Hazardous area lighting comes in many different shapes and styles. High bay, low bay and well glass are three similar styles for downlighting and uplighting in hazardous areas.
Common features across most products in this range include:
Depending on the certification of the product, it may be designed for superior ingress protection, or with flame paths to mitigate fire or explosion risks. Some lamps use incandescent bulbs, if LED lighting is not desirable.
Because of their rugged construction, hazardous area high bay, low bay and well glass lights typically require little to no maintenance, outside of an annual service to check their condition.
What's the difference between high and low bay lighting? As the names suggest, it's about how high the installed position of the light will be.
As a general rule of thumb:
Low bay lamps are designed to be used on lower ceilings. They may include a wider beam angle and a shorter throw distance, for optimal lighting at floor level beneath them.
High bay lamps need to throw their illumination further. They often include brighter luminaires, and may have a narrower beam angle, as the beam will naturally spread further over the higher distance.
Individual products will always vary - check the downloadable data sheets or ask for details, and make sure you order enough lights so that you can place them close enough together to illuminate your space without any dark spots.
Well glass lighting developed from early miners' safety lamps, making it a descendant of some of the oldest hazardous area lighting ever developed.
Modern well glass lighting uses LED luminaires in place of an oil wick, and typically includes cable glands and/or a safety enclosure to isolate the electronics.
The distinctive design of well glass lighting, with its clear or prismatic glass dome and (on some products) an additional protective wire or metal outer cage, has become synonymous with marine applications.
High levels of ingress protection make well glass lamps the perfect solution for exposed marine and coastal environments, and the caged, domed lamps have also become popular in contemporary interior design where a harsh or industrial look is desired.
If you're not sure what type of hazardous area lighting you need, please contact Cable Systems today and we'll be happy to discuss the different options with you, including products suitable for hazardous areas including Zone 1/2 and Zone 21/22 applications.
Each product has a downloadable data sheet, which you can use during your decision-making process and/or keep for future reference once you have decided on the specific high/low bay lights or well glass lamps for your refurbishment.
