The Exit Light Company is proud to feature a selection of Emergency Lighting for Homes. These multi-purpose lanterns and flashlights are kept ready through standard AC outlet or USB charging ports, and can provide hours of light in the event of power outages. For longer outages, they can be further recharged with USB power banks or direct solar.
Home Emergency Lighting
These multi-function devices are useful for more than just emergency backup lighting. They provide plenty of light for camping and hiking, or can even function as everyday work/task lights, as well.
Many of us have been in a situation when the power goes out at home. Sometimes this happens during daylight hours, but it can also happen at night. In most cases power is restored within an hour or two, but in extreme cases the outage may last for several hours or even days. In 2019 alone, power outages have left over 15 million people without power in the United States alone (eia.gov) . This can be due to storm damage, rolling blackouts (in place in several states throughout the U.S.) or even massive power grid failures. In public areas and workplaces, laws require emergency preparedness for the safety of the public, but are you prepared at home?
While shopping for emergency lighting
fixtures or exit signs, you have probably seen that many products come with a
label or description that says “UL 924 listed”. In this post, we’re going to
briefly discuss what UL 924 means, what the UL 924 requirements are, and why
Emergency Exit Signs and Lights with this certification are encouraged.
What does UL 924 mean?
The Underwriters Laboratory (UL) is an
independent testing organization established in 1894 that provides testing and safety
certifications for all types of products, components and materials. UL 924 is the
Underwriters Laboratory “Standard for Safety of Emergency Lighting and Power
Equipment.”
When you see “UL 924 Listed” or “UL Listed”, this means that a product and all of its components have been tested and reviewed by the Underwriters Laboratory, and has been certified to meet or exceed specific safety, electrical and fire hazard codes required for all commercial properties in the United States.*
When deciding what type of exit signs or emergency lights to purchase, mounting configuration can play a very important role. To those not familiar with mounting configurations, the terminology can be very confusing. The following photos will help you not only to understand what each term means, but will clarify which mounting configuration is best for your installation.
Flush Mount / Wall Mount:
Does not involve the use of mounting canopy. Units typically have knock-out pattern on back plate to mount directly to junction box. (May also allow for “Ceiling Mount” in emergency light fixtures only.)
Ceiling Mount:
Typically requires use of mounting canopy from top of fixture. Some units may further specify Drop Ceiling/New Construction or Sheet Rock/Remodel applications. Use of ceiling mount for exit signage may require double face. (May also allow for “Wall Mount” in emergency light fixtures only.)
Non-Electric Exit Signs have increased in popularity over recent years because of their energy efficiency, ease of installation and decreased costs. An exit sign that does not require electricity to operate is clearly the most energy-efficient. Compared to Hard-Wired Exit Signs, Non-Electric Exit Signs don’t connect to a building’s power supply, which results in a faster & cheaper installation, while additionally reducing long term costs of power consumption and maintenance.
What Non-Electric Exit Sign is better? Let’s briefly discuss the difference between Tritium and Photoluminescent Signs and then weight the Pros and Cons.
Photoluminescent (power free) exit signs require no electricity (AC) or battery power to work. They are illuminated via photoluminescence (“glow-in-the-dark”). Since no AC connection is required, installation is incredibly simple and does not require access to conduit, an outlet, or the services of an electrician (minimal installation costs). Since no power is consumed, there is zero lifetime power consumption cost! Since there are no electronics or batteries, these signs also enjoy zero maintenance costs!
Photoluminescent Exit Signs glow
Photoluminescent tape and emergency egress signs absorb and store energy from ambient light (requires 54 LUX -5-ft candles- of fluorescent, LED, metal halide or mercury vapor light to charge material for 60 minutes). In the event of an emergency involving blackout or smoke-laden conditions, the photoluminescent product is immediately visible, providing a safe, illuminated evacuation path. Photoluminescent products can be installed easily in any location with sufficient ambient light source. We carry a variety of photoluminescent exit signs to meet your specific needs.
Photoluminescent Exit Signs last for approximately 25 years with minimal maintenance.
