Non-maintained emergency lighting is a luminaire made solely for emergency use. It is designed to come on in the event of a mains power failure, making sure all emergency exit routes are clearly illuminated, but will not be active as your normal day-to-day lighting system.
What is maintained emergency lighting?
Maintained emergency lighting luminaires are built to be active continuously in every day life, and through the event of a power cut. Just like a normal luminaire, when running ordinarily they will take power from the mains supply, but when they switch to emergency mode they take power from a back up battery.
Which is better?
In truth there’s little to say that one system is better than another. Legally, every public building must have an emergency lighting system installed, so it is more about selecting the right system for the right area. For example, an area that is purely an escape route doesn’t need maintained lighting, so non-maintained will do. Likewise, if the need for emergency lighting has now been recognised for an area that already has adequate lighting, it would seem to make sense to simply add a non-maintained emergency lighting system.
Alternatively, if you are totally replacing the lighting in a communal area, then it makes sense to go for maintained as you have got less fittings, less wiring and less components to test and maintain. There is also a question of aesthetics, maintained systems mean you have less components and so create less “clutter as the maintained luminaires are your normal luminaires as well as your emergency ones.
What about Commulite?
Simply, our unique system can be tailored to provide both…Our communal and emergency lighting systems would be classified as maintained, as the main lights are also the emergency lights, we can program fittings in emergency-only areas to only come on in the event of an emergency or power failure. In addition, as every fitting is an emergency light too, then there are no corners being cut in the provision of emergency lighting cover. For more information about our unique communal and emergency lighting systems call us now on 01277 600300 or email info@commulite.com.
