Why is the annual emergency lighting test more expensive than the monthly one?

Because it is a different test. The monthly check proves a fitting illuminates. The annual test runs the full rated duration, normally three hours, on every fitting, and it is the only test that proves the batteries would actually last. It takes far longer and it finds real failures.

Does the car park need emergency lighting?

If it forms part of the escape route, yes, and basement car parks are usually where the first failures appear because of damp and cold. They are included in the test.

Can the test be done without disturbing residents?

Yes. It is normally staged by block or by floor and scheduled so the whole development is never on emergency supply at once.

Emergency Lighting · Wicklow

Emergency Lighting Testing & Certification in Wicklow

ADS Group tests, certifies, designs and installs emergency lighting to I.S. 3217 across Wicklow, with north Wicklow a short run from our Dublin 24 base. The standard requires a monthly functional test and an annual full-duration discharge test, normally three hours. In apartment developments the annual test is usually the largest single line in the common-area safety budget, and it is worth knowing why before an AGM asks.

What matters for Wicklow buildings

The three-hour test is what the budget is actually for

A board looking at an emergency lighting invoice sees a large number for lights that appear to work. The explanation is that monthly testing proves a fitting illuminates, while the annual test proves its battery holds for three hours, and batteries are a consumable with a finite life. A development that has never failed a fitting is usually a development that has never had a real discharge test.

Car parks and bin stores are part of the route

In apartment developments the fittings that fail first are typically in the basement car park, the bin store and the external walkways, because they are damp, cold and out of sight. They are also on the escape route.

Hotels test around occupancy

A three-hour discharge in a trading hotel is planned, staged floor by floor, and run outside peak occupancy, so the building is never fully on emergency supply while guests are arriving.

What the visit includes

Annual full-duration discharge test, normally three hours, on every luminaire
Car parks, bin stores and external walkways covered, not just internal corridors
Monthly functional test regime set up, with a log your own staff can maintain
Every fitting identified and recorded, so a failure points to a location rather than a guess
Failed batteries, lamps and fittings reported in writing with a quotation for remedial work
Certification to I.S. 3217 on completion

Full detail on the system types, the standards and the certification process is on the Emergency Lighting page, and everything else we cover in the county is on the Wicklow page.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the annual emergency lighting test more expensive than the monthly one?: Because it is a different test. The monthly check proves a fitting illuminates. The annual test runs the full rated duration, normally three hours, on every fitting, and it is the only test that proves the batteries would actually last. It takes far longer and it finds real failures.
Does the car park need emergency lighting?: If it forms part of the escape route, yes, and basement car parks are usually where the first failures appear because of damp and cold. They are included in the test.
Can the test be done without disturbing residents?: Yes. It is normally staged by block or by floor and scheduled so the whole development is never on emergency supply at once.

Other services in Wicklow

Fire Detection & Alarms Maintenance & Compliance Fire Fighting Equipment Intruder Alarms CCTV & Video Surveillance

Emergency Lighting in other counties

Dublin Galway Cork Limerick Kildare Meath Louth Westmeath Kilkenny Wexford Waterford Tipperary

Request a survey in Wicklow

An engineer assesses the site, reviews the existing system and its documentation, and returns a written scope of works.

Request a Survey 01 620 6758