5 Things You May Not Know About Luminescent Exit Signs
Exiting a building doesn’t usually take much thought. But in a new place or under emergency conditions, finding the exit can be difficult and even stressful. Exit signs, however, take the stress of egress out of every situation. From making your way back to the parking lot after a day of shopping or finding the way out in an emergency, exit signs play a large role in building, and even fire, safety.
Unlike their traditional counterparts, photoluminescent exit signs create a visibly better egress pathway in any building. If you want to enhance the safety of your building, consider these five things you may not know about photoluminescent exit signs.
1. Requires No Batteries
Photoluminescent exit signs require no batteries or back up power, not like traditional exit signs which require complicated wiring or batteries. By utilizing advanced luminescent technology, photoluminescent exit signs rely only on the surrounding light source to gain a charge, from either natural or artificial light. After gaining a full charge, a luminescent exit sign can provide a bright, consistent light source for hours after the power has gone out.
With photoluminescent exit signs, you don’t have to worry about the timely, and expensive, process of frequent battery replacements.
2. No Maintenance Required
Not only do photoluminescent exit signs not need replacement batteries, they do not require any maintenance at all!
Where other emergency lighting systems require frequent and timely inspections, photoluminescent egress path markings do not require any care. Without any moving parts or wiring, photoluminescent exit signs do not require any inspections or replacements to maintain their performance.
Photoluminescent exit signs require only a simple visual inspection to ensure they are not obstructed and are still exposed to the light source.
3. Always Visible
Because they do not rely on batteries or power, there is no switch to turn photoluminescent exit signs on. Like all luminous egress path markings, when placed in darkness, photoluminescent exit signs automatically glow brightly. This means, in the case of an emergency, you don’t worry about turning on the emergency exit lighting systems; they’ll come on automatically.
Additionally, the light from photoluminescent exit signs do not cast shadows and cut through smoke, ensuring the sign is easily visible in all conditions.
4. Cost-Effective
Not only are photoluminescent exit signs the visibly better choice for building safety, they are the more cost-effective choice over traditional exit signs.
Luminescent exit signs do not require an expensive installation performed by an electrician and eliminate maintenance and inspection costs. Not only do photoluminescent exit signs eliminate the cost of battery replacements, but they have a longer lifespan than traditional exit signs, significantly reducing replacement costs.
5. Required By Building Codes
Section 1024 of the International Building and Fire codes require the installation of luminous egress path markings, including photoluminescent exit signs. Exit signs must be UL 924 certified in order to meet code compliance.