Philips has introduced important modifications to its Europa2 series that signal good news for installers and end users alike. Redesigned fixation clips and smaller, lighter gear housing make ceiling mounting easier than ever, whilst a new reflector meta
Already a favourite with installers for its easy-mounting features, Philips’ Europa2 compact fluorescent downlight series has recently undergone modifications aimed at making installation even faster and easier. The lights now come in pre-assembled ready-to-install kit including lamp, luminaire, cables and Wieland connector. All that’s needed for installation is to remove the kit from the box, electrically connect using the Wieland plugs and mount in a pre-cut ceiling hole.
A major subject of attention has been the fixation clips that hold the luminaire in the ceiling. These are now broader with folded ends to minimize any chance of damaging soft ceilings, and require only gentle finger pressure to fix the luminaire in the ceiling. The height of the clips is also adjustable (over 3 positions at the front, 2 positions at the rear) to accommodate a range of ceiling thicknesses including even thin metal ceilings.
Moreover, to ensure that the downlights maintain their perfect appearance and performance after installation, the reflector has a special surface layer that doesn’t show fingerprints that may ordinarily appear after installation or maintenance, and the luminaire has a protective foil that can be removed after all installation work is finished. These two features will save installers from needing to clean the fitting after they have been installed The latest Europa2 also comes with a new single-sided reflector metallization technology which, combined with enhanced lamp-gear cooling, gives up to 20% improvement in downward light-output ratio.
Ease of maintenance was also a subject of attention in the recent Europa2 revamp and the mounting arms of the prismatic cover have been redesigned to hold firmly in the housing yet allow for easy removal and replacement during lamp maintenance. The cross louvre low glare version and IP44 clear panel version complete the Europa2 offer. For the first time the Europa2 family will be available with a range of accessories including a decorative glass and an aluminum and gold bezel ring.
The pivotable lamp holder that was an important feature of the earlier Europa2 has also been retained in all but the smallest 13w version. This pulls down to allow easy lamp removal and replacement without damaging the reflector. And by eliminating the need for a slot in the reflector to permit lamp removal, allows for a higher light output ratio.
The new Europa2 ready-to-install kits come in three formats, all with smaller gear boxes than earlier Europa2 models. These include a medium version with high-frequency gear plus medium and small versions with switch start gear. The 2x13W version is currently the smallest fluorescent downlight available on the market. The medium Europa2 requires the same sized cut-out in the ceiling, making ‘new for old’ replacement a simple operation.
For added flexibility, the ‘medium’ versions have the possibility for through-wiring. An easy-to-open lid (requiring no special tools) gives access to a 3-pole connector block with the option of earth-wire parking or earth-wire continuity.
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