The Akril is a small rectangular wall light 170 65 42mm of poly powder-coated aluminium with a high-grade acrylic lens that throws light in a single direction, up or down depending on how you mount it. It is the fitting for a run of even, repeated marks along a wall: a front faade, a fence line, a stair flight or a path-side rendered wall, where a wide floodlight would be too much and a bollard would be in the way.

It is a low-voltage fitting, and that is the main decision

The Akril runs on 12V DC, not on house supply. It needs a 12V DC LED driver, sized to the total load of every fitting on the run, and Havit sells a range of them for exactly this. Do not connect it directly to 240V the LED will be destroyed and the warranty voided. The upside is what low voltage buys you outdoors: it is Protection Class 3, so no earth is required at the fitting, and the cabling itself is far less hazardous in a garden bed than a house-voltage run.

Output

A built-in 3W LED gives 105115lm. That is an accent figure, not a floodlight figure, and it is the correct amount for the job: a wall grazed by a soft band of light at 3m spacings reads as designed, while the same wall hit by four times the output reads as a security light. Plan on several of these rather than one.

Colour temperature

Tri-colour and switch-selected at installation: 3000K, 4000K or 5500K. 4000K is the brightest at 115lm, 5500K gives 110lm and 3000K gives 105lm. Set every fitting in a run to the same setting before they go up mixed colour temperatures along one wall are the single most visible mistake in exterior lighting, and SDCM<5 only guarantees consistency between fittings set the same way.

Rating and limits

It is IP65, so it is rated against dust and water jets from any direction suitable for an exposed wall, not for immersion. Impact rating is IK04 and glare is quoted at UGR<35, with CRI>80 and a lamp expectancy of >30,000hrs. One thing to plan around: Havit specifies this model as not dimmable, so it should be switched rather than wired to a dimmer. It comes in black or white, both at the same price, with a 3 years replacement warranty. Lights For You also lists the two-light version of the same body, which throws up and down from one point.

Questions

Can I wire it straight to the house supply?

No. It is a 12V DC fitting and needs a 12V DC LED driver between the supply and the light. Havit lists a full range of drivers for this. Connecting it directly to house voltage will destroy the LED and void the warranty.

What size driver do I need?

Add up the load of every fitting on the run each Akril single is 3W and choose a driver comfortably above that total, leaving headroom rather than running it at its limit. Cable run length also matters at low voltage; your electrician will size the cable to avoid a voltage drop at the far end.

Does it need an earth?

No. It is Protection Class 3, which is the safety class for separated extra-low-voltage equipment, so no earth is required at the fitting itself.

Can it be dimmed?

No. Havit specifies this model as non-dimmable. Switch it rather than wiring it to a dimmer a dimmer on the low-voltage side of the driver will not work correctly and may damage the driver.

Is it OK in an exposed position outdoors?

Yes. It is IP65, which covers dust and water jets from any direction, so a wall with no shelter is within the rating. It is not rated for immersion or for being buried.

Which colour setting gives the most light?

4000K, at 115lm. 5500K gives 110lm and 3000K gives 105lm. The differences are small, so choose on appearance but set every fitting in a run identically, because a mismatched setting along one wall is obvious.

How far apart should I space them?

There is no single answer, but around 2.53m is a common spacing for a 105115lm accent on a wall. Closer together gives a continuous scalloped band; further apart gives distinct pools with dark gaps between.