Fortis is the affordable stainless spike light in the range, and the two things worthknowing about it are both limitations rather than features. It is 304 stainless steel, not 316, and it is rated IP54, not IP65. Neither makes it a poor fitting it is awell-built light at a fair price but both decide where it should and should not go, and getting thatwrong is how a garden light fails in its first year.

The two limits, stated plainly

IP54 is splash-resistant, not jet-resistant. It handles rain and incidental spray. Itis not rated for direct hose-down or for a sprinkler playing on it, and it is not ratedfor sitting where water pools. If your bed is on pop-up irrigation, or the fitting will be in the line ofa hose when the paths get washed, specify an IP65 fitting instead Tivah and Pointe both are.304 stainless is not the marine grade. 316 contains molybdenum and resists the chloridepitting that salt air causes; 304 does not, and within a few streets of surf it will show tea stainingand eventually pitting. Inland and in sheltered suburban gardens 304 performs perfectly well for years.

Where it works

• Inland and sheltered suburban gardens, away from salt-laden air.
• Beds watered by hand or by drip rather than by overhead sprinklers.
• Uplighting shrubs and small trees where a stainless body suits the hardware around it.
• Cost-sensitive schemes needing several fittings in one run.

Specifying it

Fortis runs on 12 V DC and requires a suitable 12 V DC LED driver; its installationsheet states “Use an appropriate 12v DC LED Driver DO NOT CONNECT LIGHT FITTING DIRECT TO240V”, and sets the usual two warranty conditions no more than 25 m from the driverand supply within 5%. The globe is a 5 W MR16, supplied and replaceable,tri-colour selectable, with the product’s own table giving 270 lm at 3000K, 285 lm at 4000K and300 lm at 5500K. Beam angle follows the globe rather than the body. The head offers 90 of tiltand 270 of swivel, the spike is 245 mm and the cable 2 m. It isnot dimmable.

Backed by a 3-year replacement warranty.

Lights For You would rather sell you the right fitting than the cheaper one if your bed isirrigated or you are near the coast, ask us and we will point you at the IP65 316 stainless alternativeinstead.

Coastal siting Havits condition

Havits installation instructions for this fitting state that aluminium, 304 stainless steel, antique brass coloured and graphite coloured fittings must not be installed within 5 km of any salt water environment. That is a condition on where the fitting may go, and it sits beside the IP rating rather than inside it: a fitting can be rated for direct rain and still fall outside this rule, because the issue is salt carried in the air rather than water landing on the surface. Note that 304 stainless steel is named in this restriction 316 stainless steel is not named in it. If your site is inside that zone, talk to us before you specify it Lights For You can point you at a fitting whose material Havit does not name here.

Earthing and protection class

This fitting runs on 12 V DC and is Protection Class 3 no earth is required at the fitting. The isolation comes from the LED driver rather than from an earth conductor, and the fitting must never be connected directly to 240 V.

Questions

What does IP54 not cover?

Direct hose-down, a sprinkler playing on the fitting, and standing water. IP54 handles rain and incidental splash. If the bed is on pop-up irrigation or gets washed down with a hose, choose an IP65 fitting such as Tivah or Pointe rather than this one.

Is 304 stainless steel suitable near the sea?

Not really. 304 lacks the molybdenum that lets 316 resist chloride pitting, so within a few streets of surf it will tea-stain and eventually pit. Inland or in a sheltered suburban garden it performs well for years. For genuine coastal exposure, specify a 316 fitting.

Does it need a driver?

Yes, a 12 V DC LED driver, and it must not be connected directly to 240 V. Keep the fitting within 25 m of the driver and the supply within 5% of 12 V both are conditions of the warranty.

Why choose Fortis over the dearer stainless options?

Price, in the right location. It is a well-made fitting at a fair price, and in an inland garden watered by drip or by hand the IP54 rating and 304 body are simply not constraints. The saving is real; it just is not free everywhere.

Can I replace the globe?

Yes. A 5 W MR16 is supplied and is replaceable, which also lets you change the beam angle later check the beam figure on any replacement, since MR16 lamps range from narrow spots to wide floods.

Is it dimmable?

No. Its datasheets record it as not dimmable, so run it from a standard 12 V DC driver rather than a dimmable one.

Can I aim it after installation?

Yes 90 of tilt and 270 of swivel, adjustable by hand once the spike is set, so the aim can be corrected as planting grows in.