Battery-backup emergency lighting

[MaryL]

I may be writing to the wrong newsgroup. If so, I hope someone will direct me to the correct one.

I have already taken certain emergency precautions. I had a security system installed that includes direct connection to a home base for glass breaks, fire, etc. (a home base that would then call police if I do not respond with the correct password). I also left battery-powered fire/smoke detectors in place even after installing the new system because they have emergency lights that would be activated in the event to fire, and I have lots of flashlights throughout the house. Nevertheless, a very simple event happened tonight that showed me very clearly how vulnerable we would be if we really needed to exit the house quickly. We suddenly lost power, with no warning -- no storm, nothing. As luck would have it, I was sitting at the computer, and that is one of the few area of the house with no flashlights. Everything was *pitch* black, and it took me an inordinate amount of time to feel my way through the house to a desk where I could get a flashlight. If that had really been a fire, I'm sure I would not have made it!

I realize that there are some little plug-in lights available that come on when electricity is off. I used to have several, but they never seemed to last very long. So, my question is, can anyone recommend a good emergency setup to handle situations such as what I just described? Should I just buy some more of those little plug-in units, or is there a better setup available (but something that is feasible for a home -- not a commercial type of establishment)?

Thanks, MaryL

[Joseph Meehan]

It depends on your needs and wants. Generally in an emergency you don't need an extended period of light. If you have a fire, you will be out of there quickly. On the other hand if you want something more, maybe to provide minimal light in the event of a power outage you need something different. That might be a back-up power supply, or light sources that you can turn on as needed.

BTW I have seen some emergency lights that offer a guild light that would stay on for a long time and can be removed from the outlet and used as a common flashlight, but for less time.

[m Ransley]

You can get any type of backup you can dream up, and you pay every month to keep things charged, you should Google your offerings are endless. Didnt your computer have a UPS you could of had a light plugged into.

[wayne]

You can pick up small ledlights that go on your keychain. We recently had an outage at work and the emergency lights did not work! Everyone that I gave them to loved them at that time!

You can also get glow in the dark paint which you could paints as a stripe at the bottom of the walls!

Not cheap but requires no electricity!

Wayne

MaryL wrote:

[No]

The best thing would be a small standby generator that would kick in automatically. They are powered by natural gas or propane. They are expensive though. See

one option.

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[MaryL]

I googled for emergency lights and primarily found (1) the little plug-in devices that I tried to describe in my original message and (2) large commercial-type lighting signs with "exit," which I obviously do not need.

I have UPS ports but didn't even know that lights can be plugged into it. The irony is that I have flashlights in almost every other room, but it didnt' occur to me to place one in this room and didn't realize how long it could take to feel my way in a completely darkened house to find a flashlight -- despite the fact that I have lived here for some time and know the house very well. The house was *absolutely black.*

MaryL

[MaryL]

I only want a short-term emergency supply so we could quickly escape in the event of a true emergency (such as a fire). On the other hand, I want something reliable and the little plug-ins that I previously had provided so little light that I am not certain how good that would be and they stopped recharging after a very short time.

MaryL

[MaryL]

Thanks for the information. The problem with the keychain is that this device is likely to be in my purse -- and I couldn't find my way to my purse in the dark! The paint sounds interesting.

MaryL

[HeyBub]

The glow from your monitor should provide enough illumination to allow you access to a flashlight, especially if you keep a flashlight in your computer desk's bottom drawer.

Your monitor -- and computer -- ARE plugged in to a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), are they not?

The UPS is number THREE on the the list of proper computer precautions (frequent backups is number one, surge protection is number two). There is no number four, five, six, all the way down to forty-two. Number forty-three is a bottle of glass cleaner.

[MaryL]

Thanks. I'm looking for something smaller and easier to use than a generator. I actually did look into standby generators after Hurricane Rita but decided that there are some safety and mechanical requirements that would be more than I wanted to handle. So, I'm just looking for enough light to escape quickly in the event of an emergency -- something battery-powered that I could install in central locations, but bright enought to actually be useful (again, to escape -- not for a normal light source).

