Sparks Electrical News April 2018

LIGHTING

19

A QUESTION TO THE INDUSTRY – LED LIGHTING

INSTALLING EQUIPMENT IN HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS

L ED strip lighting is popular for adding decorative style and ambience to lighting projects, both in- doors and outdoors. It is versatile and inexpensive whilst quick and easy to fit; and it has the ability to change the setting and atmosphere of a room in an instant. Being discreet and flexible in design, LED strip is also extremely practical, doubling as task lighting if needed by placing the light source where required. Strip lighting is manufactured ready to be cut to size and is flexible, enabling easy placement around corners and curves. When illuminated, it provides bright, focused lighting in a range of RGB colours, whites or even RGBW and is therefore highly suitable for home and commercial use. Unlike CFL or halogen, its densely packed LEDs de- liver a continuous run of uniform light. Perfect for residential or commercial use LED strip is easyto install and is one of the most energy efficient forms of lighting, enhancing architectural beauty using hidden and subtle fixtures. It can be used to add a subtle dimension to an existing room layout while re- maining inconspicuous or to create dramatic impact in exciting new ways. For a whole new dynamic, static col- W hat constitutes a hazardous location? In some contexts it could be a badly lit step, however, we consider it an area in which a flammable material, gas or vapour must be mixed in the correct proportion with air, and within this mix- ture, a spark or heat is present, sufficient to ignite the mixture. When light fittings and other electrical apparatus are to be installed in a hazardous area it is essential that the decision maker takes meas- ures to reduce the likelihood of an explosion by the correct selection of the equipment to be installed in that area. As the gases and vapours liable to be present are rated according to ignition temperature, flash point and lower explosive limit, this informa- tion must be on hand when making your light fitting selection. Mineral insulated cables should be used to feed equipment installed in areas where vibration occurs. Rubber seals on gland assemblies should be checked to ensure correct seating and periodically to check for brittleness or deterioration. It is important at the design stage to anticipate what effect the chemicals present at the hazardous location will have upon the component parts of the installation. PVC, for example, will harden and crack when exposed to most solvents such as petrol, whilst general-purpose rubbers will soften when exposed to oils as well as solvents. Damage to equipment can invalidate explosion proof qualities of cables and terminations, hence leading to a potentially dangerous situation especially in the case of flameproof equipment. Drilling holes in protected equipment to facilitate ease of mounting is definitely not permitted. Automatic electrical protection, earthing and the provision of effective means for complete circuit

isolation, including the neutral, must be incorporated in the installation. Suitable wiring systems should be chosen and particular care must be taken in the connecting of cables to protected equipment. Un- used entries in apparatus must be stopped off with suitable plugs according to the type of protection used. Once the installation is complete, it has to be tested and this can be a problem because of the danger of creating a spark and igniting the inflam- mable atmosphere, thus any tests should be carried out when the location has been made safe i.e. by halting production. Light fittings being only one of the electrical items used within the hazardous environment also need to be checked and serviced regularly and special care must be taken when relamping to see that machine faces are not corrosion pitted or gaskets damaged, that glands are still tight and not corroded, and final- ly, that the sealing screws and devices are all tightly replaced and none missing.

E very issue, Sparks Electrical News will be putting a relevant question to the industry – this month, our focus is lighting. This month’s question: Do you believe that electrical contractors have reached the point where specification and installation of LED lighting, where appropriate, is becoming the rule and not the exception? Eagle Lighting, Retail Projects Manager, Ryan Carthew: “LED lighting has become the new norm in the lighting industry, both with retrofit lamps and complete LED solutions. LED is being specified on all professional projects as well as for renovations and alterations. Because of its low power consumption, ever increasing range and price which is consistently falling, LED tech- nology has definitely become the rule rather than the exception. LED technology also offers the advantage of longevity, which makes it a much more appealing option for the consumer.” Philips Lighting, Southern African & Ghana Country Leader, Raja Moudgil: As far as new installations are concerned, I believe that there have been a number of initiatives taken by the specifiers and contractors to ensure that LEDs are used, so there has definitely been an increase, yet at the consumer level this is still missing. This is not the fault of the contractor though; largely it is due to availability and education of the consumer. From next month we will be offering LEDs which are 10% cheaper than CFLs and 50% more efficient in terms of their lifetime and light output. Eurolux, QC Manager, Patrick Stuckie: “The installation of LED luminaires must be done ac- cording to the wiring code SANS 10142, immaterial of the type or technology of the luminaire. LED luminaires are becoming more popular as the older technology is falling away. However, the installation may change slightly for LED items as the heat in certain instances would af- fect the life of the item. Instructions should be read and followed.” ElectroMechanica Lighting Specialist, Vinson Moore: “I believe electrical contractors have started moving in the right direction when speaking about specifying good products. In the past there was an influx of cheap, bad quality LED products and nobody was explaining why not to choose a cheaper alternative. Now times are changing and good quality and affordable products, such as LEDVANCE Osram and Aurora Enlite, have become a standard and reliable product to specify. When an engineer sees that the contractor has installed these products, they are at ease.”

Enquiries: www.nordland-lighting.com

STYLISH LIGHTING IN A HANDY STRIP

our and colour changing light strips can be placed behind items in the home, including televisions. Strip can also be combined with spotlights, which highlight specific areas, while LED flexible light strips illuminate the top side of bookshelves and cabinets and provide back lighting. IP protected options enable the use of LED strip in kitchens and bathrooms as well as for external use. If the driver is installed in the same environment, ensure it is also IP rated. A real energy saver in kitchens, strip doubles as task lighting when placed under kitchen cabinets, so the whole room doesn’t need to be fully lit when just making a cup- pa! When used as toe kicks and stair lights, it becomes an added safety feature. LED strip is widely used in commercial and hospitality environments, often to complement the corporate iden- tity of an organisation in areas such as the main recep- tion by illuminating shelves or providing back lighting. Bringing signage to life, typically the product works better for more linear rectangular shaped signs with little need to wrap around corners or curves. It is also excellent for reverse halo effects on signage or wall mounted media. Strip is often used in the hospitality sector to divide up

spaces and section them off. In a hotel reception or bar for exam- ple, it can cast light downwards, creating shapes and shadows or be integrated decoratively un- derneath the surface of the bar itself to create mood as well as a modern and comfortable envi- ronment. Enlite’s LEDline TM PRO offers a range of cuttable 12 V and 24 V single and RGB colour changing LED strip kits with op- tions for both interior and exte- rior use.

Enquiries: www.enlitelighting.com

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

APRIL 2018