Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What's the one thing you could really use in the middle of the dark night when you wake to the panic heart-stopping blaring of your smoke detectors and you have to wake, gather the family and safely get everyone out of the house?
A: Well, we think it's LIGHT.

Q: What is the LightSaver^TM L-100?
A: The LightSaver^TM L-100 is an ever-present inconspicuous (until needed) home or office emergency lighting system that that is constantly searching the airwaves for the sounds that are emitted or broadcast by your smoke alarms your house or building. When a smoke alarm is triggered and alarmed by smoke and fire, LightSaver^TM L-100 is designed to quicly sense those sounds and turn on to provide bright piercing pulsing light to the outer edges of your home's doorway and areas along the floor near your exit door where it is installed. It is designed to clearly define where your exit is.

Q: Why do I need one?
A: Well, here's why... did you know that according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics:

• About 83% of all fire deaths occurred in the home
• 2,755 civilian fire deaths occurred in the home in 2008
• A home fire doubles in size every 30 seconds.
• Most home fires occur between the hours of 11:00PM and 7:00AM
• Home is the place where you feel safest. But your home is also where you are most likely to die in a fire.
• Four out of five fire-related deaths among civilians occur in the home.
• Did you know that "children under age 5 are almost one and a half times as likely to die in a home fire as the average person
• Did you know that "adults over the age of 65 are more than twice as likely to die in home fires as the average person... and..."older adults age 75 or over are nearly three times as likely to die as the general public.
• Did you know that "in 2008, 515,000 structure fires caused 2,900 civilian deaths, 14,960 civilian injuries, and $12.4 billion in property damage.
• If you're caught in a burning home that is rapidly filling with smoke, you have just seconds before the situation can become deadly and to escape before succumbing to the smoke. Those few seconds are precious; especially for your children, the disabled or the elderly. With LightSaver^TM, the evacuees of a residence or building under siege by fire or other smoke are provided the necessary light in an emergency pulse that clearly identifies where the safe exit door actually is.

We could go on, but think you get the point.

Q: Where can I get one?
A: LightSaver^TM L-100 is available for purchase right here on the LightSaver Technologies, Inc.'s website. Place your order on the "Order" page of our website. The owners of LightSaver Technologies, Inc. are in the process of designing and forming a non-profit entity, the LightSaver Foundation^TM, through which we hope to be able to subsidize some (or all) of this price for those that are otherwise unable to afford it. Our goal in this part of our endeavor is to be able to provide those with limited financial means (sometimes the most "at risk" of a structure/home fire) with the opportunity to also have the product in their homes.

Q: How much does a LightSaver^TM L-100 cost?
A: The current retail price is $89.99/unit (plus shipping and handling) through our website. 

Q: How does it mount to the wall? Does it use brackets? glue? screws?
A: The device comes with pre-applied adhesive strips or adhesive squares already attached to the back of the housing that has a peel-away cellophane strip to remove when adhering it to one's wall above the doorway or window. The adhesive is a form of two-sided tape whose bond actually strengthens (cures) over 48 hours after installation to provide for a firm bond between the device and the your wall.

Q: Our new puppy chewed up our light-strand, how can I get just a new light-strand and not a whole new LightSaver^TM L-100 device?
A: You can order replacement light-strands from us on our website. They usually ship within 5 business days.

Q: How long is a Light-Strand?
A: Currently, each LightSaver Light-Strand^TM is +/-12' in length. We are currently working on developing, testing and will ultimately offer longer LightSaver Light-Strands^TM for other applications in your home or office.

Q: Do the lights-strands get hot when the LightSaver^TM L-100 is on?
A: Based on our design, NO, not at all. But, please make sure NEVER to plug your LightSaver^TM device into anything or to any other device... EVER! Not only will you immediately void your warranty, you could actually put yourself, others or your property at risk by doing so.