MaryL

[me]

Actually those small key chain lights might be the best solution anyway

What think you?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Go to page 664, the first three items. Reasonably priced, looks decent if mounted in a hallway. One will give you enough light to find your flashlights and oil lamps, etc.

[mm]

I keep a flashlight in the cabinet above the stove, because there was empty space there, and another in the basement on the workbench because I often need one when I'm fixing something. Also in the car, not to wave down help but to actually fix the car with or to look at something off-road on occasion, like if I find an abandoned house, even in the daytime. I would think adding one to the 2nd floor would make a complete set.

I haven't seen for a long time what I think you mean by little cheap emergency lights. I think you should check more closely the webpages for commercial emergency lights, required by law in public places. They don't all say exit and thus those are smaller. But I think all good ones may have lead acid baterries and need to be plugged in or hard wired. Hard wiring those on the ceiling of the 2nd floor should be easy if one has an unfinished attic, and a little more work with a finished one.

OTOH there may be LED emergency lights by now. Don't expect these things to be on the home page of these companies. Their major products will be there, and LED lights probably don't meet building codes yet. For their own safety yes, but not for brighness.

OTOH, I think you're worrying too much. Unless you live in a colossal house, you and your family will be able to find their way out. By feeling the wall if there is no smoke and by crawling on hands and knees if there is. Any kid 6 or older is probably better than you at this, but if anyone needs rescuing and there are no flames keeping you back, I think you will have time to get him. If there are flames, you'll have the light of the flames.

If there is no fire, just a power failure and darkness, I don't see a big problem. Why is there any rush to get out of the house at all? I just go back to sleep.

Spend your time fire-proofing your house. Find out more about how fires start and eliminate those causes. That will give you more safety and more house too. Buy a bottle of PSSST, or PFFFFT, which I think is just a plastic reuseable ketchup bottle filled with baking soda, for the kitchen, and buy bigger fire extinguisher or two also. The cheapest one that has the pressure gauge seems to show adquate pressure for about 10 years, before going low, It's uneconomical to recharge this cheap one.

Talk about crawling on the floor to avoid smoke, and using a wet towel to filter out smoke. Tell them it's ok to touch the walls in an emergency like this would be.

Have an designated place to meet outside so you'll know if everyone is out, and you won't want to go back in again. Explain everything including the reasons for them even to the littlest kids. Kids are smarter than adults think and the reason for a designated place for example will make it easier to remember to go to the designated place. Maybe somewhere on the sidewalk in front of the house,

[MaryL]

I don't think they would be practical because they are only available if I had the key chain *with me,* and I normally keep my keys on the kitchen counter or in my purse. In this case, I was in the computer room at the back of the house. I need something to help me get out quickly in the event of an emergency. Lose small lights on key chains are fine for someone who needs to get *into* the house and has the keychain in hand.

MaryL

[MaryL]

Yes, I do have a UPS (I think it gives me about 15 minutes of time after a power outage). However, I powered it off before I realized that the rest of the house was so dark that I couldn't find my way through without literally touching everything to figure out where I was. I now have a flashlight in this room, but I didn't last night! And last night's experience was a good warning about how long it can take to get through a completely darkened house, even if you "think" you know the house well.

MaryL

[Joseph Meehan]

MaryL wrote: ...

I would suggest going with the commercial units. Some are not too expensive and new technology had helped reduce the cost improve reliability and reduce maintenance.

BTW as with any system you expect to work when needed, plan on regular testing.

[EXT]

Practice walking around the house in the dark. My wife cannot move two feet without a light, my son and I walk back and forth at night without a single light, it is not hard if you are really aware of space and location of everything. Other than that make a point of a flashlight in each room, the small LED type are probably best, don't take up much room and can last quite a while on a battery.

[Mark Lloyd]

I've seen a flashlight with a (low duty cycle) flashing LED on it. That'd make it easier to find, although it could be disturbing in a bedroom.

[Goedjn]

Build the thing into a and wear it around your neck. Or glue it to your medi-alert tags.

>

[Goedjn]

At around a dollar apeice, you can just store one on top of every doorway in the house.