Click Scolmore has expanded its outdoor wiring range with the launch of the new Aquip66 13A FCU with passive RCD protection – a product that will help electrical wholesalers meet growing demand for robust, weatherproof and safety‑driven solutions.

With installers increasingly looking for reliable IP66‑rated outdoor power products that minimise callbacks and support compliance, the Aquip66 FCU gives trade counters a high‑quality, low‑return line that’s easy to recommend and trusted on site.

Engineered for use across a wide range of outdoor applications, the 1-gang Aquip66 unit is suitable for powering garden lighting, outdoor equipment and fixed appliances. Its IP66-rated enclosure provides a high level of protection against dust and water, ensuring dependable performance in challenging weather conditions as well as indoor environments where durability is essential.

At the core of the product is a 13A FCU that enables safe and regulated power supply. The addition of passive RCD protection offers an extra layer of safety by continuously monitoring leakage currents and automatically disconnecting the power supply in the event of a fault. This function helps reduce the risk of electric shock and supports compliance with modern safety expectations.

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Katie Plumstead, Group Marketing Manager at Scolmore Group, looks at the opportunities presented by the continued growth of the outdoor living market.

As the outdoor living market continues to grow – driven by homeowners’ desire to extend usable space beyond the front door – demand is rising for electrical installations that are smarter, safer and built to withstand the elements. Wholesalers are uniquely placed to support electricians and specifiers in selecting smart outdoor power and lighting solutions that deliver long-term reliability. Products that offer proven durability, full compliance with current standards, and straightforward installation will be key drivers of trade sales this season.

At Scolmore Group, we remain committed to investing in product development and innovation to ensure our outdoor power products keep pace with these evolving market demands -delivering robust performance, installer-friendly design and assured compliance with the latest regulations.

Weatherproof power solutions

Outdoor installations present unique challenges – varying temperatures, moisture ingress and UV exposure all take their toll on electrical accessories. In this environment, specified products must deliver durability without compromise.

Power can be brought safely to sheds, office spaces, heating and hot tubs, with Click Scolmore’s Aquip66 range of IP66 rated, easy-to-install 10A and 20A weatherproof outdoor switches and sockets. The IP66-rated weatherproof socket and switch enclosures offer users a single fix installation. The range includes 1 and 2 gang switch enclosures which utilise MiniGrid single width switch modules which are rated at 10A, as well as 1 and 2 gang switches that utilise the GridPro range of modules and offer 20A switching options. A 13A switched fused connection unit is also available with a semi-transparent cover with neon power indicator, as well as with a standard cover.

Smart power

Beyond power outlets, the outdoor category increasingly intersects with connectivity and control. With power brought to the outdoor spaces, Scolmore’s Click Smart+ range will allow remote control of any electrical elements outside via the Click Smart+ app – switching on lighting, controlling an outdoor appliance or sprinklers, or the ability to switch off power for security.

The Click Smart+ range has been created to simplify and streamline connected home products – lighting controls, smart sockets, security cameras and sensors. It utilises Zigbee technology – one of the most widely adopted smart home communication protocols. Zigbee certified devices require the Click Smart+ Hub and communicate with each other using a mesh network. This creates multiple pathways for the connection of multiple smart home devices without compromising signal and communication range.

The right connection

Providing a strong, quick and reliable solution when working with cables and power outdoors is the Q-NECT IP66 Weatherproof Junction Box from Scolmore Group company Unicrimp. It can house four of the 3 Port Lever Connectors using a 360° detachable cradle, while the curved lid provides additional space for wires. The lid is secured with quarter-turn fasteners, and 10 membrane entry points allow for flexible cable access. Protection against moisture and dust is enhanced by self-sealing membranes, which enable faster and more secure cable entry while maintaining the IP66 rating.

Featuring semi-transparent lids, the junction boxes are available in black or anthracite grey. The anthracite grey option has been specifically designed to complement the Click Aquip66 weatherproof socket and switch enclosures, which are also available with matching semi-transparent lids.

Lighting the way

Lighting remains one of the core product sectors for wholesalers, and outdoor lighting has seen steady demand as gardens, patios, pathways and driveways become extensions of the living space. Ovia Lighting’s portfolio of innovative lighting solutions offers a comprehensive suite of outdoor-ready fittings designed for performance, efficiency and reliability.

Ovia’s Pathfinder LED floodlights are an ideal way to provide ambient lighting around the garden – lighting up walkways, driveways, as well as highlighting architectural features when used as an up-lighter. The range offers 40 options from 10W to 300W, with fittings up to 50W available in both black and white finishes and they come in a choice of Warm White or Cool White colour temperatures. The standard range can be used with remote sensors PIRs (indoor and outdoor) or Microwave sensors (indoor only) as well as with the Click Smart+ control system.

The Ovia portfolio also includes a comprehensive garden lighting range which sits within the company’s Amenity Lighting category. There are seven different wall light designs in the range including a variety of up and down LED wall lights and boxed wall lights, LED bollards and a spike light. The majority of the range is available in cool white 4000k and warm white 3000k colour options. With warm white a very popular choice for external garden lighting schemes due to its softer light source, Ovia is experiencing high demand for this collection.

A strong partnership

For electrical wholesalers, outdoor power represents a growing opportunity to add value through informed product selection and availability. Scolmore Group remains committed to supporting the electrical supply chain with products that deliver performance, safety and ease of use. By working closely with wholesalers and installers, we aim to ensure that outdoor power installations are built to withstand the elements – and the expectations of modern users.

