NORME 
INTERNATIONALECEI
IEC
 
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD 60598-2-11
Première édition
First edition
2005-05
 
Luminaires – 
Partie 2-11: 
Règles particulières – Luminaires pour aquarium 
 
Luminaires – 
Part 2-11: 
Particular requirements – Aquarium luminaires 
 
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 Commission Electrotechnique Internationale
International Electrotechnical CommissionМежд
ународнаяЭлектротехническая Комиссия60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 3 – 
 CONTENTS 
 
FOREWORD....................................................................................................................... ....5  
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... ..9 
 
11.1  Scope....................................................................................................................11  
11.2  General test requirements .....................................................................................11  
11.3  Definitions .............................................................................................................11  
11.4  Classification of  luminaires ....................................................................................13  
11.5  Marking .................................................................................................................13  
11.6  Construction ..........................................................................................................15  
11.7  Creepage distances and clearances.......................................................................17  
11.8  Provisions fo r earthing...........................................................................................17  
11.9  Terminals and electr ical connec tions .....................................................................17  
11.10  External and inte rnal wiring....................................................................................17  
11.11  Protection against el ectric shock............................................................................17  
11.12  Endurance tests and t hermal tests .........................................................................17  
11.13  Resistance to dust, solid objects and moisture .......................................................19  
11.14  Insulation resistance and electric strength..............................................................19  
11.15  Resistance to heat, fire and tracking ......................................................................19  
 
Annex A (normative)  Requirements for the protective shield to be fitted to luminaires 
using metal halide lamps for protective  measures against UV radiation..................................21  
 
 
 60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 5 – 
 INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION 
____________ 
 
LUMINAIRES – 
 
Part 2-11: Particul ar requirements – 
Aquarium luminaires 
  
FOREWORD 
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising 
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports, Publicly Avail able Specifications  (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC 
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations. 
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international 
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all interested IEC National Committees.  
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National 
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any misinterpretation by any end user. 
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications 
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter. 
5) IEC provides no marking procedure to indicate its approval and cannot be rendered responsible for any 
equipment declared to be in conformity with an IEC Publication. 
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication. 7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors,  employees, servants or agents including individual experts and 
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC Publications.  
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is 
indispensable for the correct application of this publication. 
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of 
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. 
International Standard IEC 60598-2-11 has been prepared by subcommittee 34D: Luminaires, 
of IEC technical committee 34:Lamps and related equipment. 
The text of this standard is based on the following documents: 
FDIS Report on voting 
34D/833/FDIS 34D/839/RVD 
 
Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on voting indicated in the above table. 
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2. 60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 7 – 
 This publication is intended to be read in conjunction with IEC 60598-1: Luminaires – Part 1: 
General requirements and tests . Is was established on the basis of the sixth edition of that 
standard.  
Part 2 of IEC 60598, consists of the following parts 1 under the general title Luminaires – Part 1: 
General requirements and tests: 
Part 2-1:  Fixed general purpose luminaires 
Part 2-2: Recessed luminaires  
Part 2-3: Luminaires for road and street lighting  
Part 2-4: Portable general purpose luminaires  
Part 2-5: Floodlights  
Part 2-6: Luminaires with built-in transformers for filament lamps  
Part 2-7: Portable luminaires for garden use   
Part 2-8: Handlamps 
Part 2-9: Photo and film luminaires (non-professional)   
Part 2-10: Portable luminaires for children 
Part 2-17: Luminaires for stage lighting, television and film studios (outdoor and indoor) 
Part 2-18: Luminaires for swimming pools and similar applications 
Part 2-19: Air-handling luminaires (safety requirements) 
Part 2-20: Lighting chains 
Part 2-22: Luminaires for emergency lighting 
Part 2-23: Extra low voltage li ghting systems for filament lamps 
Part 2-24: Luminaires with limited surface temperatures 
Part 2-25: Luminaires for use in clinical areas of hospitals and health care buildings 
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until the 
maintenance result date indicated on the IEC web site under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be  
• reconfirmed; 
• withdrawn; • replaced by a revised edition, or • amended. 
  
