ACO Water Management’s new illuminated channel drainage systems offer an ingenious and simple way to add contemporary lighting effects into any landscaped area. The ACO Eyeleds system is designed for residential applications while the ACO LightPoint range is for use in medium duty and public areas. Both carry surface-mounted LED spotlights that are set within a range of channel options, allowing individual schemes to be created that can highlight individual areas, demark hazardous zones or add striking aesthetic qualities to surrounding architecture.
"Combining lighting within a channel drainage run is an efficient and extremely cost-effective way of enhancing the visual appearance of any outdoor space. The range and diversity of applications for these systems makes them an attractive and tremendously versatile design option,” says Rob King, Product Manager at ACO Water Management. “They have great practical benefits beyond pure aesthetics and keeping an area free of surface water. They can be used to demark pathways, access roads and parking bays as well as the tops of stairs and other potentially hazardous areas where health and safety is an issue.
“They are also very easy to install with no special fixtures or electrical fittings required. The base channels are simply installed as they would be for a conventional drainage run, the gratings connected together and the LEDs powered via a transformer connected to a nearby standard mains outlet. With the lights set at the surface they are also easy to clean, maintaining a true light pattern and colour that is unobstructed by dirt or debris caught in the grating.”
The ACO Eyeleds system is certified for Load Class A and B applications – pedestrians, light vehicles, residential driveways and parking areas. Up to 40 white or blue spotlights can be run from a single transformer at either 0.5m or 1m intervals depending on the grating configuration selected. Both the 1m base channels and 0.5m gratings are manufactured from robust recycled polypropylene, are lightweight, easy to handle and are straight forward to connect to any outlet pipework or sumps. The installed channel is 100mm wide and uses ACO’s Drainlock™ barless grating lock-down system to provide optimum drainage performance.
The heavier duty ACO LightPoint system is certified for Load Class D environments – sports arenas, piazzas and precincts, service stations, light commercial vehicle traffic – and is available in a greater range of size, material and lighting options. The key component is a 500mm long ductile iron grating fitted with a high performance LED spotlight that is available in a full range of colour and lighting effects. Up to 18 lights can be powered from a single transformer.
The base channels are selected from either ACO’s Vienite® recycled polymer concrete MultiDrain MD range or the ACO MultiDrain PPD range of recycled plastic channels. Depending on drainage requirements, all base channels can be either 100mm or 200mm wide. The ACO MultiDrain MD and PPD systems are available in 1m lengths as standard.
Every ACO LightPoint base channel option is fitted with protective UltraSTEEL™ galvanised edge rails which improve the strength and bonding between the channel and its surrounding surface materials. ACO’s Drainlock™ is also fitted as standard to optimise drainage performance.
For further information on the full range of ACO Water Management and landscaping systems call 01462 816666, email customersupport@aco.co.uk or visit www.aco.co.uk.
