I have some chrome finished wall lights that were purchased in the USA. There is a label stating that they are suitable for damp locations. However, is there any way I can check the IP rating of these, or indeed my current bathroom ceiling lights, to see if they are suitable for zone 2 use.
How do I check IP rating?
- Thread starter mivec
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holmslaw
..
There probably isn't, but you have much bigger problems that make the IP one pretty irrelevant.
1) The lights will have been made to operate on 110V and you have no way whatsoever of knowing if they would be safe at 230V. So the only sensible course of action, i.e. one where you are not gambling your life and that of anyone else who uses them, is to put them in the bin.
2) US light bulbs have different bases to European ones so you won't be able to get any to fit.
[EDIT] Doh! [/EDIT]
1) The lights will have been made to operate on 110V and you have no way whatsoever of knowing if they would be safe at 230V. So the only sensible course of action, i.e. one where you are not gambling your life and that of anyone else who uses them, is to put them in the bin.
2) US light bulbs have different bases to European ones so you won't be able to get any to fit.
[EDIT] Doh! [/EDIT]
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The IP rating is split into five sections first is the letters IP
Second numerals 0 to 6, or letter X refers to (a) Protection of persons against access to hazardous parts inside enclosures
(b) Protection of equipment against ingress of solid foreign objects
with 0 = no protection 2 = finger protection 12.5mm 4 = 1mm protection
The next number is water ingress and 4 = Protected against water splashing from any direction.
The next two are optional letters i.e. B = Protected against access with a finger (minimum 12 mm diameter test finger, 80 mm long) (adequate clearance from live parts)
And final example M = Tested for harmful effects due to the ingress
of water when the movable parts of the equipment (eg the rotor of a rotating
machine) are in motion.
This is declared by the manufacture and is type tested and can't really be assigned latter. However our regulations are not legal and the law says we can use equivalent. Theory is all well and good but in practice to be able to use one would need to convince the person testing that it complied and since USA uses 110v 60Hz supply I would not consider any of their equipment is suitable for use in UK.
Over the years there have been many problems with USA equipment finding it's way into UK market especially on building sites were we use a split 110v supply which is half the voltage of the supply used in USA.
In USA they use a split 220v supply. This means even where we do use 110 volt you still can't use equipment from USA.
The only exception are items like Laptops which use a switched mode power supply rated 100v to 240v AC/DC and a few similar items using same type of power supply.
So two options
1) The bin
2) Sell on Ebay to USA
Second numerals 0 to 6, or letter X refers to (a) Protection of persons against access to hazardous parts inside enclosures
(b) Protection of equipment against ingress of solid foreign objects
with 0 = no protection 2 = finger protection 12.5mm 4 = 1mm protection
The next number is water ingress and 4 = Protected against water splashing from any direction.
The next two are optional letters i.e. B = Protected against access with a finger (minimum 12 mm diameter test finger, 80 mm long) (adequate clearance from live parts)
And final example M = Tested for harmful effects due to the ingress
of water when the movable parts of the equipment (eg the rotor of a rotating
machine) are in motion.
This is declared by the manufacture and is type tested and can't really be assigned latter. However our regulations are not legal and the law says we can use equivalent. Theory is all well and good but in practice to be able to use one would need to convince the person testing that it complied and since USA uses 110v 60Hz supply I would not consider any of their equipment is suitable for use in UK.
Over the years there have been many problems with USA equipment finding it's way into UK market especially on building sites were we use a split 110v supply which is half the voltage of the supply used in USA.
In USA they use a split 220v supply. This means even where we do use 110 volt you still can't use equipment from USA.
The only exception are items like Laptops which use a switched mode power supply rated 100v to 240v AC/DC and a few similar items using same type of power supply.
So two options
1) The bin
2) Sell on Ebay to USA
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Most equipment doesn't care where "live" and "neutral" are relative to earth as long as they are the right voltage relative to each other so 120V us equipment should generally work ok on a site transformer. 240V us equipment is often more troublesome as it usually needs both lives and the neutral to be correct relative to each other. Also older US 240V equipment often uses a combined neutral and earth supply which complicates things further.
Frequency may be an issue for some equipment.
Frequency may be an issue for some equipment.
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