on when the power eventually fails

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Why would you turn on the emergency lights just because of a fire alarm activation? I would have thought that it would be better to have full lighting with the fire alarm and that the emergency lights would only come on when the power eventually fails

Unless the lights are all separate 'non maintained' type, but even if they are its unusual.

 

[kerching]

Only ever seen that on one job in over 40 years......so its not very common

important bit is that escape routes are illuminated to a set level,if the local,lighting circuit fails.

if the emergency lights are on their own circuit then they should be activated by a phase failure relay unless they are maintained 

just my musings

 

[ProDave]

Like I say I don't normally do fire alarms.

But the fact he says the lights don't come on, has the implication that they used to.

I just guess I'll go and have a look and see.  could juct be the EM lights have failed.

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

But the fact he says the lights don't come on, has the implication that they used to.

Could it also be that he thought they were supposed to come on?

As others have said, emergency lights, as a rule only come on when there is a power failure, NOT when the fire alarm activates.

What was the outcome?