The column where you get to put your lighting questions to the head of the Ovia lighting business, Mike Collins, and his team of technical experts.
Q. WHY ARE MODERN VAPOUR-PROOF FITTINGS NOT DESIGNED TO FIT ONTO CONDUIT BOXES?
The reason that the vapour-proof fittings are best suited to sit on jack chain with a nylon gland bringing the cable in, is to maintain the IP rating. When the luminaires are connected directly onto conduit through end boxes, the IP rating of the conduit containment becomes part of the luminaire’s IP rating as this essentially involves making holes in the luminaire for the fixing pins and cable entry point.
If the gasket is missed off the conduit box that the luminaire is connected to, there is potential for water ingress into the light fitting meaning that it no longer holds an IP rating. With the fitting being a stand-alone product it is more likely to maintain the rating given.
There is always the option of mounting the luminaire next to the conduit and having a Click Flow connector supplying the power through the nylon gland. What this would also offer is local isolation without isolating all luminaires in the circuit.
Our Inceptor U-Lite, for example, comes supplied with non-intrusive mounting/suspension brackets and an IP-rated nylon gland for a robust install.
Inceptor U-Lite is a slimline, non-corrosive utility LED luminaire, designed to offer protection against the elements. The gear tray and diffuser are detachable and can be disconnected and removed for lighter/simple installation of the base, whilst multiple positions for the terminal block allows greater flexibility for retrofit installations. The U-Lite also has a Molex connector to easily detach the incoming mains.
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