• Aurora Home Inspector
  • Home - Craftsman Home Inspections
  • About
  • Contact
  • Schedule Home Inspection
  • What is a Home Inspection?
  • What Is Radon?
  • Our Standards of Practice
  • Our Code of Ethics
  • Sign Your Agreement
  • SAMPLE Home Inspection REPORT
  • Blog - From The Home Inspectors Blog
  • Friendly Referral's
  • Real Estate Agents
Craftsman Home Inspections llc




From The Inspectors Blog

Clothes Closet Lighting

10/22/2016

0 Comments

 
by Nick Gromicko ​
Picture
Clothes Closet Lighting 
 
People don’t often think about the fire risks posed by the light in their clothes closet, but it’s one of the few places in the house where a source of high heat can get too close to flammable materials. Lighting must be installed safely with adequate separation from clothes, boxes and other flammables stored in the closet.  Additionally, the quality of the light, as well as bulb efficiency, will influence your lighting choices.  
 
The 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) on "Permitted Luminaires and Clearance from Clothing"
 
The IRC defines a "luminaire" as follows:  
a complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps, together with the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and protect the lamps and ballast (where applicable), and to connect the lamps to the power supply.
 
Types of luminaires permitted by the 2009 IRC include:
  • surface-mounted or recessed incandescent luminaires with completely enclosed lamps, surface-mounted or recessed fluorescent luminaires; and 
  • surface-mounted fluorescent or LED luminaires identified as suitable for installation within the storage area. 
Luminaires not permitted by the 2009 IRC:
  • Incandescent luminaires with open or partially enclosed lamps and pendant luminaires or lamp-holders should be prohibited. 
Clearances permitted by the 2009 IRC:
The minimum distance between luminaires installed in clothes closets and the nearest point of a storage area shall be as follows:
1. Surface-mounted incandescent or LED luminaires with a completely enclosed light source shall be installed on a wall above the door or on the ceiling, provided that there is a minimum clearance of 12 inches (305 mm) between the fixture and the nearest point of a storage space.
2. Surface-mounted fluorescent luminaires shall be installed on the wall above the door or on the ceiling, provided that there is a minimum clearance of 6 inches (152 mm). 
3. Recessed incandescent luminaires or LED luminaires with a completely enclosed light source shall be installed in the wall or the ceiling, provided that there is a minimum clearance of 6 inches (152 mm). 
4. Recessed fluorescent luminaires shall be installed in the wall or on the ceiling, provided that there is a minimum clearance of 6 inches (152 mm) between the fixture and the nearest point of storage space. 
5. Surface-mounted fluorescent or LED luminairesshall be permitted to be installed within the storage space where identified within this use. 
 
Also, metal pull chains may be dangerous; if the base cracks, the chain can become electrified. 
 
Color Rendering Index (CRI)
 
CRI is a quantitative measure of the ability of a light source to reproduce the colors of various objects faithfully, in comparison with an ideal or natural light source. The closer the CRI of a lamp is to 100, the more "true" it renders colors in the environment. Poor CRI is the reason that a shirt and pants that seemed to match at home now clash in the restroom at work. For clothes closets lighting, the CRI should be as high as possible. Incandescent lights are inefficient but they have a CRI of 100, making them the most aesthetic lighting choice. Compact fluorescents lights (CFLs) are far more efficient and have a longer life than incandescent bulbs, but they have a CRI in the low 60s, making them a poor choice for clothes closet applications. Low-voltage halogen and LED lights are relatively efficient, long-lasting, and have a high CRI, although not as high as incandescent bulbs. 
 
 
In summary, homeowners should replace lighting in their clothes closets if the light has the potential to ignite flammable materials in the closet.

Picture

Craftsman Home Inspections llc is a home inspection and Radon Testing company proudly serving the Aurora CO and Denver CO Metro Areas. If you are looking for a Home Inspector in Aurora or Denver, please give us a call at 720-593-0383 or check us out online at CraftsmanColorado.com or simply schedule your home inspection below.

SCHEDULE INSPECTION
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Craftsman Home Inspections. We are your Aurora and Denver Colorado Home Inspectors. Here you will find useful information about the Home Inspection industry as well as home maintenance tips.

    Archives

    April 2020
    January 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Our
Best
Inspection
Every
Time!®


We are your Aurora and Denver Colorado Home Inspector / Radon Testing Pro's.

Craftsman Home Inspections llc

At Craftsman Home Inspections we are professionals who promise to give you our best Home inspection every time.

Call or Text Us Now!

720-593-0383


Insured

Proudly Performing Home Inspections in Aurora CO, Denver CO and the surrounding Metro Areas.
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.