Emergency key switch wiring

[dave19]

Hi Guys,

Can you help ? I just wanted to know how you wire a key switch and normal switch together. Is this how it should be :-

Feed from board to common on key switch
power to emergency lights comes off the load side of key switch
loop feed comes off the common side of key switch to common side of normal switch then
power to normal lights comes off load side to normal switch.


Is this it and if not is there a different way of doing it. Please explain in as simple terms as you can. Diagrams would also help ? Thanks guys.

Dave.

 

[Adam W]

keep going adam , each post is getting more ridiculous and desperate.

That's probably the kind of post that can only come from someone with the title of 'forum approved troll'.

 

[Adam W]

yes, so if your doing the same test and need the normal lights off, you switch them off and carry out the test as you've just suggested.

How do you switch them off if they're switched using a PIR detector as in many offices?

 

[Guest55]

That's probably the kind of post that can only come from someone with the title of 'forum approved troll'.

not really , anyone can come to the same conclusion as me.

at least youve proved my prophecy in post #14.

and goodnite....

 

[Landril]

Then load of the key switch needs to go to the pir common as to deactivate it and throw em lights on.

 

[electric will]

How do you switch them off if they're switched using a PIR detector as in many offices?

shouldn't lights being controlled by a pir have a means of isolation anyway?

 

[Landril]

I can't recall anything regarding isolating a pir, u could always call the main breaker as a means to isolate

 

[Adam W]

I can't recall anything regarding isolating a pir, u could always call the main breaker as a means to isolate

You could do, or you could use a key switch. Either way all the lights will go off and the emergency lights come on.

 

[Guest55]

You could do, or you could use a key switch. Either way all the lights will go off and the emergency lights come on.

so you went back a full topics page just to look for a thread just to have the last word in ?

lol.

 

[Adam W]

so you went back a full topics page just to look for a thread just to have the last word in ?

lol.

No Biff I'm not "trying to have the last word" and I never was - you made that up yourself. What I'm doing is participating in an electrical discussion which is why I come on this forum, unlike yourself who only seems to come here to be a pain in the backside.

 

[Guest55]

no theres other reasons as well.

 

[i=p/u]

I've seen it both ways as the rest of yous, council offices have non maintained so normal lighting stays on and preventive maintenance is what happens in these buildings I.e change lamps if discoloured clean fittings if boggin, then other places have emergency light built in and all lights go out, can honestly say lux levels only matter at design stage. From what I've seen. But maybe you have seen different and lux levels matter. Troll 1 Adam 0

 

[Landril]

And to know what lux levels are required and how to achieve them requires relux, and knowing the photometrics of the unit you are installing the area size you need to cover so relux can tell u were to position em light units.
Or like most of us place over exits, change of floor level and direction and put a few extras in long corridors or large office spaces.

 

[i=p/u]

Em light data sheets normally tell you distances and stuff,

 

[Adam W]

I've seen it both ways as the rest of yous, council offices have non maintained so normal lighting stays on and preventive maintenance is what happens in these buildings I.e change lamps if discoloured clean fittings if boggin, then other places have emergency light built in and all lights go out, can honestly say lux levels only matter at design stage. From what I've seen. But maybe you have seen different and lux levels matter. Troll 1 Adam 0

Why do you think you do preventative maintenance if, as you say, lux levels don't matter once the circuit has been designed?
This is like saying you don't need to do any testing on any circuits because it's been designed correctly, or more likely used the pre-designed off-the-shelf circuits out of the onsite guide.

 

[Guest55]

in 20 years of commercial work i have never seen a lux meter being used during the maintenance or testing of emergency lights.
so its not really a massive issue is it ?

 

[KAS1]

Well I have (seen a lux meter used) several times as it happens, on a major job before hand over for the clients rep to witness if memory serves me correctly.

 

[Guest55]

Well I have (seen a lux meter used) several times as it happens, on a major job before hand over for the clients rep to witness if memory serves me correctly.

during the initial verification prior to completion to ensure the designers lighting criteria has been met , yes ?

but for every subsequent routine test thereafter ?
no point.

 

[i=p/u]

Wire it either way and back to point. You funny Adam

 

[KAS1]

The fire officer may insist on the lux levels checked as he/she pulls out the decibel meter as well lol

 

[Adam W]

during the initial verification prior to completion to ensure the designers lighting criteria has been met , yes ?

That would be after the design stage.

but for every subsequent routine test thereafter ?
no point.

Maybe not "every subsequent routing test thereafter" but that doesn't alter the fact that the use of a lux meter can help detect when emergency lights no longer emit the required lux level.

 

[Adam W]

in 20 years of commercial work i have never seen a lux meter being used during the maintenance or testing of emergency lights.
so its not really a massive issue is it ?

Neither have I, but it's not to say you can't or shouldn't use one.

 

[Guest55]

Neither have I, but it's not to say you can't or shouldn't use one.

so for the last 24hrs you have been arguing in defence of a particular method of wiring a keyswitch for the purpose of carrying out a lux test that you nor i have ever seen been done during routine maintenance ?

good grief.

 

[Landril]

Quite amusing how this topic has gone from how to wire em lights, to know testing lux levels when doing maintenance.
To be honest the only places that will check them are either council, police cells an a few big companies, most maint engs see them working in em mode and couldn't give a rats arse about lux or wouldnt know we're to find a lux meter if they got asked.

 

[KAS1]

What was this all about again, was it an EM Lux key switch with or without a flex outlet lol

 

[Guest55]

im hoping to merge it into a topic about metal cased emerg. lights with no testkey in a pme supplied shed lol.
that'll really get the arguements going ;-)

 

[Adam W]

so for the last 24hrs you have been arguing in defence of a particular method of wiring a keyswitch for the purpose of carrying out a lux test that you nor i have ever seen been done during routine maintenance ?

good grief.

No that wasn't my initial reason for defending it, and I didn't favour one method over the other. What I said was wiring it in that way would facilitate the use of a lux meter to check the emergency lights are emitting the required light level.
Why do you think I should be against something just because I've never seen it being done?

 

[i=p/u]

True buff , why you think that of Adam . He's only saying you could check lux level instead of changing blackened but acceptable lamp.

do yous two work together .

 

[Adam W]

I reckon if we worked together at least one of us would be off with stress.

 

[Guest55]

What I said was wiring it in that way would facilitate the use of a lux meter to check the emergency lights are emitting the required light level.

is it a requirement under the BS5266 Emergency Lighting code of practice to carry out lux tests during routine testing ?
not that i can find.

 

[Adam W]

is it a requirement under the BS5266 Emergency Lighting code of practice to carry out lux tests during routine testing ?
not that i can find.

Are you trying to tell me BS5266 makes no reference to lux levels?
I'm fairly certain it does, and a good way to ensure compliance with that is with the use of a lux meter, not that there's any specific requirement to, but then there's no specific requirement for PAT testing but businesses still pay to get it done.