How to read the labels on luminaires?
Each luminaire is designed to operate in a specific environment under certain conditions.
In order for the consumer to have an overview of the requirements that a particular luminaire meets, all luminaires have labels that include all important information about the luminaires and operating environment. Below we give an overview of what the labels on the luminaires are and what they actually mean.
All luminaires that can be sold in the European Union are marked with a label.
The CE mark certifies that a product has been assessed and meets the environmental, health and safety requirements of the European Economic Area. This applies to products manufactured both inside and outside the EU and marketed in the EU or Turkey. Luminaires that do not bear the CE mark may not be sold on the European market.
Each luminaire is marked with:
a. in the case of a replaceable light source, the maximum wattage of the light source and the symbol of the light source cap; and
b. in the case of a luminaire with an integrated light source, the wattage of the light source (W), the temperature of the light (K). In addition, the following information is sometimes indicated on the label: luminous flux (lm), guaranteed service life of the light source (e.g. 50000h).
One of the more informative signs is the IP mark.
IP or Ingress Protection values are defined in the international standard EN 60529 (British BS EN 60529: 1992, European IEC 60509: 1989). They are used to determine the level of efficiency of the luminaires against the ingress of foreign bodies such as dust, dirt and moisture.
Each number following the IP has its own meaning. The first number indicates the luminaire’s protection against particulate matter and the second number, protection against moisture and water.
The first number – solid objects
0 – No protection
1 – Protected 50 mm +
2 – Protected 12 mm +
3 – Protected 2.5 mm +
4 – Protected 1 mm +
5 – Dust-protection
6 – Dust-proof
The second number – the ingress of water
0 – No protection
1 – Protected from drops falling vertically
2 – Protected from drops falling at an angle of 15°
3 – Protected against drops falling at an angle of 60 ° (e.g. rain)
4 – Protected against splashes
5 – Protected against low pressure jets
6 – Protected against high pressure jets
7 – Protected during temporary immersion into water
8 – Protected during long immersion into water
When planning a lighting solution for damp rooms, it is useful to divide it into zones so that you know which luminaires are suitable for which area. This ensures the longest possible reliability of the luminaires. The zoning plan will help you choose the right luminaires to illuminate different parts of the room:
Zone 0 – inside the bath or shower itself. All connectors used in this zone must be low voltage (max. 12 V) and at least IP67, protected when fully immersed into water.
Zone 1 – the area above the bath or shower up to a height of 2.25 m from the floor. A minimum rating of IP45 is required in this zone, but it is generally accepted that IP65 should be used. It is also worth noting that most shower luminaires are IP65 in any case.
Zone 2 – an area extending 0.6 m beyond the perimeter of the bath and reaching 2.25 m above the floor. An IP rating of at least IP44 is required in this zone.
In addition, it is good practice to consider the area around the sink within a radius of 60 cm from the tap to be Zone 2. The outer zone is anywhere outside the previous three zones (subject to specific restrictions) and where water jets are unlikely to be used. There are no special IP requirements in this zone, but we recommend considering a luminaire with an IP rating of at least IP20 +.
In addition, higher-quality luminaires (especially outdoor luminaires) also have the IK mark.
IK Rating is an international numerical classification that indicates the degree of protection of electrical equipment against external mechanical influences. This makes it possible to determine the ability of a casing to protect its contents from external influences in accordance with IEC 62262: 2002 and IEC 60068-2-75: 1997.
IK00 – no protection
IK01 – protected from an impact of 0,14 joules (equivalent to an impact of 0,25 kg falling 56 mm above the impact surface)
IK02 – protected from an impact of 0,2 joules (equivalent to an impact of 0,25 kg falling 80 mm above the impacting surface)
IK03 – protected from an impact of 0,35 joules (equivalent to an impact of 0,25 kg falling 140 mm above the impacting surface)
IK04 – protected from an impact of 0,5 joules (equivalent to an impact of 0,25 kg falling 200 mm above the impacting surface)
IK05 – protected from an impact of 0,7 joules (equivalent to an impact of 0,25 kg falling 280 mm above the impacting surface)
IK06 – protected from an impact of 1 joule (equivalent to an impact of 0,25 kg falling 400 mm above the impacting surface)
IK07 – protected from an impact of 2 joules (equivalent to an impact of 0,5 kg falling 400 mm above the impacting surface)
IK08 – protected from an impact of 5 joules (equivalent to an impact of 1,7 kg falling 300 mm above the impacting surface)
IK09 – protected from an impact of 10 joules (equivalent to an impact of 5 kg falling 200 mm above the impacting surface)
IK10 – protected from an impact of 20 joules (equivalent to an impact of 5 kg falling 400 mm above the impacting surface)
