Lithonia ELBCS06 Replacement Battery 4.8V 1500mAh Ni-MH

Lithonia ELBCS06 — 4.8V Ni-MH Replacement Battery (ELBCS06)

This is a 4.8V, 1500mAh Ni-MH replacement battery for Lithonia emergency lighting fixtures and exit signs using the ELBCS06 or ELB-CS06 cell pack. It slots into fittings that run a 4.8V nickel chemistry charge circuit. Compatible OEM references include MAG93NC487, ELNICD-48-700, and ELBB006.

• Lithonia 4.8V emergency lighting platform: These fittings share a common 4.8V charge rail and nickel-chemistry BMS that monitors cell voltage during both float charge and test discharge. Swapping in a Ni-MH cell keeps the charge controller within its acceptance window — substituting a lithium pack on this platform will trigger a false fault condition.
• Bench tested on actual hardware: We ran this cell through a full charge cycle followed by a timed load discharge at the rated draw. The BMS accepted the cell on first connection, float voltage stabilised within two hours, and the charge indicator moved to green before the 24-hour mark.
• First test cycle after installation: Hold the test button for the full rated duration within 24 hours of fitting the new cell. This lets the charge controller register the new cell capacity and prevents a false-fail result on your next scheduled compliance test. Do not skip this step if the fitting has been on float charge for less than 12 hours before the test.

Charge indicator staying red after fitting a new ELBCS06 cell

A Ni-MH cell discharged during storage can sit below the float acceptance voltage of the charge controller. When the controller sees a cell voltage that low on first connection, it flags a fault rather than entering normal charge mode. Leave the fitting powered for up to 24 hours — the controller will trickle the cell up to the acceptance threshold and then switch to full charge. If the indicator is still red after 24 hours, check the cell connector seating and confirm supply voltage at the fitting is within spec (typically 120V or 277V depending on the unit).

Emergency light dims and cuts short during a compliance duration test

This happens when a newly installed cell has not completed at least one full charge cycle before the test is run. Ni-MH cells do not reach rated capacity on their first partial charge — the first full cycle conditions the cell and allows it to deliver its full 1500mAh under load. Run the fitting on mains charge for a minimum of 24 hours, then perform the test. If the cell still dims early after conditioning, measure cell voltage under load — a reading below 4.0V during discharge indicates a defective cell.