Q: Who is LightSaver Technologies, Inc.?
A: LightSaver^TM Technologies, Inc. is the developer, manufacturer and marketer of the pat-pending LightSaver^TM L-100 and LightSaver^TM L-1000 emergency lighting systems. We do have hands in other stuff, but are pretty focused on developing emergency lighting systems and devices. Please visit our website at: www.lightsavertechnologies.com and click on Products and "About Us" to learn more.

Q: How does it work? Does volume matter? At what volume level does it activate? Can the volume level be programmed to be more sensitive or less sensitive?
A: The device actually is proprietarily designed to search (sniff) for the certain frequencies that common smoke detectors broadcast their alarm sounds in. Common smoke detectors typically broadcast in a range of frequencies that our device is designed to sense. While a certain level of volume of sound is obviously required, volume is not as much a factor as whether or not the actual smoke detector frequency is being broadcast throughout a home, room, etc... By design, our microphone and microprocessor are reasonably sensitive to these certain sounds.

Q: I don't have smoke detectors in my home, what do I do?
A: Your LightSaver^TM L-100 will not work without smoke detectors that broadcast the sounds/frequencies that it is designed to monitor for. In our testing, we have tested the LightSaver^TM L-100 to work with common smoke alarms, most of which broadcast a loud sound in a typical range of frequencies. We have tested many different types of smoke detectors, most of which are reasonably priced and widely available at at your local building supply warehouse store. WE DO NOT REPRESENT THAT THE LightSaver^TM L-100 WILL WORK WITH ALL SMOKE ALARMS. If, after you attempt to properly test your new device with your existing smoke alarms and the device does not work, please read your User's manual that was provided with the device to troubleshoot and or learn proper device operations. If all else fails, please contact us and maybe we can lend a hand.

Q: Can the LightSaver^TM be programmed to be more sensitive or less sensitive?
A: Our firmware (the proprietary program that our microprocessor runs) actually is the only program that this generation will have. It is not adjustable or programmable by you.

Q: How do I test my LightSaver^TM?
A: The "Test Button" is located on top of the device housing above the LightSaver^TM Logo. Pressing and holding this button for a few seconds should cycle the device through a flash test (3 flashes) where you will see the Light-Strands light up. [For more on testing or resetting your device, please read through your User's Manual that was provided with the device.

Q: Will loud music or other sounds cause my LightSaver^TM L-100 to turn on?
A: Perhaps. If one is playing loud music with repeating or constant notes that fall within the frequency range that your LightSaver^TM L-100 is searching for and these sounds are being broadcast over many seconds, it could trigger the device. Our Owner's Manual refers to the possibility of this occurring and we suggest that the batteries be regularly changed if extraneous sounds or rogue smoke detector alarms are regularly triggering the LightSaver^TM. As with any battery powered device, too much or too frequent use can deplete the battery. [Please see your User's manual for more on this].

Q: Can it be turned on manually?
A: Yes, although we don't recommend that you do so more than your Owner's Manual prescribed weekly testing. The device has a "Test" button on the top right hand side of same just above the LightSaver^TM logo. Your Owner's Manual describes how to test it and how regularly it should be tested. [Please see your User's manual for more on this]

Q: Will it function in an earthquake, tornado, hurricane or other natural disaster? Does it react to a seismic event given the fact that most people run to a doorway during an earthquake?
A: This generation of the LightSaver^TM L-100 (L-100/Series-A) is not designed with any seismic or other disaster sensing features. Our patent filings already include many new features (including the seismic sensing features) that will likely be released in future generations of the LightSaver^TM. Next generations of the LightSaver^TM L-100 may include some or all of these new features.

Q: How do you install it?
A: It is easy, just a handful of easy steps AND doesn't require any tools (other than a pair of scissors) to put it up! Although we can't speak for everyone, typical installation time in a typical setting (i.e, a residence's doorway with trim molding around it) for a typical homeowner is between 5 and 15 minutes. You can download and read through our "Installation Directions" which can be found on this website (insert hotlink to installation directions pdf).

