Seawater resistant lamps and luminaires.
For properties in coastal regions, saltwater-resistant luminaires are important to avoid rust or other damage to the outdoor lighting. For this purpose, there are special salt-water resistant luminaires that can be used safely.
Buy luminaires for coastal locations at Skapetze
Hotels, guesthouses or holiday homes located in a coastal region are often exposed to special environmental conditions that are more hostile than those inland.
Hotels and restaurants located directly on the sea or beach are particularly affected. As beautiful as the sea and as healthy as the climate may be. For lamps and luminaires, the seawater or the air containing salt water is quite harmful. This is why salt water (seawater) resistant lamps are needed here!
Outdoor lighting has to cope with wind, rain, snow and constant temperature changes.
Through our cooperation with hotel businesses, we are aware of this problem and offer appropriate salt-water resistant luminaires in our luminaire online shop.
These include:
- Saltwater-resistant wall luminaires (façade luminaires)
- Anti-saltwater outdoor ceiling luminaires
- Anti-saltwater outdoor recessed spots / floor spots
- Anti-salt-water outdoor floor lamps / bollard luminaires
Salt as a hostile factor for luminaires
Salt is present in seawater and forms corresponding corrosion on many materials, especially metals. When salt comes into contact with steel (through wetness or humidity), a chemical action occurs between the steel and the salt.
This leads to the steel literally being eaten away. Therefore, anything made of steel that is either immersed in or splashed by seawater has a very limited life span.
The problem is that salt doesn't stay in the sea! When you see impressive foaming waves whipped into spray by the wind and breaking onshore, at that moment millions of droplets of salt water, picked up by the wind and remaining in the atmosphere, are carried inland by the wind for up to ten miles. Everything in this coastal belt is therefore exposed to a salty atmosphere.
Electrical conductors and connections do not go well with a humid, salty environment (ask a boat owner sometime :-)). It is therefore important that coastal site lights are not only made of corrosion-resistant materials, but that all electrical components are well protected from the atmosphere.
Stainless steel not a saviour for coastal lighting
You might think that stainless steel or brass are ideal materials for coastal lights, but unfortunately the explanation is not quite that simple. Stainless steel is a generic term that covers a wide range of qualities.
Only certain high quality types are suitable for the marine environment and these are prohibitively expensive and difficult to work with, making them generally unsuitable for making lamps. Similarly, brass only has sufficient corrosion resistance in bronze-rich grades such as admiralty brass. Lamps made from it would be driven out of the market!
So we are left with only two materials that are viable for lighting coastal locations. River steel, which is protected by zinc and copper and develops its own protective coating under coastal conditions, giving it an antique appearance.
Preserving seaside hotel lights
If you already have outdoor lights in a coastal location, you can help preserve them and extend their life with careful maintenance. If they are galvanised, make sure the galvanisation is not damaged in any way.
If they are painted, have them painted regularly to keep the paint intact. In any case, make sure that all openings are sealed against the ingress of moist salty air.
Brass connectors will last longer if you keep them coated with non-conductive grease. As long as your salt water safe lamps are well sealed, washing them down regularly with fresh water will help considerably. For safety reasons, only do this when they are switched off!
Recommended lamps for coastal locations
Living within ten miles of the coast does not mean that outdoor lights you install need to be replaced unreasonably frequently due to corrosion.
It just means that when choosing your saltwater-resistant outdoor lighting, be sure to select either galvanised steel or copper construction and maintain it after installation or connection.
Look for the label ("Sea Side Suitable" or"Saltwater Resistant") on your lights. These lamps are then specially made for use by the sea.