Sparks Electrical News December 2017

LIGHTING

18

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIFICATIONS AND SYMBOLS ON DIMMERS

O n the back side of most gadgets, there’s a string of hieroglyphs that look like the bottom line of an engineer’s eye chart. But this mishmash of symbols and letters is essential to international trade, product per- formance and safety. All electrical switches including dimmers must have the following mandatory symbols to comply with South African and International Standards. Products which show these symbols must be able to produce a valid test report and an RCC or LOA number and conversely, all mains dimmers must have a valid RCC or LOA number. Here’s what each symbol means and why it’s there With the wide variety of bulbs and dimmers available in the market, it is important to choose your products wisely. Pairing dimmers and bulbs which are incompat- ible can result in lights flickering and fluttering, limited dimming range, slow start- up, and inconsistent illumination. To avoid these types of issues it is important to remember these five things: • Not all LED lamps are dimmable. Make sure yours are. • Not all controls work with dimmable LED lamps. Read the manufacturer’s compatibility charts. • Some LEDs are just cheap and unproven. Buy well-tested products. • Some dimmers are cheap and unproven. Buy well-tested products. • Always perform a mock-up.

SHUTTLE

MANUFACTURER’S OR RESPONSIBLE VENDOR’S NAME, TRADE MARK OR IDENTIFICATION MARK

MANDATORY

SDIM-T-LED 500 W

Type or model number

Mandatory.

The unique product model number must be on the label and must correspond with the model number on the LOA or RCC.

RCC or LOA number

Mandatory to have, not mandatory to show on label.

South African Regulatory compliance certificate number.

RCC or LOA number

SANS 60669-2-1

South African National Standard

Mandatory to have, not mandatory to show on label.

Specification is drawn up by SABS and is adopted from the IEC. SANS is an umbrella specification which covers a list of specifications such as EMI. First number: protection rating from solids. Second number: protection rating from water.

IP20

Ingress protection rating

Mandatory to show on label.

125W

Rated load

Mandatory to show on the label if the current is not shown

Will differ for different wattages of products

0,5A

Nominal operating current

Mandatory to show on the label if the rated load is not shown.

Will differ for different wattages of products.

~ 230VAC, 50Hz

Voltage and frequency

Mandatory to show on label.

A voltage of (nominally) 230 V and a frequency of 50 Hz is used in Europe, most of Africa, most of Asia, much of South America and Australia. Wave symbol is for ac voltage.

Enquiries: www.shuttlelighting.com

Incandescent lamps

Mandatory to show on label.

Indicates what type of lamp the dimmer can be used on.

LED Lamps

Voluntary.

A voluntary symbol, which shows that the dimmer is compat- ible with LEDs.

Electronic step-down converter

Mandatory to show on label for compatible products.

Shows that the dimmer is compatible with electronic transformers.

Terminal for regulated load Mandatory to show on label.

Shows that the output voltage is variable and prevents people connecting a non-dimmable product to the dimmer.

DECIPHERING THE HIEROGLYPHICS

LIGHTING COLLECTIONS FROM DELTA LIGHT

E uropean Light and Design Centre (ELDC) launched the latest Delta Light Lighting Bible at an event in its Cape Town showroom. The catalogue, in its 12 th edition, offers over 1000 pages of design, ap- plication, technical innovation, and project images. The company also has a range of new luminaires, some of which are described below. The Superloop family comprises an extensive range of slim circular

and square shapes, offering a multitude of illumination options. Superloop allows users to choose ‘functional’, by mounting adjustable Spy modules on the round or square shaped base; ‘decorative’, by mounting the light emitting circle in a horizontal manner, or ‘eye catcher’, by hanging the circle of light vertically, as a statement. Superloop circular light has the ability to diffuse light all around. The loop can be hung using steel cables, based in

one fixation point or multiple suspension points, or from a steel rod suspending the ring from the air. It is also available in a round or square shape with a Delta Light custom engineered 48 V low voltage track on the inside. This allows users to position and move light modules around, tool-free, offering maximum flexibility and meeting any need of the project. Splitline Magnetic is the latest member of the versatile Splitline profile family and a new magnetic made-to-measure profile has been added to the collection. The Splitline M allows for dynamics and personalisation. Depending on what the space needs, it is possible to add, remove or adjust luminaries whenever and wherever needed. Based on a plug & play approach, there is no need for complex technical intervention. Inside the Magnetic Splitline it is possible to play with an extensive range of discrete or decorative modules. Tweeter, one of the most iconic ranges in the Delta Light range, can now also be combined with the Splitline, as can the Gibbo suspension – featuring a transparent, opal or amber hand blown globe – or the slender Microspy suspensions. Combining playful styling with a striking light effect, Stig has the look of a mini robot and projects a sleek line of light. Its little helmet conceals a 6 to 8 W LED, combined with a lens, behind an opal diffuser. The stripe of light that Stig creates enables users to accent contours, illuminate pathways, indicate guidelines or add decorative lighting effects. It is available in a range of variants, for direct mounting on ceiling or wall, combined with a pin to anchor it in the ground, or with a strap to attach it to a tree trunk, column, etc. Enquiries:: +27 (0)21 448 8684

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

DECEMBER 2017