Building Regs - Electrical low energy fittings?

[Malcolm Stewart]

Hi, Are low energy lamp fittings now mandatory for external use around the home? By this, I mean fittings that can't take incandescent lamps, and are limited to low energy lamps only. (My daughter is being told this by an electrician.)

If so, I can't find any references on the relevant pages of the Lighting Superstore etc.

Thanks for any info. (and pointers to Regulations etc.)

[Andrew Gabriel]

Part L of the Building regs requires that a proportion of the commonly used rooms must be fitted with fittings which cannot take filament lamps (or more specifically, cannot take lamps with efficiency lower than 40 lumens/watt, and filament lamps are around 12-25 lumens/watt, fluorscents around 60-100 lumens/watt). The number of such rooms depends how many rooms the house has, but is typically just under half of the more commonly used ones (from memory).

Research has shown that householders immediately remove these special fittings because they're all crap styles.

[Dave Fawthrop]

|!In article , |! "Malcolm Stewart" writes: |!> Hi, |!> Are low energy lamp fittings now mandatory for external use around the home? |!> By this, I mean fittings that can't take incandescent lamps, and are limited |!> to low energy lamps only. (My daughter is being told this by an |!> electrician.) |! |!Part L of the Building regs requires that a proportion of the |!commonly used rooms must be fitted with fittings which cannot |!take filament lamps (or more specifically, cannot take lamps |!with efficiency lower than 40 lumens/watt, and filament lamps |!are around 12-25 lumens/watt, fluorscents around 60-100 |!lumens/watt). The number of such rooms depends how many rooms |!the house has, but is typically just under half of the more |!commonly used ones (from memory). |! |!Research has shown that householders immediately remove these |!special fittings because they're all crap styles.

But as the EU is *proposing* that shops will be prevented from selling incandescent bulbs in about five years from now, the styles of low energy bulbs will ?improve?/change to suit the more money than sence brigade.

This is already happening as smaller, and spiral low energy bulbs are now marketed.

[Malcolm Stewart]

Thanks guys, but my query was about these fittings being < mandatory > for all external light fittings around the house. Do you know if this is true or an electrician myth?

[John Rumm]

Sounds like a myth to me... In fact depending on the type of use you may fine LE fittings unsuited for some outside applications (such as short duration on cycle lamps controlled by PIRs). For "permanently on" lighting then they make a good deal more sense.

[Tony Bryer]

Where Approved Document L1B para 48 applies you have two options:

1. Fitting max 150W that only switches on when required (PIR etc)
2. Fittings that can only take lamps whose efficiency is 40 lumens per circuit watt (which it helpfully explains means CFL)

[stevelup]

Hi

I'm fitting a new kitchen which is notifiable because of both the electrical work and the fact that we're removing a wall.

The Document L1B states that the low energy fittings must number not less than

a) one per 25sqM dwelling floor area or b) one per four fixed light fittings

It then goes on to say that a light fitting may contain one or more lamps.

Taking this literally - does this mean that if I fit 20 halogen downlighters in my kitchen, I need to have five low energy fittings elsewhere in the property?

Yet if I was to fit four 'light fittings' into the kitchen - each with five lamps, I would only need to fit a single low energy fitting elsewhere.

Seems bizarre...

Steve

[stevelup]

Hi

I'm carrying out a kitchen renovation at the moment which is notifiable.

According to Approved Document L1B, low energy fixtures must be installed as follows:-

The greater of;

a) one per 25sqM floor space b) one in every four light fittings

The document then goes on to say that a 'light fitting may contain more than one lamp'

Lets say that theoretically I am going to install 20 halogen downlighters into my kitchen. That means I would need to make sure I had at least four low energy fittings elsewhere in the house.

Now, what if I install four 'light fittings' into the kitchen instead

- each with five lamps? Does this mean I only need one low energy fitting elsewhere?

If that's the case - which at face value it appears to be - than it's crackers...

Steve

[auctions]

I've just been looking at these regs for an upcoming project. It appears that external lights must now in most domestic situations be either low energy, or max 150W halogens on a sensor.

A

[Lurch]

On 13 Mar 2007 10:39:37 -0700, " [e-mail]" mused:

What regs?

Sounds a load of old twaddle, so it's probably true.

[robert]

My ( probably incorrect) impression of Part L1 is that in many parts it only applies to new build and material change of use. Robert

[Andrew Gabriel]

Sorry, I misread the question. Others seem to have answered it.

[Simon Stroud]

Great! Thanks for the tipoff. Seems that a lifetime's supply of 500W bulbs needs to be added to my shopping list for my forthcoming incandescent bulb stockpiling-under-ther-floorboards project!

Regards, Simon.