How to Test Emergency Lights

Emergency lights are required in businesses and public places so people can find their way out in the event of a power failure. The building's electricity keeps the battery charged. When the power goes out, the battery keeps the light lit for at least thirty minutes or more while people make their way out. It is required that you test your lights regularly to make sure they are working and the bulbs or batteries are not dead. Here's how to perform a routine test of emergency lights, whether it's a few exit signs or an entire building of lights.

Instructions

1. Locate the "Push to Test" button on your emergency lights and exit signs. This button should be located on the side or back of the light.

2. Push and hold the button down for thirty seconds. The lights should light up and stay lit for the full thirty seconds if the emergency light batteries are functioning properly. Make sure all bulbs in the sign are properly lit.

3. Check that lights that should be on normally, such as the Exit signs, stay lit and are not flickering, dimming or have bulbs that aren't lit.

4. Shut down computers and other electrical equipment connected to the same breaker that shares the emergency lights' connection.

5. Turn off the circuit breaker. Check to ascertain that all emergency lights stay lit for at least thirty minutes. This method can be used to test a large number of lights.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask an electrician if you can't find the circuit breaker for the lights, or if they are not properly labeled. Test your lights for thirty minutes once a year, and perform a thirty second test on lights once a month.