Q: What distance can the LightSaver^TM L-100 light travel? And how much further can it travel than standard/conventional emergency lighting systems?
A: The light is very bright and, in an unobstructed setting, the light can travel exceptionally far, like most light. Our light really doesn't travel any further than other light, but its unique color, our proprietary emergency flash and the configuration of the way it is installed (all the way around the door and along the baseboards on each side of the door) causes it to be exceptionally noticeable in a dark or smoky setting. Our executives have actually tested the device in a real house burn-down exercise in California and were amazed at how visible the devices were through the smoke. We have learned that the aqua-blue-green color, itself, is one of the most visible colors for the human eye to see and is one of the reasons that we adopted this hue.

Q: Why type of light is it? LED, optical fiber, etc.?
A: This generation, the L-100/Series-A uses electroluminescent wire as its light source. Electroluminescent wire is a light source based on the technology of electroluminescence. It is the only linear light source in the world available in the form of a wire, which is produced in many colors, small diameters and continuous lengths varying from inches to thousands of feet.

Q: Why does my LightSaver device keep flashing intermittently?
A: The LightSaver^TM L-100 has a built in "flash-chirp" to signal to you that the battery should be replaced when its charge falls below a certain level. When the device intermittently flashes (i.e, flashes a few times every once in awhile), it usually means that the battery is low. Always immediately replace a low battery and be sure to "re-test" and "re-calibrate” your LightSaver^TM L-100 device when the new battery is installed. [The User's Manual covers this procedure]

Q: What kind of battery does it use?
A: LightSaver^TM L-100 operates on a fresh standard 9v alkaline battery (i.e, the same type of rectangularly shaped battery which is used in most smoke detectors). Future generations of the LightSaver^TM, which are currently in development, may use rechargeable and/or other types of batteries.

Q: When should I change/replace the battery in my LightSaver^TM L-100?
A: We recommend that you change the battery in your LightSaver^TM L-100 EVERY SIX MONTHS. When you set the clocks forward or backward for daylight savings time changes, change the batteries in your LightSaver^TM L-100 devices AND all of your smoke detectors too. Make sure to TEST THE LightSaver^TM L-100 with its nearby smoke detectors when you replace the batteries in the devices! [See User's Manual for more detail]

Q: How long can the light be on before the battery dies?
A: Our engineer's testing indicates that the device, in optimal environments, will continually search for the smoke detector alarm frequencies for up to a year and, when triggered, it will flash for up to 6 straight hours with a healthy battery. While we have conducted battery tests wherein the device ran for much longer, "we suggest that in order to be sure, YOU SHOULD REPLACE THE BATTERIES IN THE LightSaver^TM L-100 EVERY 6 MONTHS."

Q: Are you offering a warranty?
A: Yes. We offer a One Year Limited Warranty on the L-100 which is outlined in the User's Manual.

Q: Is it water proof?
A: No. Like most electronic devices designed for the home, the device is not designed to be waterproof.

Q: Does it provide much ambient or bright light to light up a room?
A: The light strands do provide both ambient light and a high level of brightness, but are not to design a room like conventional lighting would. That is, they are bright enough at the frequencies that they operate on that one can see them very clearly if looking directly at them, and, if looking in the general vicinity of the light, one would certainly see the emergency pulse and know that it is something to head toward, but the light is designed to outline the safe exit doorway and low areas near the floor. As smoke in a house fire fills a room, it fills it from the ceiling down. Our lighting strands are designed to line the perimeter of the doorway and return a few feet along the baseboards on either side of your door (typical sized doors) so that as smoke fills the room, you have more time at the lower elevation to identify the safe exit. When flashing, they can provide a hue around the periphery of a door or window where they are installed. Once you see it work in your home, you'll know what we mean.

Because every situation is so different, "especially in emergencies," we make no representations or warranties about what one will or will not see in such event.