Chelsom is committed to being at the forefront of the latest developments in lighting technology. Our technical manager Graham Martin (BA in Production Engineering) has vast knowledge and experience of all the technical aspects of our industry. He is a Lighting Association qualified factory inspector which ensures our components come from only the most reputable sources. He serves on the Lighting Association Technical Committee which is currently putting together the new pan European regulations for LED lighting. Most importantly, he is available to answer any of your technical questions, either directly or if appropriate by referral to the relevant source.
In the meantime, the following are some of the most frequent queries we receive and some brief answers:
How do I know a lighting product is safe?
Firstly, only buy from reputable sources – a company which has Lighting Association Code of Practice Accreditation or has achieved ISO9001. Ensure any luminaire has a compliance label (CE mark) with the name of the manufacturer and the date of manufacture. Any reputable company will, upon request, supply a Declaration of Conformity which confirms that the luminaire has been manufactured in accordance with the current relevant safety regulations.
Which standards apply in the UK ? Which abroad?
In the UK and Europe the relevant lighting standard is BS EN 60598-1:2008. In addition Chelsom can wire to UL standards (USA and Canada), to GOST-R standards (Russia), to SASCO standards (Saudi Arabia) and many others.
What light levels do I need in this room?
Guidance on light level requirements for various hotel room types is given by CIBSE/SLL(Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers/Society of Light and Lighting). Light levels are measured in Lux and guidance levels are: entrance hall 100 Lux; reception desk 300 Lux; bar/restaurant/lounge 50-200 Lux and guestrooms 50-100 Lux. These are general light levels but specific room areas (desk or bedside) will need a minimum of 300 Lux. Several hotel groups have their own generic standards. Chelsom can prepare light level calculations and advice on request.
What lights can I use in a bathroom?
Click here to see an extract from Chelsom catalogue Edition 22 giving advice on bathroom lighting.
What is the difference between incandescent, fluorescent, halogen and LED lamps (bulbs)?
An incandescent lamp is a tungsten filament lamp as used for the last 100 years with wattages normally ranging from 25w to 150w. These produce a lot of heat, are not energy efficient by today’s standards and have a lamp life of 1,000 hours. They are currently being phased out under a European directive.
Fluorescent is a much more energy-efficient light source (21w fluorescent = 100w incandescent) which runs cooler and lasts approximately 10,000 hours. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) are now instant start, flicker free, similar in size to incandescent and available in ‘warm white’. Fluorescent lamps are commonly used to meet the requirements of Building Regulations part L (the minimum required amount of lumens per watt).
Halogen lamps use halogen gas within their construction, are more energy efficient than incandescent by about 30%, give good light output and produce less heat. They offer a direct replacement therefore for the old incandescent lamp. Latest Halogens are infra red coated (IRC) which increases energy efficiency.
LED is a light emitting diode and has been used in the past for low level lighting such as car dashboards etc. Today their benefits are extremely low wattage, very low maintenance (up to 100,000 hours lamp life), and almost no heat from the front face of the LED itself. Slight disadvantages are a colder colour temperature, high initial cost and limited areas of application.
What is ‘control gear’ and which lamps need it?
‘Control gear’ means a device which aids in the starting and running of certain types of lamps. The unit can be sited within the relevant luminaire or in some circumstances remote from it. Chelsom recommends electronic control gear rather than wire wound as the latter will be phased out in future years.
A fluorescent lamp requires an electronic ballast which starts the lamp and controls its operation within the recommended current and voltage parameters. It should normally be sited within 1 metre of the lamp.
A low voltage lamp (usually halogen) requires a transformer to convert mains voltage to low voltage, typically from 240v to 12v. It should normally be sited within 3 metres of the lamp (depending on the thickness of cable used).
An LED requires a driver to reduce the mains voltage to low voltage as above and also to provide a constant current. It can be sited up to 20 metres from the lamp (again depending on cable thickness).
Which light source can I dim easily?
Incandescent and mains halogen lamps can easily be dimmed with any standard dimming system.
Low voltage halogen lamps can be dimmed providing a dimming transformer is used (there are two types - leading edge and trailing edge). In the UK many applications will require leading edge transformers whereas in the rest of Europe, trailing edge is more common. PLEASE CHECK YOUR REQUIREMENTS BEFORE SPECIFYING AS THE TWO ARE NOT COMPATIBLE.
Fluorescent lamps can be dimmed providing specialised ballasts are used. They can be bulky and are costly. Most self ballasted fluorescent lamps cannot be dimmed but a small number have this option within the range of 9w – 20w. BEWARE OF LESSER QUALITY DIMMING SELF-BALLASTED LAMPS WHICH HAVE VERY POOR DIMMING CHARACTERISTICS.
LEDs can be dimmed providing specialist dimming drivers are used. Dimming is only recommended for higher wattages (above 3w).
What is Emergency Lighting ?
Emergency lighting operates in the event of a mains power failure to the luminaire. Whenever mains power fails, it is automatically replaced with battery power from an integral or remote battery pack which is re-chargeable. This power source must be able to run for a minimum of 1 hour although 3 hours is a more normal requirement in the UK. Battery packs are described as ‘maintained’ (the lamp is illuminated under mains or battery power) or ‘non-maintained’ (the lamp is only illuminated under battery power). The light sources normally associated with emergency lighting are fluorescent, low-voltage halogen and LEDs. There are specific regulations as to the location and light output of emergency luminaires.
Do I need fire-rated recessed downlighters?
These are only required if the ceiling itself is a fire barrier as defined by Building Regulations. For example, most suspended ceilings are not fire barriers – it is generally the concrete ceiling above which has that function – and consequently fire-rated downlighters would not be required. Recessed downlighters must never be covered by insulation material
What are the flammability regulations regarding fabric shades?
Regulations require that shade fabric is sufficiently spaced from the heat source so that the fabric does not reach its combustion temperature. Chelsom recommends that shades are manufactured from fabric which is inherently flame-resistant (PVC, silk, polyester) and which passes the 650° glow wire test.
What plug do I need to specify ?
Click here for a review of most normal international plug types and their countries of use.
NOTE THE ABOVE ARE GUIDELINE ANSWERS ONLY. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT OUR TECHNICAL MANAGER OR CONSULT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN.