Void Round 100 Matt Black Bezel IP65 for use with Void 100 LED Downlights, Astro 1392015

Downlights are a lovely way to brighten up your home. They are often small and recessed, making them convenient to place in any part of your home that you feel is a little too dim. However, poorly installed downlights are the cause of a substantial number of fires in homes every year. The rise in popularity of LED lights has led to many people attempting to replace their old recessed ceiling lights themselves. DIY can always be risky, especially when you are handling electronics. Sparks advise you seek the help of a registered electrician to do this particular job. In this article, Sparks will take you through how to safely replace downlights and achieve bright energy-efficient lighting anywhere across your home. What is a downlight, and what are the different kinds? Downlights are a type of recessed luminaire. They are installed in hollow openings, usually in ceilings, as they cast their light downwards. Having a light fixture installed in a hollow recess makes the light appear to be part of the ceiling itself. This is opposed to suspended or wall lights which will hang down, or stay separate from the ceiling. Downlights operate at mains voltage (230 Volts) or are powered by a transformer at low voltage (12 Volts). These low voltage lights are often given the acronym Extra-Low Voltage (ELV) or Safety Extra-Low Voltage (SELV). At Sparks we have a wide range of low voltage downlights, many of which also have a high IP rating for mounting in the bathroom or shower. ‘Fire rated’ (FR) downlights have built-in fire protection that seals the downlight if a fire breaks out in the room below. This will stop - or hinder - the spread of fire and smoke into other areas. The trusted Electrical Safety First (ESF) recommends the use of Fire Rated downlights, for any installation. They also advise that they are fitted with aluminium reflector lamps to ensure fire and excessive heat is kept out of any gaps. Questions you may have about Fire-Rated downlights This Fire Rated Void Round 80 LED Downlight can be purchased from this list here. What’s the purpose of a fire-rated downlight? The purpose of a Fire Rated downlight is to ensure that there are no weak spots in your ceiling. This ensures that the integrity of the structure of a building is maintained in all areas. When and where should FR downlights be fitted? They are most often fitted by designers in avenues of escape, for instance, hallways. Fire Rated downlights must always match the fire rating standard of the structure they are fitted on to. The rare exception is with false ceilings i.e. in open plan offices. How is downlight quality and effectiveness tested? A responsible manufacturer will seek to have their products constructed to meet certain test criteria, and pass very stringent live fire tests. These tests are set by the British Standards Organisation or their equivalent European tests, and they must receive a ‘pass’ certificate. Thinking of installing new downlights? Here are some Safety Tips Sparks would encourage you to use a registered electrician to install your downlighters. You should keep the manufacturer's instructions for your new downlights in a safe place for future reference. Here is a brief list of other steps to follow when installing downlights: Thoroughly read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Always ensure your mains-powered electricity is switched off before changing the lamp. Look at the packaging and the downlighter for details of correct replacement lamps. Do not exceed the maximum number of wattage allowed. Don't fit a cool beam (or ‘dichroic’) reflector lamp unless the downlight is specifically designed for use with that lamp type. If in any doubt, just fit them with standard aluminium reflector lamps. Check to see that the lamp holder is not damaged, scorched or corroded. If it is, then do not fit the lamp and seek help from a registered electrician. Checking your existing downlights: Safety tips If you just want to check that the downlights you are currently using are safe, you can take the following steps: Look for visible markings on downlights which indicate lamp wattage and lamp type. Check the recessed ceiling lights and their surroundings for signs of discolouration or scorching caused by overheating. Make sure that downlights installed in floor and ceiling cavities have enough space around them. Ensure that downlights are not in close proximity of loft insulation or other combustible materials. Check that your downlights are not placed near furniture, curtains or similar flammable items. Make sure you haven’t fitted ‘dichroic’ lamps in lamp holders designed for use with aluminium reflector lamps. If you have, then replace them with the correct type. We hope this guide has given you comprehensive information on how to safely handle your downlights. This applies to instances where you are replacing them, or simply checking that the ones you have installed are safe.

Bathrooms are no longer purely functional washrooms but are now seen as a showcase for a home, or as a relaxing sanctuary from a hectic family life. Everyone - men and women alike - are spending an increasing amount of time in the bathroom these days. We may not be consciously aware of this shift, but if it is true, then shouldn’t we be making improvements to this room to which we dedicate so much time? For instance, the lighting of a bathroom can make or break the decor and atmosphere of the entire room. In this article we would like to offer some insight on the planning, dimming, current regulations, and the types of lights one can use for a modern bathroom lighting. Planning your modern bathroom lighting layout While laying out your plan for a bathroom refurbishment, first consider where the basin, toilet and bath are to be positioned. After these locations are identified, next up is to consider is the lighting. You should start considering the running of all the cables before you begin the serious business of tiling and decorating. Next up, you should consider the space you have within the bathroom, and how many lighting ‘scenes’ you wish to create. For instance, a little cloakroom may only require one lighting scene, while a room with a bath would need at least two types - a bright warm light for quick stops and ‘soft and low light’ for longer relaxing soaks. When creating your lighting ‘scene’ ensure that you have at least two light switches. These can be legally positioned inside the bathroom, so long as they are a safe distance from wet areas. The easiest solution is to position both switches outside, adjacent to the door. The importance of Dimmer Switches in your modern bathroom lighting layout Dimmer switches are extremely in vogue at the moment, being an inexpensive means to control the brightness level of your light. This is useful, for instance, if you are popping in for a night time trip to the toilet and don’t want to be rudely blasted by the full glare of your bulb. All major lighting types can now be dimmable via a dimmer switch, depending on the specific model. All mains, low-voltage halogen or any ‘standard’ filament-type bulbs are dimmer friendly, while an increasing number of LEDs, fluorescent and CFL bulbs are compatible with this technology now too. Advise on choosing the correct dimmer switch for your light bulb type can be found here. Regulations - which light bulbs can be fitted in your modern bathroom lighting layout When fitting any light inside a bathroom you must confirm it is at least IP44 rated, which makes it suitable for bathroom zones 2 and 3. With IP ratings, the first digit explains how well protected the fixture is against solids, and the second digit indicates its level of protection against liquids. The second ‘4’ in IP44 tells you that it is rated as ‘protected from water sprayed from all directions’. This means you can use an IP44 rated light anywhere in the bathroom, excluding the inside of the bath or shower room itself. A higher rating is offered by IP65 rated lights which are ‘jet-proof’ meaning they can take on the spray from a shower nozzle and are therefore suitable for any bathroom zone, particularly in the shower. Click here for a more in-depth explanation of IP ratings in the bathroom. The General Types of Lighting which are essential for starting a complete bathroom lighting layoutNext, it is time to examine the general lighting types you will be dealing with in a bathroom setting. First up there are Ceiling Lights, which should be placed as centrally as possible for an easy lighting solution. The Mashiko Series is a beautiful range of ceiling lights that offer refined and contemporary lighting at an affordable price. The one drawback of ceiling lights is that they may illuminate the room in a general way, but cannot replicate the feeling of more specific lighting, such as mood lighting or task lighting. Downlights, meanwhile, can be considered an alternative to ceiling lights, which consume more space. Downlights are smaller in size and a standard 2-metre by 2-metre bathroom would require three to four of them. For the most effective lighting effect, position these lights close to the edges of the bathroom. This will achieve an attractive border of light washing down each wall, with a gentler and more nuanced ambience than the ceiling lights. The Void Series of downlights offers a range of Fire-Rated downlights with a convenient variety of beam angles. Many of them feature other useful capabilities, such as the dimmable function (if a dimmer switch is used), for instance, the Void 80 GU10 LED downlight. Spotlights are another general lighting type to consider. They are surface-mounted and offer more versatility in where they may be angled. For example, there are fitting with three spotlights available for purchase; these useful lights can be individually directed into three separate areas of the room, which creates a more interesting and less ‘general’ lighting scene. Take for instance, Ascoli triple spotlights are guaranteed to class up your bathroom area. The Ascoli Triple Ceiling Spotlight in Bronze is a prime example of a model that exudes pure class both in appearance and performance. This post was largely inspired by the Astro official guide on Bathroom Lighting.