Cold room lamp

A cold room light has to do two things a normal fixture cannot: survive at low temperature and stay sealed against condensation. A standard fixture in a freezer corrodes at the terminals within months, and moisture inside the diffuser freezes and then cracks it.

The range covers both technologies. The RSR models (8 W, 10 W and 12 W) are fluorescent fixtures with a 36 W equivalent output. The RSQ models (20 W, 35 W, 46 W and 54 W) are LED, and these are the versions normally specified now: LED reaches full output immediately at low temperature, where a fluorescent tube is dim for the first minutes and starts poorly below -20 C.

All versions run on 110 to 220 V at 50/60 Hz, are rated IP65, operate from -40 C to +50 C with a 10,000 hour life, and are available in colour temperatures from 2700 K to 7000 K. The 20 W fixture measures 180 x 180 x 55 mm; the 35, 46 and 54 W units share a 230 x 230 x 63 mm body.

Selection is by room volume and by mounting height: the 20 W unit suits small reach-in rooms and door surrounds, while the larger sizes light a walk-in or a preparation area. IP65 is the minimum for a cold room - anything less will take in water during washdown.

Installation: mount on the ceiling or high on the wall so the fixture is out of the way of trolleys, keep the cable entry pointing down where possible, and check the gland is tight. Because these operate at -40 C, use a cable rated for the temperature; ordinary PVC cable becomes brittle in a freezer and cracks at the gland.