What are Double Insulated and Class 2 Lights?

What are Double Insulated and Class 2 Lights?



This blog aims to give you a basic understanding of what Class 2 / Double Insulated Lights are. Firstly Double Insulated and Class 2 mean exactly the same thing, this being that these lights are designed to be used where the property they are being fitted into has no earth wire.

What is an Earth Wire?

An earth wire will probably be installed in your house if it was built after 1970, however before this there was no regulation on whether you needed an earth or not, therefore many older properties do not have them. Basically an Earth wire acts as a safety net if the light fittings or appliance somehow becomes lives (loose live wire touching the metal etc). It would mean that the electricity flowing into the fitting would be taken down the Earth Wire into the ground whilst blowing the fuse. This would a) stop the flow of electricity as soon as the fuse has blown and b) stop the electricity running to ground a different route (the person that touches the live metal).

Below is firstly a picture of the type of cable you would have in your house if your house is earthed, the green and yellow cable is the Earth Cable that would be fixed onto the metal of the light fitting / appliance. Next to this picture is the Earth symbol which will be on all fittings that require an earth, whether it be Ceiling Light, Wall Light, Washing Machine, TV or any other electrical appliance.

                                                                                                                                                                  

 

A 3 Core Cable (Live, Neutral and Earth)



The Earth Symbol



 



When Would I Need Double Insualted Lights?

The majority of people find out about the need for double insulated through their electrican when they are getting their existing lights replaced. Up until modern laws came in regulating wiring more stringently, many people would have fittings that technically did require an earth fitted without one (which is quite dangerous) however as there was no regulation this was common practice.

The picture below shows the usual wiring from an older property that would require a double insualted light. As we can see there are only 2 wires and no earth. Obviously the other alternative would be to rewire the house with a 3 core cable however this will run into thousands of pounds. The simplest route is to fit Double Insulated Lighting.



2 Core Cable (Live and Neutral Only)



To make purchasing double insulated lighting easier, much like the Earth Symbol we saw earlier, there is also a symbol for double insulated lighting which is a Square within a Square. This picture can be seen lower down the page. The whole point in the double insulated light is that the live wires are firstly doubly protected from exposed part of the fitting (hence the name double insulated) but also many light fittings keep the connector block far away from the fitting, further reducing the chance of any electrical contact. Please take a look at our video to see the differences between Double Insulated Lights and ordinary lights.



The Double Insulated (Class 2) Symbol



What Kind of Lights are Available?

There are a wide variety of Double Insualted Lights of all designes, genres, shapes and colours. They look exactly the same as normal light fittings and are made of exactly the same material. The "magic" of these fittings is tucked away behind the exterior. In fact many companies are just making Double Insulated Fittings now as they can also be used with houses with an Earth, which is great even if you have an earth connection and like the look of the fitting. You can find double insulated versions of Wall Lights, Ceiling Lights, Outdoor lights as well as bathroom and spotlights.

Are they more expensive than normal lights?

Double insulated lights shouldn't be any more expensive than standard lights. At the moment the amount of double insualted lights being created are lower than that of standard light fittings so there may be a small price difference. However as previously mentioned, more and more manufacturers are turing to making solely double insulated lights as they can be used for both Earthed and Non-Earthed wiring.

Are Double Insulated Lights more Difficult to Fit?

In a word, "No". They are exactlty the same to fit as standard lights and can be done by any electrician. You will find that electricians will only fit double insulated lights in older properties in most cases as if there is any problem with the fitting because it has not been earthed propely then it would be the electricians fault.

Where can I get Double Insulated Lights from?

The following website specialises in double insulated lighting and has the most current, up to date range of double insulated products on the web. Everything you see on the website is double insulated so there is no space to go wrong. All different styles and materials are catered for and advice can be sought via e-mail or over the phone.

We hope you have found this blog helpful and if you need any more information then please just e-mail info@lightahome.net or call them on 024 76 717 043.
http://www.lightahome.net/double-insulated-lights-33-c.asp