By Jacob Holmes, Lighting Consultant, Raylinc Lighting
More than its price. Owners who maintain their own buildings are moving to quality fittings, Jacob Holmes says, because every early failure brings a call-out, access equipment and disruption.
The difference between a cheap downlight and a quality one comes down to lifetime and, above all, serviceability.
“We’re seeing a big shift in clients,” Jacob says, especially owners who have to maintain the asset. “They would rather cry once and put something in that’s going to last, instead of getting a call-out fee from an electrician multiple times.”
It depends who owns the building after handover. Universities and airports, the clients Jacob calls end users, would rather pay for quality so they don’t have to go back. The one case where cheap adds up is a developer who builds, sells and moves on.
What makes a fitting expensive to replace? Access equipment, after hours labour and disruption to the people using the building. “All of that,” Jacob says. “Literally, all of that.”
Facilities teams at universities and convention centres ask questions a developer rarely does:
A developer’s interest usually ends with the 12 month defects liability period. The facilities team lives with the lighting for years after that.
There’s no single answer, because “there’s never just one light” on a project. A site will have troffers, downlights and external lighting, each with its own options.
Jacob’s advice is to sit down with a lighting supplier and work through a one to one replacement for each fitting type.
For owners who maintain their own buildings, usually yes. A longer life and easier servicing avoid repeated call-out fees, access equipment and disruption.
The period after handover, usually 12 months, when the contractor must fix defects. After it ends, the owner generally pays for repairs.
Work through each fitting type with a lighting supplier to find a one to one replacement. Downlights, troffers and external lights will each need their own answer.
Jacob Holmes is a lighting consultant at Raylinc Lighting, working with engineers, architects and builders on commercial fit outs.
Contact the Raylinc team to talk through fittings built for the long term.