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1 Other parts are under consideration. 60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 9 – 
 INTRODUCTION 
Aquarium luminaires are predominantly used on the topside of an aquarium tank to achieve an 
effective illumination and  are, therefore, very close to the water inside the tank. Because of the 
constant refilling of water as a consequence of evaporation and regular servicing, e.g. feeding the fish, it is necessary to open the cover above or to remove the aquarium luminaire frequently in order to have a good and sufficient access to the water surface. 
The requirements of this standard are necessary to prevent any dangerous contact between 
current-carrying parts of the aquarium luminaire and the water inside the tank during refilling or maintenance. Another aspect is to prevent any accidental immersion of the aquarium luminaire into the water. 60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 11 – 
 LUMINAIRES – 
 
Part 2-11: Particul ar requirements – 
Aquarium luminaires 
   
11.1 Scope 
This part of IEC 60598 specifies requirements for household aquarium luminaires for use with 
tungsten filament, tubular fluorescent or other discharge lamps on supply voltages not exceeding 1 000 V.  
NOTE In the U.S., electrical equipment used on or in aquariums shall be supplied by voltages not exceeding 
300 V. 
11.2 General test requirements 
The provisions of section 0 of IEC 60598-1 apply. The tests described in each appropriate 
section of IEC 60598-1 shall be carried out in the order listed in this part of IEC 60598. 
11.3 Definitions 
For the purpose of this document the definitions given in IEC 60598-1 together with the following definitions apply: 
11.3.1 
aquarium luminaire 
luminaire intended to illuminate the inside of an aquarium and which is placed in close 
proximity of the top of the tank or in/on the tank 
11.3.2 
non-permanently attached luminaire 
luminaire which can be positioned on top of an aquarium tank, or on a removable top cover 
frame or on a fixed top cover frame, and which is removable by hand 
NOTE Non-permanently attached aquarium luminaires might contain provisions for fixing.  
11.3.3 
permanently attached luminaire 
luminaire which is mounted on the tank of the aquarium or on a fixed top cover frame of the 
aquarium and which is only removable by the use of a tool 
NOTE Luminaires and their parts may be mounted separately by the user. 
11.3.4 
independently suspended aquarium luminaire 
luminaire (pendant), not permanently attached to the tank  
11.3.5 
removable top cover frame 
outside frame which is mounted on the top of the aquarium tank and may be removed by hand. 
NOTE A removable top cover frame can contain other parts necessary for fixing additional accessories. 60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 13 – 
 11.3.6 
fixed top cover frame 
outside frame which is fixed on top of the aquarium tank, and the removal of which  is only 
possible by use of a tool  
NOTE A fixed top cover frame might contain parts necessary for fixing additional accessories. 
11.3.7 
aquarium 
complete system, including a tank, an aquarium luminaire and if applicable a top cover frame 
11.4 Classification of luminaires 
Luminaires shall be classified in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 of IEC 60598-1. 
11.5 Marking 
The provisions of Section 3 of IEC 60598-1 apply, together with the following requirements (see 
Table 1). 
Table 1 – Markings 
Markings 
belonging to a) Markings 
belonging to b) Markings 
belonging to c) 
  11.5.1 Distance 
11.5.2 External parts 11.5.3 Disconnect supply 
NOTE a), b) and c) refer to the categories of markings outlined in 3.2 of IEC 60598-1. 
 
11.5.1 Information shall be provided  and/or the following symbol (see Figure 1) concerning 
the minimum distance to the maximum water level of the aquarium shall be marked on the 
luminaire if it is possible (by the design of the aquarium) that water can reach the luminaire. The minimum distance shall be at least 15 mm. 
 
