Emergency Light Troubleshooting Basics

Office parks, hotels, sports stadiums; these massive structures often host thousands of visitors a day, few of whom have any idea what would happen if the power were to go out and the lights go out. In a world filled with broken emergency lights, total chaos is likely to erupt, turning narrow hallways and stairwells into stampeding death traps, followed by panic and desperate urgency.

Fortunately, we live in a world where in most public places, particularly those with a lack of natural lighting, emergency lighting is required by law. Although many major establishments, such as the aforementioned hotels and stadiums, have diesel generators to provide temporary backup power, they are also required by state and/or local mandates to test their battery-powered emergency lighting on a regular (often monthly) basis. .

Of course, if you’re the handyman responsible for fixing the lights in your building, you probably already know this.

The first and probably the most important step in troubleshooting emergency lighting is to familiarize yourself with the accompanying manual. Although most lights share the same general similarities, they do not all function identically and often require different parts.

In addition to familiarizing yourself with the unit, order parts in advance and keep them in a place where you will always remember them. Most of your spare inventory should consist of light bulbs and batteries, but you may want to keep an extra circuit board on hand as well.

Nine times out of ten, the problems you experience with your lights are caused by simple issues. Bulbs aren’t tight enough, wire nuts are loose, leaf springs go bad…if all the obvious physical connections seem to be in order, a bad battery is likely the cause. However, before replacing the battery, make sure the problem is not with the unit’s charger. The easiest way to test this is to change the battery to a known working unit. If it doesn’t charge, you need a new battery.

If none of those steps fixes the problem, you may have a problem with the circuit board, especially if you have problems with tangential drives; exit signs and remote lights are often configured to operate from a base unit. The problem may be solved by simply opening the chassis and reseating the connections, or you may need a completely new board. Before going too deep into this step, again, open your manual or consult a professional.

There’s a lot more to hazard light repair than meets the eye, and it’s imperative that you keep them in good working order. Use this guide to establish the basics and familiarize yourself with your model’s documentation, and you’ll find yourself ahead of the game.