{"id":3771,"date":"2018-01-18T17:57:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T16:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/?post_type=news&#038;p=3771"},"modified":"2026-01-29T16:07:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T15:07:15","slug":"watertight-led-luminaires-watertightness-goes-beyond-the-luminaire-itself","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/en\/news\/watertight-led-luminaires-watertightness-goes-beyond-the-luminaire-itself\/","title":{"rendered":"Watertight LED luminaires: watertightness goes beyond the luminaire itself"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/div>\n<div id=\"block-hero-block_4d4c45108098520ac2ae68a6f805ebc2\" class=\"container-fluid header_news_part px-0  block-hero\">\n        <div class=\"container\">\n        <div class=\"row\">\n            <div class=\"col-12\">\n                <nav aria-label=\"breadcrumbs\" class=\"rank-math-breadcrumb\"><p><span class=\"last\">Home<\/span><\/p><\/nav>                <h1 class=\"with_line with_line_blue\"><span>Watertight LED luminaires: watertightness goes beyond the luminaire itself<\/span><\/h1>\n                <div class=\"tags_part mb-5\">\n                    <span class=\"badge white\">Product<\/span>                <\/div>\n\n\n                <div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-md-8\"><p>IP67 or IP68 certification of an LED luminaire is a prerequisite for installation in demanding environments, but on its own it does not guarantee the reliability of the entire system. Water or moisture can still infiltrate through other paths, leading to condensation, degradation of lighting performance, corrosion, or even short circuits. It is therefore the installation as a whole that requires rigorous attention.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><div class=\"image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-thumbnail is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2887\" style=\"width:244px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-680x680.png 680w, https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-660x660.png 660w, https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-450x450.png 450w, https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-330x330.png 330w, https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-180x180.png 180w, https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-400x400.png 400w, https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1-365x365.png 365w, https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/cr1.png 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 heading\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span>A critical point often underestimated: the power supply cable<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>SWhile the visible components of a luminaire (housing, optics, cable gland) are generally well protected, a discreet yet frequent phenomenon represents a major risk: moisture ingress through the power supply cable.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>This phenomenon, known as the pumping effect, is caused by thermal variations:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When the luminaire is switched on, the internal temperature rises, causing air to expand and be expelled.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When switched off, cooling creates negative pressure that can draw in moisture\u2014or even water\u2014through the cable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>Repeated with each cycle, this mechanism leads to a gradual build-up of moisture, which can degrade the luminaire\u2019s internal electronics even without direct immersion. Any weakness in the connection can therefore compromise overall watertightness, regardless of the declared IP rating.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>\ud83d\udd0e<em> <strong>Recommendation<\/strong>: choosing connectors with a minimum IP67 rating helps limit risks related to capillary action and condensation.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 heading\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span>The LEC solution: a patented anti-water-ingress breaker<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>Aware of these technical constraints, LEC has developed a specific response to this risk: a <strong>patented anti-water-ingress breaker<\/strong>, integrated directly into the power cable. This system operates on two levels:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It prevents water circulation between the cable sheath and the conductors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also blocks the propagation of moisture between the internal wires.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>This dual barrier permanently neutralises the pumping effect and prevents any migration of moisture into the luminaire.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>In addition, the cables used by LEC are <strong>AD8 certified<\/strong>, ensuring total watertightness even in cases of permanent immersion. This configuration guarantees a high level of reliability, including in highly demanding environments (flood-prone areas, sensitive public spaces, landscaped areas with irrigation systems, etc.).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 heading\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span>Reliable installations also depend on rigorous implementation<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>Despite these technical safeguards, installation performance also relies on the quality of execution. An insufficiently sealed junction box or a poorly protected connection can undermine the entire system.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p>With more than 45 years of field expertise, LEC supports specifiers, installers, and local authorities in defining durable solutions designed to reduce maintenance and ensure the long-term reliability of lighting installations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12 col-xl-10 offset-xl-1 paragraph\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A critical point often underestimated: the power supply cable SWhile the visible components of a luminaire (housing, optics, cable gland) are generally well protected, a discreet yet frequent phenomenon represents a major risk: moisture ingress through the power supply cable. This phenomenon, known as the pumping effect, is caused by thermal variations: Repeated with each [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5723,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"inline_featured_image":false},"news-category":[266],"class_list":["post-3771","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-product"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lec.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-category?post=3771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}