Emergency Lighting Inverter System Maintenance

Central Lighting Inverter maintenance is an integral part of a system lifecycle. Due to the criticality of system operation, the high voltage internal buses, it must be performed by a Qualified Professional. Typically performed by an Uninterruptible Power System Technician such as those provided at FGC Services. The internal makeup of a Lighting Inverter system is very much similar to the makeup of a (UPS) Uninterruptible Power System. It has inverter components, electronics, battery bus, and battery string all interconnected.

Benefits of Lighting Inverter Systems

Long Term Maintenance Savings

A lighting inverter can control lights throughout the building while being located in a single centralized location. The inverter can also provide power to several different types of lighting systems, including LEDs, due to offering pure sine wave output. When it comes to maintenance, workers can test and perform repairs at the central location instead of going to each individual mounted lighting unit to use the push-to-test feature. This advantage helps save time and manpower, making testing and repairs simpler.

The backup batteries to power the lights are all located in one cabinet that is connected to the inverters. When a battery needs to be replaced, it can be done more easily versus having to go to each individual lighting system.

Automating Critical Requirements

After learning how to choose a size lighting inverter for your emergency lighting system, you are now able to automate all the lights in the building. This factor ensures that your lighting system stays in compliance with all safety standards  requiring lighting to provide illumination bright enough for people to see emergency exit signage and make their way to exit doors. The inverters also turn on the emergency lights immediately and ensure that they provide a minimum of 90 minutes of illumination.

Certain advanced inverter systems also automate the testing and reporting process. The inverters will keep logs that can be easily accessed by the fire marshals and other safety authorities. These logs can ensure that systems are being tested periodically according to set schedules.

Foolproof Installation

After sizing a lighting inverter, qualified professional installers can quickly install and set up the system based on manufacturing specifications and instructions. They will connect the inverters to both the backup batteries located in the centralized cabinet and to all internal and external emergency lighting systems within the building.

If there is an issue with any of the wiring, the inverter system will not operate during the start-up diagnostics. These features ensure that all lighting will be operational and that both the emergency lighting and the backup batteries are protected from damage that may be caused by wiring mishaps.

Annual or Semi-Annual Maintenance of Central Lighting Inverters

For a critical system that houses sensitive electrical components and batteries, the system can be directly affected by it’s surrounding environment. Unlike UPS systems, Lighting Inverters are usually installed in an electrical room, basement, or small area which is not environmentally controlled. For these reasons, many factors can affect components, and should persuade managers to perform at least annual, if not semi-annual maintenance on the systems.

Factors Affecting Central Lighting Inverter Operations