This page sells the extra-low-voltage Nella at 12W, in black and in white. It is a plain aluminium cylinder that bolts to the ceiling and needs no cut-out at all, which is why it turns up on concrete slabs, rammed-earth soffits, boat and caravan linings, and any ceiling too shallow or too structural to take a recessed fitting. The body measures 90mm across and 120mm deep and twists onto a 85mm base plate that is only 34mm deep, so all the depth is on show rather than hidden.

Both finishes are on this page

The title names black, but the listing carries HV5842S-BLK-12V and HV5842S-WHT-12V the same fitting in two powder coats, at the same price, with identical output. Check the part number in the table below rather than the title if the finish matters.

Output, and how much the colour setting costs you

A slide switch inside the body selects 2700K, 3000K, 4000K, 5000K or 5700K, and Havit’s ordering row gives 688lm, 840lm, 916lm, 931lm and 1,004lm in that order. That is a 46% swing from the warmest setting to the coolest much more than on the 18W and 24W bodies in the same range, where the whole spread is about 3%. On this fitting the colour choice is also a brightness choice, so pick the setting before you count how many you need. The beam is 60, and a honeycomb baffle sits behind the lens to keep the source out of direct view. Colour rendering is CRI>90 with SDCM<3 binning, so a run of them will match each other and will not turn skin or timber grey.

Supply this version cannot be wired direct

Both part numbers here run on 12V DC from a constant-voltage LED driver, and where more than one shares a driver they must be wired in parallel. Havit sets the limit in capitals on the installation sheet: do not connect the light fitting directly to 240V. Because the fitting itself is extra-low voltage it is Protection Class 3 no earth is landed at the fitting, which is the whole reason this version exists. Havit specifies these as not dimmable; the directly-wired version of the same body is the Triac-dimmable one, so if the room needs a dimmer that is the version to price.

Rating and fixing

It is IP54 against dust and splashing and IK08 for impact, with a plastic diffuser and a rated life of >30,000hrs. Havit excludes aluminium fittings from any site within 5km of salt water. The base plate takes two 9 4mm slotted fixings and the body twists home over it. Warranty is 3 years replacement. Lights For You stocks this body at 7W as well, in the same finishes, so a mixed ceiling still reads as one family.

Questions

Does this one need a driver?

Yes. Both part numbers on this page are the 12V DC models and need a constant-voltage LED driver sized above the total connected load. The fitting unplugs from its driver, so the base plate can be fixed and wired before the body goes on.

Which colour setting gives the most light?

5700K, at 1,004lm. The five settings run 688 / 840 / 916 / 931 / 1,004lm from 2700K up to 5700K, so output rises the whole way and the warmest setting gives about a third less light than the coolest. That is not true of every fitting in this range.

Can I dim it?

Not at the fitting. Havit specifies the extra-low-voltage models as not dimmable, so any dimming would have to be done by a driver designed for it. The directly-wired version of the same body is the Triac-dimmable one.

Does it need an earth?

No. It is Protection Class 3, so no earth is landed at the fitting. That is the practical reason to specify this version over the directly-wired one.

Is there a cut-out?

None. It is surface mounted the base plate screws to the ceiling and the body twists onto it. Only the cable entry needs a hole, which is what makes it usable on concrete and on thin linings.

Where can it be installed?

IP54 covers dust and splashing water from any direction, so a covered alfresco ceiling, a laundry or a bathroom outside the immediate shower zone is fine. Havit excludes aluminium fittings from sites within 5km of salt water.

How is the colour temperature set?

A slide switch inside the fitting, preset to 3000K from the factory. Twist the body off its plate, move the switch, twist it back so it is worth setting every fitting on a run before any of them go up.