The Maxi Louvre 900 is the louvred version of Havit’s 900 mm bollard the same316 stainless body in poly powder coated black, the same globes and the same output, behind aclear diffuser fitted with louvres. It sells at the same price as the plain version, sothe louvres are the whole reason to choose it.

What the louvres actually do

A bollard at 900 mm sits close to eye level on a path, and a plain diffuser throws light outward atthat height as readily as it throws it down. The louvres are horizontal blades across the cleardiffuser: they interrupt the sideways view of the lamp and push the useful light downward onto thesurface you are trying to light. In practice that means less glare when someone walks towards it, and apool of light on the path rather than a bright object in the eye. Choose it along a driveway edge,beside a seating area, or anywhere the bollard will be looked at directly. Where you want the fittingitself to read as a soft column of light, the plain Maxi 900 does that better.

240 V or 12 V chosen by part number, and the difference is real

HV1618T-BLK-240V is 240 V AC, takes a 9 W E27globe and gives 700 lm / 720 lm / 740 lm. It is Protection Class 1 andrequires an earth. HV1618T-BLK-12V is 12 V DC off asuitable 12 V DC LED driver, takes a 5 W MR16 globe and gives270 lm / 285 lm / 300 lm; it is Class 3, needs no earth, and must notbe connected directly to 240 V. Two Havit warranty conditions apply to the 12 V version only: supplywithin 5% at the fitting, and no more than 25 m from the LED driver.Fittings sharing a driver are wired in parallel; Havit lists itsHV9507 and HV9508 tri-colour MR16 drivers for this range.

Globe, colour temperature and the wattage ceiling

Colour temperature is tri-colour 3000K, 4000K or 5500K, and it is set on the globerather than on the fitting: the cover twists off anti-clockwise and the switch is on the side of theglobe. It ships on 3000K. The globes supplied are 120 and a replacement sets its own beam worthnoting on this version, because the louvres are shaping light that the globe has already spread. Havitcaps the fitting at a maximum globe wattage of 15 W, LED globes only, and it isnot dimmable with the globes supplied. CRI is >80 and lampexpectancy >30,000hrs.

Mounting and upkeep

900 mm tall, 102 mm, on a 98 mm base plate withfour 6 mm fixing holes and a 16 mm cable entry. Surface mounted ontoconcrete or a concrete pad and never below finished ground level; all holes siliconed and silicone runaround the fitting at ground level, both warranty conditions. All o-rings and seals must be in place.HV1607 is Havit’s optional spike. The body under the black finish is 316 stainless andstill wants regular cleaning maintenance; tea staining is not covered bywarranty. IP54, IK08. Lights For You publishes thesefigures for HV1618T-BLK from the HV1618 APR24 data sheet, Havit’s 12 V and 240 V installationinstructions and the supplier’s own page for each of its two part numbers, with Havit’s3 Years Replacement warranty on items ordered after 01/01/22.

Questions

What is the difference between this and the plain Maxi 900?

Only the head. This one has a clear diffuser with louvres across it; the plain version has a diffused one with no blades. Same 316 stainless body, same 900 mm height, same globes, same output, same price. The louvres cut the sideways view of the lamp and direct more light downward.

Will it be dimmer than the plain version?

The globe produces the same 700 lm / 720 lm / 740 lm on 240 V or 270 lm / 285 lm / 300 lm on 12 V either way those are the figures Havit publishes for both. What changes is where the light goes: more of it onto the ground and less of it into your eyes. On a path that usually reads as better lit, not dimmer.

Where should I use the louvred version rather than the plain one?

Anywhere the bollard is looked at directly along a path or driveway edge, beside outdoor seating, or near a window it would otherwise shine into. Choose the plain version where you want the fitting to glow as an object, such as in a planted bed away from where people walk.

Which version do I need, 240 V or 12 V?

Take HV1618T-BLK-240V if it is being wired into mains no driver, but it must be earthed. Take HV1618T-BLK-12V for a low-voltage garden run. The 12 V version is the one bound by the 5% supply tolerance and the 25 m driver distance, both of which are Havit warranty conditions.

Can I fit a brighter globe?

Up to Havit’s ceiling of 15 W, and LED globes only. A 9 W E27 or 5 W MR16 is what it ships with, so there is some headroom but no halogen or incandescent lamp of any wattage.

Is it dimmable?

Not with the globes supplied Havit records No not with supplied globes. That wording points at the lamp rather than the fitting, and we are not going to promise that swapping in a dimmable globe would change it.

Does the black finish need any maintenance?

Less than the bare stainless version, but not none. The body under the poly powder coating is 316 stainless steel, and Havit’s instruction sheet asks for regular cleaning maintenance on 316 stainless fittings, noting that tea staining is not covered by warranty.