Emergency Lighting encompasses Emergency Light Fixtures, Exit Signs, Exit Sign + Light Combos and more. These units often go unnoticed until they are needed. Neglecting your facilities emergency lighting is a decision that could put you in risk of fine, legal action or serious danger for you or your patrons. What rules govern emergency lighting? What should I know post-purchase?
There are a number of regulations or codes that are imposed on Emergency Lights and Exit Signs from various authorities such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and NFPA (National Fire Protection Association). Additionally, your local jurisdiction may impose their own codes and requirements for emergency lighting. Your local Fire Marshal or Inspector is your go-to resource for understanding these code requirements.
We are happy to announce that over the New Year we updated our ExitLightCo.com website. If you’ve visited our site in the past, you will notice some major differences. Our goal is to provide an exceptional Customer Experience through our easy to use website. In this post, we will highlight some of the major changes that were made.
Condensed Products
In an effort to simplify the process of finding the Emergency Lighting or Egress Lighting product of choice, we have condensed many products that used to have their own individual listing, into one individual listing for all available options. For example, our top selling Exit Sign is the “Standard Red LED Exit Sign | White or Black Housing“. This Exit Sign has a number of options, such as ordering the unit in white or black and choosing the Operation Type of the exit sign. Continue reading “The Exit Light Co. Launches New Website” »
Newer Lighting Regulations have come to California under Title 20. What is Title 20? Who Created it? Keep reading to find the answer.
What is the CEC? The CEC (California Energy Commission) is the state of California’s primary energy policy and planning agency. It is focused on reducing energy costs and the environmental impacts of energy use—such as greenhouse gas emissions— while ensuring a safe, resilient, and reliable supply of energy. While the CEC has regulatory authority for most products sold or offered for sale in the state of California, its policies impact products produced for other regions as well.
What is Title 20? Title 20 is a part of the CEC’s Appliance Efficiency Regulations, from the California Code of Regulations. The California Energy Commission adopted new standards updating the 2015 Appliance Efficiency Regulations (Title 20) for lighting appliances. The first updates to this set of Regulations was released in January 2018 and Tier 2 will be effective July 1, 2019. Continue reading “CEC and Title 20 – New Regulations for Emergency Lighting” »
This week in an “All Things Considered” story from NPR, we learned a good lesson in Energy Efficiency from a factory in India that switched its clothing factory from fluorescent light tubes to energy efficient LED lights. Generally, factories in India don’t have fans, Air Conditioning none the less. When a company representative visiting the factory realized the hot temperature that thousands of workers had to endure, he knew something had to change. The whole factory removed its fluorescent lighting, and replaced the factory with LEDs. What was the expectation of switching to LED lighting? The Company Representative stated : “Look, if you’re consuming a seventh of the energy, you’re probably dissipating something like a seventh of the heat as well.” It was expected that a swith to LED lighting would reduce the temperature inside the factory. What results did this experiment result in?
Switching to LEDs did indeed prove to reduce the factories temperature. The evidence shows that a switch to LED lighting reduced the temperature of the factory by over 4 degrees. This switch resulted in a boost in profits due to increased productivity, covering the cost of replacing the fluorescent lighting fixtures in just eight months. Continue reading “A switch to led lighting met amazing results in one Indian Factory” »
You see them on every piece of electronics you buy — whether for personal use, business, or work. But what does that stamped UL, ETL, or CSA indicate? These are Certification Marks, and they provide assurance that you can rely on a standard of safety and performance from the products. All products sold in the United States must pass through a battery of tests performed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) to prove that the product meets or exceeds national safety standards. Products that pass this inspection and testing process carry the Certification Mark for the laboratory that provided the testing (UL for Underwriter’s Laboratories, ETL for Intertek Testing Services, and CSA for Canadian Standards Association). It doesn’t matter which mark the product carries, as long as it is from one of the organizations that are recognized by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).
You can be assured that all products which carry an OSHA recognized NRTL mark will comply with the various safety codes (buidling codes, electrical safety codes, municipal codes and fire codes), has been thoroughly tested by third party laboratories to strict specifications, and complies with all current standards.
All emergency lighting and exit signs sold by The Exit Light Company carry Certification Marks. Please see our FAQs to learn more about Certification Marks and NRTLs.
