Building Regulations Part L

[superadnim]

Hi, I have been doing some research on next years Part L updates. Someone mentioned that I needed to install LED specific but I have never heard of these - I think it is to stop people from swapping them out for standard bulbs. They are not mentioned in the document.

 

[Rkm45]

They are just like a normal down light, you just can't replace the lamp you have to change the whole fitting when they go wrong

 

[Richard Burns]

There used to be a requirement for low energy specific lamp holders but this was dropped in the last but one update.
The requirement now if for a minimum level of energy efficiency in lm/circuit watt.
An LED specific fitting could only be a fitting that has a fixed LED lamp as rkm says. Since the LED source should out last the fitting this is not a problem.
The domestic /non domestic building services compliance guides detail the requirements.

 

[lauriehurman]

The bit that I don't get is;
Part L1 say says 75% of fittings and the compliance guide says 25% of the lights (or is it the other way round).

Can anyone shed any light on this

 

[Richard Burns]

Part L does not mention anything except to refer to the compliance guides, the domestic compliance guide says 3 out of four of the main light fittings must be >45lm/CW. The non domestic says all general lighting except display lighting should be >55lm/CW (or in general office lighting>50lm/CW if controlled by presence / ambient light controls or >47lm/CW if both controls).

 

[brman]

I think the confusion might be that the Electrician's Guide to the Building Regs says either 1 energy efficient light fitting per 25m2 floor area or 1 in 4 fittings being energy efficient, and it goes on to say that the fitting must only fit bulbs with greater than 40lm/W.

I think this is the old requirement as Richard has said. The new requirement being 3 in 4 being energy efficient BUT standard fittings are ok. ie. a normal fitting with an energy efficient bulb is ok.

So if you read the electricians guide you have out of date info. You can now use standard fittings but have to fit at least 3 in 4 CFL or LED bulbs. (halogen "energy efficient" bulbs do not have a great enough efficiency)

Am I right Richard?

 

[malcolmsanford]

I would have thought though that now in the UK this building reg is becoming redundant somewhat. Try and buy a 60watt tungsten lamp.....................

Thankfully the authorities out here still allow you to but proper lamps and I had to bring 10x 60watt home with me this time.

 

[brman]

I would have thought though that now in the UK this building reg is becoming redundant somewhat. Try and buy a 60watt tungsten lamp.....................

Thankfully the authorities out here still allow you to but proper lamps and I had to bring 10x 60watt home with me this time.

I suspect that is why they relaxed the requirement and allow fittings that take the old bulbs. Given that most houses still have 30 year old fitting it wasn't really going to work just worrying about new builds so they had to stop the supply of tungstens to make any difference. Given they had done that they didn't really need to worry about the type of fittings used. The only trouble is that "energy efficient" halogen bulbs have now replaced tungstens. They aren't that much better efficiency than the old tungstens....