The Mini Tivah is the small end of the Tivah range and it is a 12 volt fitting, which is the first thing to settle: it cannot be wired to mains, and it needs a 12 V DC LED driver that is bought separately. In return you get an IP65, IK10 fitting the size of a coffee cup that can sit on an exposed pillar, and a lamp you can replace yourself without an electrician.

Two pairs of globes are in the box, and they are different colours

Havit supplies four MR11 globes with this fitting: two rated 3000K and two rated 4000K. The 3000K pair arrives already fitted and the 4000K pair is loose in the box, so changing the colour temperature means twisting off each cover and swapping the globe rather than flicking a switch. At 3000K the fitting produces 540 lm across both heads, and at 4000K it produces 600 lm 270 and 300 lm each. There is no tri-colour setting here; the colour temperature is simply whichever pair of globes is in the fitting.

Where it works

• Pillars and gate posts flanking a driveway, where IP65 lets it face the weather.
• Garden walls and low retaining walls, at a scale that suits a 65 mm fitting.
• Steps and paths on an existing 12 V garden circuit, where the driver already exists.
• Anywhere a mains fitting is awkward and a low-voltage run is easier to get to.

Specifying it: the driver is the part people forget

This fitting runs on 12 V DC and requires an external power supply a 12 V DC LED driver, sized for the total load of everything on the run, not for one fitting. Havit is explicit about two conditions that void the warranty if you get them wrong: the voltage reaching the fitting must be within 5% of 12 V, and the fitting must not be more than 25 m from the driver. Long runs and thin cable are what break that. Being Class 3 it requires no earth, which is the compensation for needing a driver. Do not exceed 20 W per MR11 globe. The fitting carries a 3-year replacement warranty.

Where it can go

IP65 covers jets of water, so an open pillar or an exposed garden wall is a correct position provided it is sealed properly. Havit is explicit that every hole in the backing plate, including the cable entry and the screw holes, must be sealed, and that failing to do so voids the warranty; silicone then goes around the whole base plate. Refit each cover with its seal in place after changing a globe. The body is aluminium, so Havit’s exclusion applies: not within 5 km of salt water. On a coastal site, the same fitting is made in 316 stainless.

Lights For You stocks both the black aluminium and the 316 stainless Mini Tivah, and the drivers to run them.

Questions

Can I wire it straight to mains?

No. It is a 12 V DC fitting and requires a 12 V DC LED driver. Connecting it to 240 V will destroy it and is not covered by warranty.

Which driver do I need?

A 12 V DC LED driver sized for the total load of every fitting on the run, not for this one alone. Keep the fitting within 25 m of the driver and the supply within 5% of 12 V, or the warranty is void.

Does it have to be earthed?

No. It is Class 3 low voltage, no earth required.

What globes are supplied?

Four MR11 globes: two at 3000K, fitted, and two at 4000K loose in the box. Swap the pair over if you want the cooler light.

How bright is it?

540 lm with the 3000K pair fitted and 600 lm with the 4000K pair 270 and 300 lm per head.

What is the maximum globe wattage?

20 W per MR11 globe. The globes supplied are 3 W each.

Can it face the weather?

Yes IP65, and IK10 for impact, so an exposed pillar or gate post is a correct position.

Is it dimmable?

Not with the globes supplied.