Peter Ratcliffe, Sales Director of GreenBrook Electrical, discusses the growing demand for outdoor power products, the variety of solutions on the market and the up-selling opportunities for wholesalers.
Years ago, it was unlikely that homeowners would need to use electrical power outdoors unless they were mowing the lawn or cutting the hedge and then an extension lead, perhaps with a PowerBreaker adapter, for the extra safety-conscious, would do the trick.
These days, our willingness to make our gardens part of our living space and a venue for our leisure time has led to a considerable increase in the number of outdoor power applications. Exterior lights, water features and hot tubs are all commonplace and seasonal electrical requirements (such as Christmas lights) have also meant that consumers are looking for better outdoor power solutions for their homes.
Similarly, demand for practical outdoor power solutions is also growing in the commercial market and in this scenario the drive to ensure that outdoor power usage is safe as well as practical is even stronger. No longer is the need for outdoor power confined to locations like building sites and commercial areas – the smoking ban has seen pubs, restaurants and public halls invest in providing outdoor areas which are not only often lit but also heated and wired into the establishments A/V system.
The GreenBrook Power X range offers spur units, sockets, timers and PowerBreaker RCDs, all ensuring that contractors have plenty of options for specifying a best fit solution for any application.
Flexibility
Greater choice means greater flexibility for the specifier, allowing them to select a product that best suits the application for which the product will be used. It also means greater opportunity for the wholesaler as it provides the potential to advise customers and up-sell to a product with more features and benefits.
Great choice sometimes also leads to greater confusion and there is sometimes a tendency amongst contractors to over-specify outdoor power products applying a “belt and braces” approach that can push up costs unnecessarily. Once again, this offers the wholesaler an opportunity to build customer relationships by advising on the most cost effective solutions to meet the applications actual requirements.
The issue of over specification often stems from an assumption that a product with a higher IP (Ingress Protection) rating will automatically offer more protection against the elements and it is important to understand that this is not necessarily true. The IP rating relates to how the product performs under test conditions and when it comes to sockets, test conditions only apply to the dust and water resistance of the unit itself whilst not in use.
With the GreenBrook PowerX Range, the sockets have been specifically designed to maintain their weatherproof qualities when a plug is inserted. This means in practise that a well-designed product with a lower IP rating may well prove more hard wearing, more practical and more importantly, safer than a higher rated product without “in -use “ water and dust ingress protection features.
So while many contractors will automatically look for an IP66 rated product as the default setting for outdoor power applications, in fact lower IP rated product should be sufficient for most applications if it has been well-designed to perform equally well when in use as when switched off. That’s because an IP44 rating applies to normal weather conditions which covers general outdoor use.
Water resistance
For more demanding environments, such as close to ponds, hot tubs or swimming pools, an IP55 or IP66 rated product may be more appropriate as these have been tested as safe and functional under hosing conditions. Again, however the ability of sockets to retain their water and dust resistance whilst actually in use is critical.
Finally, IP66-rated products have been tested under multi-directional power hosing conditions and are therefore suitable for the most demanding conditions, including pressure washers and these products should offer safe and reliable performance in even the most challenging environments, such as commercial car washes.
Whatever the IP rating, the importance of considering the actual features and benefits of individual products cannot be over stressed. For example, it’s important to note whether the product still protects from ingress of dust and water to the required standard even when plugged in.
Only a product that has a lid designed to lock closed securely around the flex will provide this level of protection. And if the outdoor socket does have such a lid, it is then worth noting whether the lid is transparent to allow the user to see whether a plug is in place or whether an indication light is switched on.
It’s worth remembering too that performance and safety are not the only key selling points of outdoor power products; durability is also crucial; after all, they will be constantly subjected to all kinds of weather conditions and wear and tear.
UV protection
While the focus is on waterproofing and resistance to dust it is easy to forget that heat and sunlight can also cause the unit to deteriorate over time, which is why the PowerX range has also been designed with UV protection to increase durability. It’s by signposting contractors and specifiers to added-value features such as these that wholesalers can help them identify the most functional, cost effective and fit for purpose solutions.
So, just as wholesalers can help customers avoid the pitfalls of over specifying in terms of IP rating, they also have a clear role to play in helping to prevent under specifications of outdoor power products in terms of product quality and functionality. And of course, we must remember that just as with another type of wiring accessories, suitability for the application is also paramount.
With safety so high on the agenda, IP rated sockets with integral RCDs are a popular choice as these remove the need for an RCD adaptor and avoid the risk of nuisance tripping. For commercial applications, the safest option is often to opt for an IP rated spur unit to avoid any possibility that electrical cables could be unplugged by mistake or due to vandalism.
Meanwhile, if energy efficiency is part of the brief, an IP rated socket with an integral digital or mechanical timer could be the most appropriate choice as this would allow devices such as outdoor lights – in either domestic or commercial settings – to be switched off automatically when not required.
Finally, it is sensible to think ahead. As domestic and commercial demand for outdoor power grows it may be prudent to install a double socket even if there is only a requirement for a single socket at the present item as this will help to futureproof the installation.
Ultimately, outdoor power is an upselling opportunity for contractors and wholesalers alike. Any domestic or commercial building can benefit from the availability of outdoor power; a professionally installed socket, spur, switch or timer enhances both the flexibility and the safety of outdoor power usage when compare to the old fashioned extension lead approach. It pays, therefore to know what out there and to maximise the opportunity outdoor power can provide.
