Wiring Rules — requirements for recessed luminaires and pool area installations

The new edition of the Wiring Rules, due in early 2018, will include changes to the requirements of recessed luminaires and pool area installations, according to an update by Queensland Electrical Safety Office.

In the Australian Standard AS/NZS3000 (the Wiring Rules), the section on recessed luminaires has been rewritten to make it easier to understand. Recessed luminaires will have new classifications. For example, luminaires will require markings that will indicate if they can be installed against, or covered with, thermal insulation, according to the statement.

“The new edition will also include ancillary equipment such as drivers and transformers. To help explain this approach, the new edition will include a series of new drawings and tables that explain each classification and location where luminaires can be installed.”

There are also some changes to the requirements for pool area installations, in particular bonding arrangement and the location of electrical equipment. For example, there is a new condition requiring all conductive pool structures being bonded to the installation earthing system, regardless of other requirements specified in the standard.

The new edition will include a diagram depicting an example of bonding arrangements for pools and spas. The requirement prohibiting switchboards being located in any classified zone still exists, with the scope of this requirement being extended to electrical generating systems.