LED Lighting Safety – Advice from South London Electricians
Consumer safety is always our top priority at South London Electricians. The charity for electrical safety (Electrical Safety First) has been working alongside Trading Standards to help to identify and reduce the arrival of badly made, unsafe and fake LED lamps in the UK.
LED lighting has been taken on board as one of the best ways to embrace energy efficiency and increasingly LED lighting is seen on the shelves of electrical and DIY stores. Indeed, here in south west London, we have installed many lighting systems for clients in our local area (South Croydon, East Croydon, Purley, Sanderstead and Hamsey Green) that use LED technology.
The main issue that Electrical Safety First identified was with poorly manufactured LEDs. They discovered that some unbranded lamps can overheat and lead to house fires. Their research suggested that it takes some time for these fires to take hold, potentially well after the lamps had been turned off when householders had gone to bed. This of course is when a fire is less likely to be discovered and is therefore more likely to be life-threatening.
If you are buying an LED lamp from one of the many electrical or DIY stores in south west London, you will be reasonably safe, unless you encounter a fake LED i.e. a grey import packaged as a big name brand cheaply. If you buy from the internet then be wary of very cheap LEDs.
To check if the LED you have just bought is a properly manufactured unit, here are some pointers:
it should not be possible to dismantle it easily without damaging it
it should not allow easy access to live parts e.g. by unscrewing the heat sink
it should be marked with the mark of origin, trademark and ratings
it should have the CE, RoHS and WEEE logos on the lamp or packaging
Other issues with fake LED lighting and badly manufactured units is the real risk of an electric shock. In one Youtube video, a professional electrician takes apart an LED spot that he obtained for £3 from Ebay. The whole thing dismantles completely in a few seconds and the aluminium heat sink is protected by only a few microns of insulation. The circuit board is not actually a circuit board, just a disc of aluminium that is in contact with the metal heat sink.
Safe and genuine LED lamps are not cheap, but then they are safe and will last for many years. When you are buying LED bulbs and lighting systems for your house in Balham, Clapham, Streatham, Tooting, Wimbledon or Catford , make sure you spend a bit more and buy safe products that are then installed properly by a qualified electrician in south west London.
South London electricians have always done our best to ensure that the products that we supply, meet or exceed the requirements set by UK and EU law. A professionally fitted LED system from reputable south west London electricians will be safe and use genuine LED units. Contact us now on 020 3199 7658 for your LED lighting solution.
