Is there a difference between Class 2 & Double Insulated Lighting?

Is there a difference between Class 2 & Double Insulated Lighting?

On any given weekday we will take telephone calls from customers who have been advised by their electricians that they don’t have an earth connection in their homes lighting circuit. Some will ask for Class 2 lighting and some will ask for double insulated lights. The question is, is there a difference between the two different terms and do they relate to the same products?

There is a very quick answer to this question and a bit of a longer description so for all those who want the short answer, drum roll please, double insulated lighting is exactly the same as class 2 lighting!

The square within a square logo indicates the product is class 2 and can be found on lots of electrical appliances

The reason there is 2 terms for exactly the same thing is purely as a result of the lighting industry. The term class 2 is used throughout many industries. Many domestic appliances have the square within a square symbol on their product sticker, found somewhere on the item. I only have to look around our office here to see that our laser printer is class 2. As is the laminator. They are both marked in exactly the same way as a class 2 light. All these items have been designed to not require an earth connection.

When it comes to class 2 lighting, the term double insulated lighting is used far more frequently. From experience, there are still some electricians out there who aren’t aware of class 2 lights and insist on lighting to be made of plastic when an earth connection isn’t present (which is completely wrong). The term double insulated actually describes how a class 2 light is constructed. The wiring inside this kind of light has additional protection to prevent any loose cables from touching the material that the light is made from.

I'm not sure where the term double insulated lighting originated from. It’s almost as if the term is extra reassurance that the light is safe to use without an earth. A quick comparison between lighting catalogues on our shelf confirms that both terms are regularly used by lighting manufacturers. That being said, our customers tend to use the term ‘double insulated lighting’ much more than ‘class 2.’

In the lighting industry a product is far more likely to be called double insulated than class 2

To sum up, if you need lighting that doesn’t require an earth connection you are absolutely fine to ask for either class 2 or double insulated. Class 2 is the official term and double insulated is the more accepted term when it comes to the lighting industry. Either way, as long as you talk to a knowledgeable retailer, such as Lightahome, who specialise in lighting that doesn’t require an earth and a competent electrician then you won’t go wrong. If the retailer and electrician you choose stare at you blank faced then you’ve gone to the wrong retailer and spoke with the wrong electrician. Double insulated & class 2 lighting is about safety and its important the people you use know what they are talking about no matter what terminology you use.

For further advice on double insulated lights (the term we prefer) or to view our range of class 2 lights you can visit our website on the links above or call us on 024 7671 7043. Alternatively you can contact us through our Facebook page.