Figure 1 – Minimum distance from water level symbol 
11.5.2 Portable external parts, e.g. ballast units, shall be marked with a warning based on the 
following wording: ”Shall not be positioned on or into the cover frame”, if the protection against 
ingress of moisture is lower than IPX7. 
11.5.3 Aquarium luminaires shall be marked with an outside visible instruction based on the 
following wording: “Disconnect supply before opening the luminaire for maintenance”. 
11.5.4 If the permanently attached luminaire is delivered separately from the aquarium and 
intended for direct mounting on the wall of the tank, the manufacturer has to give an 
information in the instructions regarding the permissible thickness of the wall of the aquarium tank. 
60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 15 – 
 11.6 Construction 
The provisions of Section 4 of IEC 60598-1 apply, together with the requirements of 11.6.1 to 
11.6.5. 
11.6.1  Non-permanently attached aquarium luminaires shall have protection against ingress 
of moisture of at least IPX7. Only class III non-permanently attached aquarium luminaires 
where the working voltage does not exceed 12 V r.m.s. can be positioned in contact with or submersible in water. 
11.6.2 If it is necessary to remove a permanently attached aquarium luminaire or the fixed top 
cover frame for maintenance of the aquarium, or for replacement of the lamp, or if the tank 
does not have suitable drainage apertures or a cut-off mechanism, the luminaire shall have a protection against ingress of moisture of at least IPX7. 
A suitable drainage aperture will prevent overfilli ng of the tank and immersion of a luminaire 
and will maintain the maximum water level of the tank at a distance to the luminaire of at least 15 mm. 
If a permanently attached aquarium luminaire, in compliance with the previous paragraph is 
used in a tank with suitable drainage apertures or a cut off mechanism, the protection against ingress of moisture shall be at least IP X4 for all surfaces of the luminaire which face the water. For the other surfaces of the luminaire the protection against ingress of moisture can be reduced to at least IP X2, if one of the following situations apply:  
– the whole of the top of the tank is covered, and the luminaire is in its intended operating 
position (closed tank); 
–  during refilling, the permanently attached aquarium luminaire has to be moved to a position 
where a 10x10cm minimum access to the water is given (open tank);  
– during refilling, by the position of the luminaire, water splashes are prevented from making 
contact with the surface of the luminaire.  
11.6.3 Portable external parts mounted in the supply cable, for example switches or ballast 
units, need not comply with the IP rating of the luminaire if the cable length between the 
luminaire and electrical part is at least 1,0 m and the cable length between those electrical 
parts and the supply connector is not greater than 0,5 m. 
11.6.4 Provision shall be made to prevent a permanently attached aquarium luminaire (see 
11.3.3 – note) becoming unfixed. 
Compliance shall be by the following test. For a luminaire which is intended for direct mounting of the wall of the tank a force is applied to 
the fixing mechanism for 1 min in the most onerous direction. During the test the fixing mechanism is mounted on test aquarium “walls” made of ordinary window glass, with the minimum and maximum thickness as specified by the manufacturer. The fixing mechanism shall not start moving on the glass at a pull of 20 N. 
11.6.5 If the luminaire is fitted with a switch, the switch shall be a double pole disconnection 
construction, except for class III luminaires. 60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 17 – 
 11.7 Creepage distances and clearances 
The provisions of Section 11 of IEC 60598-1 appl y. Luminaires of this part of IEC 60598 are 
intended for use in applications in line with impulse withstand category II. 
11.8 Provisions for earthing 
The provisions of Section 7 of IEC 60598-1 apply. 
11.9 Terminals and electrical connections 
The provisions of Sections 14 and 15 of IEC 60598-1 apply. 
11.10 External and internal wiring 
The provisions of Section 5 of IEC 60598-1 apply, together with the requirements of 11.10.1 to 11.10.3. 
11.10.1  Aquarium luminaires shall be provided with a fixed flexible cable and a plug for 
connection to the power supply. The length of the cable shall be at least 1,5 m, unless the 
requirements of 11.6.3 apply. 
11.10.2  The plug of the power supply cord of an aquarium luminaire is not required to have 
the same degree of protection as the luminaire if other than IP2X. 
11.10.3  For aquarium luminaries other than ordinary, If the luminaire has been clearly 
specified as suitable for indoor use only, flexible cables or cords used as a means of 
connection to the supply can be made from PVC (as per ordinary luminaires). 
11.11 Protection against electric shock 
The provisions of Section 8 of IEC 60598-1 apply. 
11.12 Endurance tests and thermal tests 
The provisions of Section 12 of IEC 60598-1 apply, together with the requirements of 11.12.1 and 11.12.2 
11.12.1  Aquarium luminaires shall be subjected to the relevant tests of Clauses 12.4, 12.5 
and 12.6 of IEC 60598-1 after the test(s) of Clause 9.2 but before the test(s) of Clause 9.3 of 
Section 9 of IEC 60598-1 as specified in Clause 11.13 of this part of IEC 60598-2. 
11.12.2 A 20 mm thick matt black painted wooden board is used to represent the maximum 
possible water level. A matt black, painted 20 mm-wide wooden frame is placed onto the board 
to provide the spacing between the water and the luminaire according to subclause 11.5.1. The aquarium cover frame, fully assembled with its luminaire, is then laid onto the matt black wooden frame. 60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 19 – 
 11.13 Resistance to dust, solid objects and moisture 
The provisions of Section 9 of IEC 60598-1 apply, together with the requirements of 11.13.1 
and 11.13.2. 
11.13.1 The order of tests specified in Section 9 of IEC 60598-1 shall be in accordance with 
Clause 11.12 of this part of IEC 60598. 
11.13.2  The test according to IPX2 shall be performed in the position of the luminaire, in 
which the top of the aquarium is fully covered (closed position) and the permanently attached 
aquarium luminaire is in the normal operating position.  
The test according to IPX4 shall be performed in the position of the permanently attached  
aquarium luminaire, in which the maximum distance to the water is given (opened position). All surfaces which are designed for IPX2 rating can be covered during the IPX4 tests. 
11.14 Insulation resistance and electric strength 
The provisions of Section 10 of IEC 60598-1 apply. 
11.15 Resistance to heat, fire and tracking 
The provisions of Section 13 of IEC 60598-1 apply. 60598-2-11  IEC:2005 – 21 – 
 Annex A  
(normative)  
 
Requirements for the protective shield  to be fitted to luminaires using 
metal halide lamps for protective measures against UV radiation 
 
Annex P of IEC 60598-1 applies, except for the inside of the aquarium.  
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