Emergency lights switch on by themselves, or stay charged and ready to grab, when the power fails, so nobody is left feeling around for a torch. At home that means rechargeable LED lamps and bulbs; in shops, offices, schools and blocks of flats it means escape lighting and exit signs that guide people out. This page covers both, the runtime to look for, how to test them and what to ask a supplier. Tell us how many lights you need and where, and local suppliers and electricians will send free quotes, with no obligation.
Rechargeable lights for the home
- Emergency bulbs: screw or bayonet bulbs with a small battery inside that keep glowing when the power goes, usually as long as the switch stays on.
- Plug-in lamps: sit in a plug point, charge all the time and switch on in an outage; many lift out to use as a torch.
- Rechargeable LED lanterns and panels: brighter, for the lounge or kitchen, often with a USB output for phones.
- Stick-on lights: for passages, stairs and cupboards.
Put one in the passage, one near the DB board and one by the front door. For lights that run off a home battery system, see home battery backup.
Runtime and battery type
Many emergency lights are rated for about 3 hours, which covers a typical outage, and some go longer on a low setting. Check the rated runtime at the brightness you will actually use, not the dimmest one. Ask what kind of battery is inside and whether it can be replaced. Every rechargeable light loses runtime as its battery ages, so a lamp that ran all evening when new may give much less after a few years. Lights with a replaceable battery last longer overall. Avoid cheap units with no stated runtime at all.
Escape lighting and exit signs in buildings
Shops, offices, flats, schools, churches, clinics and factories usually need emergency escape lighting along the routes out and lit exit signs above exit doors. These are fixed fittings with their own batteries, wired by an electrician into the lighting circuit so they charge all the time and come on when that circuit fails. What is needed depends on the building's use and size; the local fire department, the building's fire plan and the owner's insurer set the requirements, and an electrician can advise. The fixed wiring needs a CoC like any other change to the installation.
Testing and looking after emergency lights
An emergency light that has never been tested is a guess. At home, test them every few months by switching off at the DB board for a few minutes and walking through the house. In buildings, the usual practice is a short function test regularly and a full-duration test now and then, recorded in a logbook; ask your electrician what your site needs. Replace batteries that fail the full test. To keep wifi, cameras and the alarm running too, see CCTV and alarm backup and router UPS units.
What to include in your request
- Home lamps or building escape lighting
- How many lights and exit signs
- Rated runtime you want
- Plug-in, bulb or wired-in fittings
- Whether testing and a logbook are needed
Emergency Lights for different clients
- Homeowners: emergency bulbs in the passage and lounge and a lamp beside the DB board
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: escape lighting in stairwells, parking garages and walkways, plus exit signs at the doors
- Offices and home offices: exit signs and escape lighting on the routes out, plus lamps at reception
- Shops, restaurants and salons: exit signs and emergency lighting over aisles and doors so customers can leave safely
- Farms and smallholdings: rechargeable lamps for the farmhouse, staff housing, the dairy and the store room
- Clinics, surgeries and care homes: escape lighting and exit signs in clinics, surgeries, pharmacies and old age homes
- Factories, warehouses, schools and churches: escape lighting and exit signs across factory floors, warehouses, schools and churches
- Electricians, installers and security companies: electricians buying exit signs, emergency fittings and replacement batteries in bulk
Frequently asked questions
How long do emergency lights last when the power goes?
Do emergency bulbs work if the light switch is off?
What do emergency lights cost?
Can I get quotes for exit signs for our building?
Emergency Lights by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg