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Joined: Aug 2001
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pauluk Offline OP
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Just been looking at some plans for a house extension, and the local building control's notes about lighting provisions required for approval of the plans.

These mirror the recommendations in the Building Regs. Part L:

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1115314231799.html

For internal lighting at least one high-efficiency fitting:

Quote
44. A way of showing compliance would be to provide lighting fittings {.....} that only take lamps having a luminous efficacy greater than 40 lumens per circuit-watt. {.....} Fluorescent and compact fluorescent lighting fittings would meet this standard. Lighting fittings for GLS tungsten lamps with bayonet cap or Edison screw bases, or tungsten halogen lamps would not.


And for external lighting:

Quote
48. When providing fixed external lighting, reasonable provision should be made to enable effective control and/or the use of efficient lamps such that:

a. EITHER: Lamp capacity does not exceed 150 watts per light fitting and the lighting automatically switches off:

i. when there is enough daylight; and
ii. when it is not required at night; or

b. the lighting fittings have sockets which can only be used with lamps having an efficacy greater than 40 lumens per circuit-watt.


So if going with those "evil" planet-destroying filament lamps, it seems that a photosensor is required to automatically switch off when there is enough ambient light outside.

But what is "automatically switches off when it is not required at night" supposed to mean? confused

How does anyone define "required" in this context? If the homeowner says he wants the lights on all night for security, then he requires them, surely?






Joined: Mar 2005
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Quote
p21 [para] 46. A light fitting may contain one or more lamps.
laugh Johnny Two-Jags' contribution?

Who will want fluorescent tubes in their lounge if that's the new extension?

Builders only need to not fit the external lights, just leave a box ready and they're home and dry. The homeowner can call an electrician once the installation is signed off and fit several WWII searchlights if so desired. It's all tosh!





Wood work but can't!
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pauluk Offline OP
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Originally Posted by Alan Belson
Who will want fluorescent tubes in their lounge if that's the new extension?


Very few. The extension in question on this project is an extra bedroom with ensuite bathroom. I'll give you one guess as to where I suggested we put the fluoro fitting (no, I don't mean there! wink ).

Quote
The homeowner can call an electrician once the installation is signed off and fit several WWII searchlights if so desired.


Precisely the point I made when discussing it. These rules are all pointless because once the extension is signed off by building control I could go back and fit a dozen 500W floodlights for him and nobody can do a darn thing about it. Ditto with the fluoro fitting for the bathroom. There's absolutely nothing legally to stop us putting up a cheapo compact fluoro until the council busybody has finished snooping around, then go back and swap it for the light he would really like in there.


Joined: Mar 2007
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This is reminiscent of the automotive engine tuners, especially in tougho California, whom you go to when your car fails the emission test. They re-tune it to pass, and remind you to come back right after passing, because, "You can't drive it like that." grin

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AYUP, All too often.

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 161
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Don't you really mean "English and Welsh" Building Regs? For comparision the (sensible) Scots regs say:

Artificial lighting

A minimum of 50% of the fixed light fittings and lamps installed in a dwelling should be low energy type.

The fittings may be either:
• dedicated fittings which will have a separate control gear and will only take fluorescent lamps (pin based lamps); or
• fittings including lamps with integrated control gear (bayonet or Edison screw base lamps).
e.g. tubular fluorescent and compact fluorescent fittings (CFL’s) with luminous efficacy at least 40 lumens/circuit watt.

...
• low energy light fittings include the provision of lamps/bulbs.

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pauluk Offline OP
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Originally Posted by gideonr
Don't you really mean "English and Welsh" Building Regs?


You're quite right, I do. Stupid sassenach! blush

Those Scottish regs. are more sensible on allowing a BC or ES holder, although I'm not sure I like the 50% figure.

Joined: Dec 2004
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Originally Posted by pauluk
I'm not sure I like the 50% figure.


I agree, these CFLs don't perform well in places where they get turned on and off frequently. I'm not aware of any LEDs that acheive anything like the 40 lm/watt figure so what can be used where CFLs are going to fail quickly?

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pauluk Offline OP
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What will be used? Filament lamps, at least for as long as "specialty" candle bulbs and the like are still available.

We're back to the car tune-up example above. People will just fit the cheapest possible compact fluoros they can find until the nosy-parker from building control has finished snooping around, then they'll rip them out and put in the lights they wanted to install in the first place.

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pauluk Offline OP
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This job was sitting on hold for a while, so I've only just followed up on the lighting question.

I spoke with the building control guy at the local council about the "automatically switches off when not required at night" stipulation, and he said they've been told to interpret that as meaning that a PIR motion sensor is needed. So it's either a 40 lumens/watt or better light fitting, or a lamp not exceeding 150W with daylight and PIR motion sensors.

However, the person I spoke with was actually very sensible for an NNDC employee (miracles do happen!), and immediately acknowledged both the unclear wording and all the absurdities we've discussed above. He said that as far as he was concerned, he wasn't at all worried about the PIR sensor, and if the homeowner wants a couple of lanterns with regular filament lamps just controlled by a switch, that will be fine.




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