Low voltage light fittings

[amfisted]

I went to B and Q to buy some bathroom lights to replace the old recessed lamps with their pitted gold surrounds, only to find that firstly, they don't make that fitting any more, and secondly that my choice is now dictated by Zones.
Given that one of my lights is in the ceiling directly above the bath and another about three feet away, horizontally, do I now have to replace both those lights with low voltage fittings?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

What do you mean by low voltage.
Low voltage and extra low voltage are different values.
You would expect to find a low voltages system in a domestic dwelling.
As far as lights are concerned you need to know what the zones are in the room at what is permitted.
There are only 3 zones within the bathroom, I will find you a link.
Here is diagram and the third zones is "zone zero" not indicated but would be in the bath.

Untitled

• PrenticeBoyofDerry
• 29 Sep 2011
• 4

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:speclcn:bathroom_zones

 

[ban-all-sheds]

my choice is now dictated by Zones.

It always was.

low voltage fittings?

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands

 

[amfisted]

Thanks for that; most illuminating. I can't open your "voltage bands" link at the moment, but by "low voltage", I mean "the fittings supplied by B and Q which are recommended for bathroom lighting in Zones 1 and 2". I don't know offhand what that voltage is, though I suppose I could find out by reading the blurb on the transformer, or doing a bit of research online. I do know that if you correctly connect the cables of a lighting circuit to a transformer, you get the step down voltage that supplies the fittings I was looking at.

I'd never heard of Zones before I went to B and Q the other day, hence my "now" comment. Clearly I'm a little behind the electrical curve, but knowledge is power, and "power" in this case hopefully means "lights in the bathroom".

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I don't know offhand what that voltage is, though I suppose I could find out by reading the blurb on the transformer, or doing a bit of research online.

The fact you have transformers would suggest they are extra low voltage and research online would help you requiring a little more knowledge than you currently have.

I do know that if you correctly connect the cables of a lighting circuit to a transformer, you get the step down voltage that supplies the fittings I was looking at.

That would be step-down from low voltage to extra low voltage

Voltage Band I is defined as levels of voltage which are too low to provide serious electric shocks; effectively this limits the band to extra-low voltage (ELV)

Voltage Band II covers all voltages used in electrical installations not included in Band I. This means that all 230/400 V (240/415 V) supplies are included in Band II.

 

[Chri5]

Key here is the height of your ceiling if over 2.25m all is good.

The next key element is the width of the holes in your ceiling for the fittings, it would be less hassle to find a replacement that fits the existing hole size.

If you do have zone issues then look at ip rated fittings, ip stands for ingress protection

B and Q are poor, try here

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lighting_Downlights_Index/index.html

 

[amfisted]

I don't know offhand what that voltage is, though I suppose I could find out by reading the blurb on the transformer, or doing a bit of research online.

The fact you have transformers would suggest they are extra low voltage and research online would help you requiring a little more knowledge than you currently have.

Which is what I was hoping for when I posted here.

I do know that if you correctly connect the cables of a lighting circuit to a transformer, you get the step down voltage that supplies the fittings I was looking at.

That would be step-down from low voltage to extra low voltage

Voltage Band I is defined as levels of voltage which are too low to provide serious electric shocks; effectively this limits the band to extra-low voltage (ELV)

Voltage Band II covers all voltages used in electrical installations not included in Band I. This means that all 230/400 V (240/415 V) supplies are included in Band II.

Thank you. Therefore at the moment I have 240v Band 2, and require a step down to Band 1. Although maybe I don't, because my ceiling is higher than 2.25m.

 

[amfisted]

Key here is the height of your ceiling if over 2.25m all is good.

Cheers for that. I realise now that BAS included that ceiling height info in the diagram above.

The next key element is the width of the holes in your ceiling for the fittings, it would be less hassle to find a replacement that fits the existing hole size.

True enough. The low voltage halogen fittings are considerably smaller in diameter than the old ones.

If you do have zone issues then look at ip rated fittings, ip stands for ingress protection

B and Q are poor, try here

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lighting_Downlights_Index/index.html

Thanks again. Much cheaper than B and Q as well.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Don't forget to add VAt at 20%, and carriage, if you aren't near one of their locations.

 

[amfisted]

Thanks, I won't. I've now decided not to bother with the low--err, extra low--voltage lighting because I've measured my ceiling and it's almost as high as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Will my 240 volt lighting still be required to conform to IP44, despite being above 2.25m?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Will my 240 volt lighting still be required to conform to IP44, despite being above 2.25m?

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:speclcn:bathroom_zones

 

[amfisted]

OK. So I think I have it now. Above 2.25m there's no need for light fittings to have ingress protection. Although I don't suppose it does any harm if they do.