This is the aluminium version of the Tivah bollard, and it comes with a restriction the brassand copper versions do not have. Havit’s installation sheet is explicit: aluminium fittingsmust not be installed within 2 km of any salt water environment. That is not asuggestion about longevity it is a condition on the fitting. If you are within a couple of kilometresof the coast or a tidal river, this is the wrong Tivah and the 316 stainless or solid brass version isthe right one. Everywhere else, aluminium is the sensible choice: it is the least expensive body in thefamily and, powder-coated black, it is the one that disappears into planting during the day.

A metre of stem, which is what makes it a bollard

The spike is 1000 mm long. Set into a bed it stands the head at roughly knee heightrather than down in the mulch, which is what suits it to paths, driveway edges and low borders insteadof uplighting a wall. Bury or sleeve as much of the stem as the position needs, and settle the heightbefore the cable run is closed up the lead leaves the bottom of the column, so raising it afterwardsmeans lifting the whole fitting.

The globe sets the beam, and you set the colour

A 5 W MR16 tri-colour globe is supplied, in a socket rated to 20 W.The colour is chosen at the fitting rather than at the checkout: twist the cover off anti-clockwise,lift out the glass, and move the small switch on the side of the globe. It leaves the factory on 3000K.Output is 270 lm at 3000K, 285 lm at 4000K and 300 lm at 5500K it does not climbevenly with colour temperature, so choose the colour you actually want rather than reading the list as abrightness ladder. Because the globe is replaceable, the fitting has no beam angle of itsown: the tri-colour MR16 supplied is a 120 flood, and Havit’s optional MR16 is a 60 if youwant a defined pool rather than a wash.

Supply, and the conditions that are warranty terms

• 12 V DC from a suitable 12 V DC LED driver. Do not connect the fitting directly to240 V.
• No more than 25 m from that driver, with supply held within 5% of12 V. Havit states both as conditions of the warranty rather than as advice.
• 2 m of reinforced cable, wired in parallel; joints soldered and sealed watertight,or the warranty lapses on that point alone.
• Not dimmable with the globes supplied, on both of this fitting’s sheets.
• 90 tilt and 270 swivel stop at the mechanical limit. Forcing it further twiststhe internal cable and shorts the fitting, and that is excluded.

IP65, CRI above 80, and a 3-year replacement warranty.

Lights For You would rather sell you the right metal than the cheapest one tell us how close to thewater you are and we will say plainly whether aluminium is fine for your site.

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

Can I use this near the beach?

Not within 2 km of salt water Havit’s installation sheet rules aluminium fittings out at that distance, so it is a condition rather than a caution. For coastal sites choose the 316 stainless Tivah, which is built for that air, or solid brass. Inland, aluminium is perfectly sound and it is the best value in the range.

How high does the head sit?

As high as you set it. The 1000 mm stem is driven or sleeved to the depth you choose, so the head normally finishes around knee height for path and border lighting. Decide before the cable is buried, because the lead exits the base of the column.

What beam angle does it give?

The globe’s, not the housing’s. It takes a replaceable MR16, so the beam belongs to whatever lamp is fitted. The tri-colour MR16 supplied is a 120 flood, which suits paths and beds; Havit’s optional MR16 is 60 if you want a tighter pool of light.

How do I change the colour temperature?

On the globe. Twist the cover anti-clockwise, set the glass aside, lift the globe out and move the switch on its side between 3000K, 4000K and 5500K. It ships preset to 3000K. Refit the glass and cover firmly afterwards, because the seals are what maintain the IP65 rating.

Can I fit a brighter globe?

Up to the 20 W the socket is rated for. That ceiling was written for halogen and no LED MR16 approaches it, so you are really choosing on beam angle and colour rather than on wattage.

Is it dimmable?

No both of its sheets record it as not dimmable with the globes supplied, so it should not be specified onto a dimmed circuit.

What does the black finish actually do?

It is poly powder coating over aluminium, and its practical benefit is that the fitting disappears against soil and foliage in daylight while the light itself does the work at night. It is a coating rather than a solid colour, so treat deep scratches as worth touching up, particularly on a fitting living at ground level.