Home Emergency Lights

Sometime back in the late 1970s I installed an emergency light in the hall by the basement stairs, and I'm thinking it was a Dual-Lite EZ-2. It lasted for about 8 years before the battery went bad. As the battery was about as expensive as a complete unit, I decided to replace the fixture. The new one was an earlier version of the Lithonia shown in the original post. I used it until I started the renovation several years ago. I still have it packed up, but I imagine it would need a new battery.

It's not necessary to have an obtrusive emergency light. There are regular fixtures that have emergency lighting function as an option. These include a battery, inverter, charger, and test button as part of the package.

I've gotten those Mister Beams lights, inexpensive, common battery-operated lights.
They make motion triggered lights, night lights, etc.
Both indoor and outdoor types.
So far so good after 8 years use.

circlew said:

Sometime back in the late 1970s I installed an emergency light in the hall by the basement stairs, and I'm thinking it was a Dual-Lite EZ-2. It lasted for about 8 years before the battery went bad. As the battery was about as expensive as a complete unit, I decided to replace the fixture. The new one was an earlier version of the Lithonia shown in the original post. I used it until I started the renovation several years ago. I still have it packed up, but I imagine it would need a new battery.

It's not necessary to have an obtrusive emergency light. There are regular fixtures that have emergency lighting function as an option. These include a battery, inverter, charger, and test button as part of the package.

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Do you still have access to that light? I remember the early Lithonias used wedge bulbs, a black NiCad battery and relay switch-over. I kind of miss them, but the newer versions are technically better and more reliable.

I remember those trauffers with the built in bodines. They'd have a bright red indicator and black test switch either in the fixture's ballast channel or on a separate j-box beside the fixture where it was visible. Typically only one tub would light partially upon an outage. I remember adverts where they claimed they could light a failed tube during an outage.

Nice to see this has been adapted to LED panels.

Chetlaham said:

Do you still have access to that light? I remember the early Lithonias used wedge bulbs, a black NiCad battery and relay switch-over. I kind of miss them, but the newer versions are technically better and more reliable.

I remember those trauffers with the built in bodines. They'd have a bright red indicator and black test switch either in the fixture's ballast channel or on a separate j-box beside the fixture where it was visible. Typically only one tub would light partially upon an outage. I remember adverts where they claimed they could light a failed tube during an outage.

Nice to see this has been adapted to LED panels.

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Chet, I'm not sure where I put the light. It could be at storage, or here somewhere in the basement.

In addition to the integral battery packs in fixtures, there are central battery/inverter systems that provide full power to fixtures 120 or 277) of any type. They come in various capacities I'm sure they're somewhat expensive.

circlew said:

Chet, I'm not sure where I put the light. It could be at storage, or here somewhere in the basement.

In addition to the integral battery packs in fixtures, there are central battery/inverter systems that provide full power to fixtures 120 or 277) of any type. They come in various capacities I'm sure they're somewhat expensive.

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Indeed. There are even central DC systems which can give DC power of various voltages to exist signs and EM heads.

While power cuts are extremely rare here, with our high electricity prices, it can be worthwhile getting a "solar" battery and inverter, to charge up off-peak, on cheap rate electricity and power the house during peak rate, and you can calculate the payback time more accurately than for solar panels.

me said:

While power cuts are extremely rare here, with our high electricity prices, it can be worthwhile getting a "solar" battery and inverter, to charge up off-peak, on cheap rate electricity and power the house during peak rate, and you can calculate the payback time more accurately than for solar panels.

Click to expand...

UGH!
While your post was honestly made to help and suggest solutions to others, it strikes a sour note with me with the mention of solar power.

This is because I'm bombarded almost daily with the same annoying "Solar Energy" phone calls, attempting to get me to purchase and have installed those solar panels up on my roof.
These "scam calls" don't respect my wishes to stop calling, I've tried everything possible.
Telling them "NO, I'm not interested, please remove my number from your list" doesn't register with them.
I've even told them that the only thing going on my roof will be rain or snow.
These calls are just as annoying as those Microsoft" scam calls from years ago.
Call blocking is worthless, they change their numbers like we change our underwear.

Besides, the reality is that solar is not a reliable source of power, nor is wind power. These solicitors try to convince and condition people to believe false and biased information.
They don't tell you that the lifespan and disposal of solar panels isn't pleasent.