Correlated Colour Temperature is a measure of the warmth or coolness of the light emitted from a light source, offering a spectrum of appearances ranging from warm to cool and extending to daylight.

Correlated Colour Temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin. For lighting, this typically falls within the range of 2000K to 6500K, providing a standardised metric for evaluating and comparing different light sources.

2000K – 3000K Warm White
This produces an amber to yellow/white appearance which creates a relaxing ambience and helps to establish a warm, calm and cosy feeling. This colour temperature is best applied in living rooms and bedrooms and is also well-suited for decorative outdoor lighting and ambient lighting.

3100K – 4500K Cool White
Neutral white or cool white in appearance, this creates a bright and vibrant ambience that is suited to numerous applications. This lighting is particularly effective in areas with low natural light, such as basements and garages as well as being well-suited for work environments and home offices. Its versatility extends to spaces like kitchens and bathrooms.

4600K – 6500K Daylight
This produces a colder daylight effect, displaying a blue-white appearance. Similar to natural daylight, this provides an invigorating and crisp light which excels as defined task lighting, such as applying make up in bathrooms, kitchen worktops or offices.

All electrical devices undergo testing to assess their resistance to contaminants like solids and liquids. In lighting, after testing the product is assigned an IP rating which stands for Ingress Protection. This system is a global standard indicating a product’s resistance to the ingress of solids and/or liquids.

Ingress protection is represented by a two-digit ‘IP’ rating. The first digit, ranging from 0 to 6, signifies the level of protection against solid object ingress. The second digit, ranging from 0 to 9, indicates the level of resistance to moisture ingress.

In general, specifying a higher number for the IP rating indicates a requirement for more stringent protection.

IP20
An IP20 rating is the most common for bedrooms and living rooms, offering protection against solid objects but not water.

IP44
Light fittings rated IP44  are specifically protected against splashing water, making them well-suited for indoor use in areas like bathrooms and kitchens, as well as some sheltered outdoor locations, such as under the eaves of a residential home.

IP54
An IP54 rating is suitable for outdoor use where they may get light sprays of  water, as well as indoor bathroom use.

IP65
Light fittings rated IP65 are recommended for outdoor use in gardens where there will be a higher level of exposure to splashing’s of water, as well as indoor use in bathrooms and kitchens.

A ‘beam angle,’ also known as ‘beam spread,’ quantifies the spread of light emitted from the source. Measured in degrees, it extends from the ‘Peak Intensity’ of the light source to the point where the measured light diminishes to 50% of the maximum peak intensity.

Lamps are typically categorised as being ‘Wide’, ‘Medium’, or ‘Narrow’ beam, each offering distinct characteristics. A wider beam lamp covers a larger area with lower intensity, whereas a narrow beam lamp provides a more concentrated light on a smaller area, with greater intensity.

Lamps with a Narrow beam angle 

Lamps with a beam angle of 25° generate a focused illumination, making it ideal for illuminating individual objects or specific areas of interest with a concentrated pinpoint light. This type of lighting is particularly effective for illuminating task areas within residential buildings, including kitchen worktops and dining tables, the focused nature of the narrow bean ensures precise and targeted lighting.

Lamps with a Medium beam angle

The most used beam angle falls within the range of around 35° to 45° making it ideal for illuminating large areas of space between fittings, typically spaced 1-1.2m apart. This beam angle offers broader coverage compared to spotlighting yet remains focussed and is particularly suitable for accent lighting, providing ample illumination for both general living spaces and work areas.

Lamps with a Wide beam angle

Lamps featuring a wide beam angle  of 60° provides an optimum solution for achieving a well distributed lighting installation with a lower level of illuminance, this allows for uniform lighting throughout a space, making it ideal for areas where intense illumination is not necessary, such as rooms designated for relaxation and television viewing.  The wider beam angle permits greater spacing between fittings, this may result in the potential use of fewer lights or fittings with lower wattage requirements.

Lamps with a Very Wide beam angle

A beam angle of around 80° is ideal for illuminating high ceilings and larger areas of space

Smart Downlights

‘Smart’ lighting provides a simple solution for controlling your lights at home or remotely and for customising the illumination depending on the space and mood.  It helps to reduce  energy usage by ensuring lighting is only used where and when it is needed  and allows you to set schedules and access your lights away from home.

Smart downlights are available in two different customised options,  tuneable white downlights with a range of 64,000 shades of white, and  colour-changing downlights with over 16 million colours and different preset modes to chose from.

All 4lite Smart Lighting is controlled via the WiZ App.

Selectable Correlated Colour Temperature  (Selectable CCT) Downlights

Installing switchable Correlated Colour Temperature LED downlights ensures that you can choose the right light colour for your space by offering the flexibility to select from a range of colour temperatures, ranging from a subdued warm tone through bright white and onto daylight. This choice is made through a simple selection process at the point of installation, using the integral switch.

Fire Rated Downlights

Cutting a hole into any plasterboard ceiling of an intermediate floor removes the integrity of the fire barrier, thereby potentially allowing a fire to move between spaces and floors. To reinstate the fire barrier back to its original state any equipment being installed must have the capability of withstanding a fire and in meeting the specification of the original floor construction.

Fire Rated Downlights (FRD) are  distinguished by the time periods for which they have been tested, either for 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or for 90 minutes. This refers to the the time period the downlights can  withstand  a fire situation prior to potential collapse. Each of the time periods corresponds to a different floor and ceiling construction, therefore, selecting the right fitting for the specific application is absolutely critical, which must be based upon the type of floor installed.

LED lamps are around 90% more efficient that incandescent and much more efficient than compact fluorescent. Lasting significantly longer than conventional lamps, they are available in various sizes and shapes, providing different performance values, alongside being available with a range of lamp caps, all of which allows installation into many types of fittings.

A60:   The A60 lamp is the classic pear-shaped ‘light bulb’ and is highly versatile and the most widely used and recognised lamp globally.  Within the A60 designation, “A” stands for “Arbitrary and 60 refers to the lamp’s diameter, which is 60mm.

E27 and E14 : The E27 and E14 lamps, also known as ES (Edison Screw), derive their name from the inventor Thomas Edison.  The ‘E’ indicates Edison, and the numerical value corresponds to the lamp base diameter in millimetres (27mm for E27 and 14mm for E14). The E27 lamp is commonly referred to as ES (Edison Screw), while the E14 lamp is termed SES (Small Edison Screw).

G125 & G95 :A large globe LED lamp, available with either a 125mm or 95mm diameter with an E27 (ES) lamp cap. It makes  an ideal centrepiece when installed into ceiling suspended fittings.

B22d and B15d (2Pin) : The B22d and B15d lamps, also known as ‘BC’ (Bayonet Cap), derive their name from the lamp type, Bayonet Cap. They feature a 2Pin lamp base, with B22d having a 22mm diameter and B15d a 15mm diameter. B22d is typically referred to as ‘BC’ and is arguably the most common lamp cap used for pendant lighting in residential settings, whilst B15d is termed ‘SBC’ (Small Bayonet Cap), being used in table lamps.

C37  : The C37 Candle Lamp is a compact, elongated lamp with a 37mm diameter and an E14 (SES) lamp cap.

GU10  : A GU10 LED lamp features a Bi-Pin ‘Push and Twist’ lamp cap design and is one of the most common types of lamps installed within residential homes. It has a universal ceramic base with two short pins spaced 10mm apart between centres. Typically used in recessed downlights and track-style spotlights, GU10 LED lamps can be used in both residential and in commercial settings.