Beginning of a Fire - Part 5

By: Nick Markowitz Jr.
Fire Investigator – Electrical Contractor

I found this unique but very dangerous set up in a school in the mon valley.

What they were attempting to do was back up there 120 vac exit signs with a back up battery that would provide 120 vac from 12 volts DC using an inverter also known as a phreak set.

The problem is the trickle charger and inverter are not UL listed. They are not listed as an accessory to provide back up power and were never intended for continous use. The battery and inverter also are clearly marked that they must be properly ventilated to prevent danger of fire or explosion and as you can see in this case they were installed in a tight fitting metat enclousre without ventilation. In addition the inverter is meant to be used in an automobile not in a dwelling. So although they thought they solved one problem they created another.

The proper thing to do, which is what I did, was to install 120 vac exit light with built in battery back up that is UL listed.

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