What are the Different Types of Emergency Lights?

Emergency lights are essential for all buildings. In the event of a sudden power failure, emergency lights can switch on to provide alternative power, or help guide people out of the building to safety. However, there are different types of emergency lights that vary in their power and lighting sources.

Maintained

The luminaire works in exactly the same way as a standard mains version, except when the power fails, it switches to battery powered emergency output.

Non-Maintained

The luminaire only comes on in the event of a power failure as an emergency light source. The continual mains supply is only used to charge the battery.

Central Battery

This is where the battery power for emergency lighting is situated at one, central point and fed to all relevant luminaires in the event of a power failure, whether they are maintained or non-maintained. All emergency luminaires will have a charge healthy LED indicator, which shows that the battery is being charged while there is a mains feed. When the power fails, the LED will switch off and the lamp will be illuminated by the battery.

Sustained

This is where a lamp separate to the main lamp provides the emergency light source. The purpose here is to minimise any possibility of emergency lamp failure, as the ‘sustained’ lamp is only used in emergency mode. This will only be relevant on a maintained emergency luminaire.