To choose the right light fitting, you first need to know where you want to install it. Not all the lights are created or made equal, and not all the light fittings can be installed in any environment.
For example, it is not recommended to install a light fitting that doesn't have IP rating in the bathroom, since there's the danger of short circuit due to the vapors or steam reaching the electrical parts; it is not safe.
Also, you cannot install a light fitting that has an IP rating lower than IP65 in the shower; where there's splashing of water, the light fitting has to be sealed.
Similarly, you cannot just install any light fitting outdoors; there has to be a proper IP rating depending on the exposure to the wind, dust, rain, and splashing of water.
It's best to be on the safe side, otherwise you may install your favorite light fitting somewhere and, within a few months, you will have to take it off or worse, you may have to redo your electrical wiring.
Introducing the Coastal Lights - Light Fittings Suitable for Coastal Lighting
When it comes to choosing the right fitting for outdoor lighting, again, not all the exterior lights are made equal; besides the IP rating (the degree of protection against dust, particles, and water), there's also the proximity to the sea or ocean.There is a particular range of light fittings which Astro Lighting calls, "Coastal Lights", which are designed to withstand whatever the weather can throw at them.
Many of them are made of brass and can be safely installed within 5 miles from the coast since they are very strong. Why 5 miles from the coast?
Installing any outdoor lights within 5 miles from the sea or coast - where there's a high concentration of salt in the air, the weather is harsher on the fittings, and corrosion is caused by the salt - will cause a build-up from weather and rain, and the physical parts of the fittings can deteriorate.
The coastal range, however, is made to withstand anything that the weather throws at them; they are made of hard-wearing materials, suitable for salty conditions on the coast.
Even if there are some stainless steel parts, they are contained and protected. Some of these Coastal Lights are:
Jura Single or Twin Wall Light in Antique Brass taking GU10 lamps, great for coast lighting
Malibu Oval or Round Antique Brass Coastal Wall Light taking a E27 Lamp, made of Brass
Stornoway antique brass wall lantern, part of the Coastal Lights collection
Thurso Round or Oval Wall / Ceiling Light fitting in Natural Brass, taking 1 x E27 lamp
Bayville Single Wall LED Spotlight in Textured Black, Textured White, or Textured Grey, complete with 8.1W LED 3000K lamp
Dunbar Concrete Single or Up-down Wall Light, complete with the LED lamp
Gramos Round or Square Ground Light in a Natural Brass finish, ideal for Walkover Lighting
Salt-Spray Tested Lights - not Suitable for Coastal Lighting
Besides the Coastal Lights collection there are a number of "salt-spray tested" lights, many of them with a high IP rating.These are not recommended to be installed within 5 miles from the coast, since the corrosion from the salt may operate and damage them after the number of hours for which they were salt-spray tested.
They have a three year guarantee, but this doesn't apply if the salt-spray tested fittings are installed within five miles from the coast or in a high salt environment.
The closer you are to the sea, the more you enjoy the weather in the summer :) and you dread the winds in the fall and winter; also, the more protected and insulated the light fittings used outdoors have to be.
The Coastal Lights are suitable for use by the coast and other exposed areas, combining outstanding durability with striking design.
The salt-spray tested light fittings, however, are not recommended to be installed on the coast. Here are some of the most lovely salt-spray tested light fittings:
The Dartmouth range - Dartmouth IP54 single LED lamp in grey or black, and the Dartmouth Twin LED Up-Down textured black or painted silver wall light - 1000h salt-spray testing
The Mast range - Mast Wall Lights in Antique Brass, Matt White, Textured black, and Painted Silver, with an IP rating of IP65 and taking max. 1 x 35W GU10 lamp (not included). 1000h Salt Spray Tested
