Fire Proof Self Luminous Exit Sign
The Roof Is On Fire!
Many building managers and business owners have asked if our self luminous exit signs are fire proof. Typically, their argument rests on a very basic need; in a fire you want your emergency fixtures to last until every building occupant has been safely evacuated.
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The short answer to this question is NO. Building fires can get very hot, depending upon how much fuel and oxygen is available. In 3 1/2 minutes a fire can reach well over 1100 degrees. Even rooms that are not on fire can reach 300° F - enough to melt most plastics and kill people.
In five minutes, rooms can reach such high temperatures they reach a flashover point - in essence it gets so hot that everything in the room will spontaneously combust. Absolutely no exit sign or emergency fixture in existence can claim to be truly fireproof.
Flame Resistant Self Luminous Exit Signs
Self powered exit signs are built with die-cast aluminum housings and have clear polycarbonate or Lexan shields protecting the exit sign's face. All the components are built to withstand flames (which are not the hottest part of a fire) so that the unit will not catch on fire.
The tritium tubes are rated for use in temperatures up to 176° F. Past this point the glass tubes will shatter and other components may fail as well.
Burning Down The House
So what is the point of an emergency fixture if it can't withstand fire?
Unless the conflagration is sudden or caused by an out-of-control wildfire, most occupants should have some time to reach minimum safe distance in such emergencies. Self luminous exit signs will continue to illuminate after electrical power fails, leading personnel to the nearest egress points.
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By the time a fire has exceeded exit sign thresholds, the majority of a building's occupants should be safe. At this point, the fire department will be on site mitigating the fire and sending fully protected firemen into the building to find injured or trapped occupants.
Conclusion
Though self luminous signs are not fire proof, they can withstand temperatures far higher than industrial-grade electronic exit signs.