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Electricians and installers can now cut the time of their outdoor and indoor projects with MK Electric’s new Masterseal Plus Rapid Fix switchsocket outlet.

Marrying the robust enclosures of MK’s renowned Masterseal Plus range with innovative Rapid Fix tool-less and spring-loaded cable clamps, the new sockets can reduce installation times by up to 45% whilst providing a safe, secure connection that won’t degrade over time.

The Masterseal Plus Rapid Fix switchsocket is IP66 rated for protection against dust ingress and high-pressure water jets from any direction, as well as IK07 impact rated to withstand the potential knocks and scrapes of commercial and residential environments. Masterseal Plus is made from high quality materials, won’t discolour, crack or fade in UV light or extreme weather, making it ideally suited for outdoor power needs, perfect for the summer months or even winter’s biting cold, and rainfall at any time of year.

Its spring-loaded clamps can accommodate all cable types for small power circuits, including up to 4mm stranded cable. Individual cable entry and incorporated colour-coded terminals help make installation more efficient without compromising on product performance. The product is well suited for any job and help to simplify challenging install locations such as corners and enclosed areas. The clamps prevent over- or under-tightening, which can lead to the degradation of the connection over time, by keeping wires in place with the right amount of pressure.

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For this month’s Face to Face, we caught up with James Ireland, Sales Director at Forum Lighting Solutions, to get his thoughts on a range of lighting related topics. 

What is your industry background and how did you get involved with Forum Lighting Solutions? 

I started working in the electrical wholesale supply chain at 18, which is now somehow over 20 years ago. I’m not sure where those years have gone. I moved from North Yorkshire down to North London and began my path into the lighting industry with a lamp company specialising in everything from incandescent, halogen, fluorescent and very early LED lamps. This gave me my first experience of supplying the UK’s electrical wholesalers.  

 After 5 years in the lamp market, I made a move to an up and coming commercial lighting supplier. This was an exciting time as I was part of a fast-growing business and learnt a lot of what was required for a supplier to make progress in our industry. Being part of a small team it also taught me many different roles from sales to marketing and being involved in product development.  

 After six years with the commercial lighting business, I received a call from a good friend in the industry who told me of plans to launch a new business, with the backing of a very well established lighting manufacturer and asked me if I’d be interested in joining the project. This was the beginning of Forum Lighting.    

 What were Forum’s most popular product lines across the last 12 months? 

I’m fortunate to be able to say that Forum have enjoyed a very positive last 12 months, which follows on from significant growth over the past few years. Our range has developed and expanded, where we’re not reliant on the success of any particular area, but have a healthy spread of sales throughout the catalogue. The value for money Forum offer in terms of quality items with a competitive pricing structure is really resonating with not only our customers, but theirs also.  

 The past year has seen continued success in the bathroom and kitchen lighting ranges, but also very strong sales in domestic exterior lighting and our range of kinetic switches.    

 What are ‘kinetic light switches’ and how do they work? 

Kinetic switches can wirelessly operate lighting circuits without the requirement of cable or batteries. I remember first seeing these switches in operation and being amazed at how a switch can illuminate a fitting up to 80m away with no cable. The push of the switch generates enough kinetic energy to send a radio signal to the receiver (which needs to be wired into the lighting circuit), which in turn operates the lighting. 

 As well as standard RF receivers, we also offer Wi-Fi models which can be paired with a free app to allow control of the lighting via your phone or voice activated device.  

This kinetic range helps solve issues in many applications, where it can be tough to get cabling to a switch. There’s no longer any need to channel down plastered walls, creating more expense in redecorating, etc. Also, there’s no need now to struggle for solutions in providing additional switch points in listed or older properties with stone walls. The IP65 rated switches are also ideal for outdoor applications and can control lighting from domestic patio or decking areas.      

 During recent years, there has been increased demand for outdoor power and lighting products – do you expect this buying pattern to continue in 2023? 

There’s no doubt that lockdown saw many households investing in their properties with the finances that would have normally been used for holidays, socialising and all the other activities we were unable to do. This saw a considerable growth in the spend on domestic lighting and especially outdoor fittings where people were improving external living spaces.  

As restrictions eased I expected to see a decrease in spend in this area as the nation began to spend their money on the activities we’d not been able to enjoy and had previously perhaps taken for granted. However, what we saw was a levelling off of spend where we saw the purchases on outdoor lighting hold their own against the lockdown boom.  

I’m not sure what 2023 will hold for external domestic lighting, but I expect the increased cost in living to see a decline in spend for residential property improvements. However, I also expect that the massive scale of domestic property development in The UK will balance out that decline and see a stable level of demand on the domestic lighting products produced by Forum Lighting and our counterparts. 

With energy costs at an all-time high, how can end users look to cut costs by implementing the latest lighting solutions? 

With the rapid development in LED technology, I believe that offers the easiest way for domestic end users to save costs on energy. I see LED lamps now offering in excess of 200 lumens per watt, which is very impressive to produce that amount of light from such little energy. I see so many households using the wrong lamps and  believe our industry needs to do a better job in communicating the benefits of LED ‘bulbs’ and making the choosing of the correct product an easier experience for the end user. Currently terms such as Lumens and Kelvins are still not understood by the vast majority of customers and we need to help improve that transition away from Wattage being the primary decision maker for them. 

I also feel that smart technology is becoming easier to use and there’s a strong demand from the end users to embrace this. I mentioned earlier about the free app used to control our Wi-Fi kinetic receivers. This app can also be used to set timers and allow lighting to only be used as and when required.    

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