Primary audience: Contractors
Choose the area you need to illuminate
A wall pack may serve a loading dock, pedestrian route, service entrance or building perimeter. Start with that area rather than a preferred wattage. Record the mounting height, distance to the path, nearby windows and any property boundary. A fixture that lights the wall brightly may still leave the required walking surface uneven.
Think about where people look as they approach. A driver reversing toward a dock and a pedestrian leaving a doorway have different sightlines. Place those viewpoints on the plan so glare can be checked with the proposed distribution. Increasing output should not be the first response to poor coverage.
For a replacement, photograph the existing mounting surface and record the junction-box location. Check whether the new fixture will cover the existing opening and whether maintenance access remains practical. The Allmax wall-pack family overview links the available lines; use those pages to compare the exact dimensions and electrical options. Do not assume fixtures sharing the wall-pack name use interchangeable mounting hardware.
Compare distribution and full-cutoff requirements
A full-cutoff requirement concerns how light is controlled above and near the horizontal, not simply whether the housing looks enclosed. Confirm the photometric description and installed orientation required by the project. Tilting a fixture changes where its light lands, so an optic description cannot be separated from the mounting arrangement.
The WK06 page publishes Type II distribution, while WK07 publishes Type III. WPA15 publishes an asymmetric, polarized distribution with selectable beam angles. Those descriptions are not interchangeable with a full-cutoff designation. We do not infer that designation from a drawing or product name.
| Decision | Document to check | Failure to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage along a wall | Distribution and IES file | Dark gaps between fixtures |
| Boundary and window control | Layout at installed orientation | Light spilling beyond the intended area |
| Mounting fit | Dimensions and mounting details | Exposed openings or inaccessible fixings |
| Full-cutoff specification | Exact fixture photometry | Assuming a rating from appearance |
Separate photocells, occupancy controls and dimming
A photocell responds to ambient light. An occupancy sensor responds to movement or occupancy within its detection pattern. Dimming controls output. These functions can coexist, but one does not establish the presence of the others. Write down the required behaviour: dusk-to-dawn operation, occupied output, vacant output and any schedule.
WK06’s published ordering information includes a photocell option. Its accessory section also lists plug-in sensors and an emergency driver as sold separately. That means the inquiry must identify the intended control, not simply request “a wall pack with a sensor.” Confirm the complete ordering configuration and any separately supplied parts.
Check where the photocell will see daylight. Reflections from the fixture, nearby lighting or deep overhangs can affect control behaviour. Ask the installer to follow the accessory instructions for positioning and commissioning. For motion control, include approach routes and mounting height in the review. Keep emergency operation separate from the normal switching sequence, and have the project team confirm how the selected emergency equipment will function.
Confirm the driver input before ordering
Commercial buildings can have more than one lighting supply. A circuit at a loading dock may differ from an adjacent interior circuit. Have a licensed electrician establish the actual supply at the connection point. Neither the old lamp wattage nor the building’s service label alone identifies the new driver’s required input.
WK06 and WK07 publish AC 120–277 V, AC 120–347 V and AC 277–480 V input options. WPA15’s published model rows show AC 120–277 V. Those are model-specific statements, not a blanket wall-pack rating. The high-voltage fixture directory preserves the published model rows for comparison.
List the required input range in the schedule and quotation. Also check the compatibility of photocells, emergency equipment and other accessories with that configuration. A suitable main driver does not establish that every accessory works at the same supply voltage. If documentation leaves a combination unclear, resolve it before placing the order. Do not treat a missing voltage option as permission to connect the fixture anyway.
Specify output, environment and replacement scope
Compare the exact model’s lumen output at the chosen setting, then check the layout at the intended mounting height. Keep the chosen colour temperature consistent with the project schedule. A higher colour-temperature number is not a higher lumen rating, and selectable wattage does not guarantee the same illumination at every setting.
Read the product’s stated environmental suitability and operating limits. A wet-location statement does not answer every question about corrosive cleaning chemicals, impact, flooding or extreme ambient conditions. Describe unusual exposure in the inquiry so the documentation can be checked for that use. Do not transfer a rating from one wall-pack line to another.
State whether the project replaces the complete fixture or retains an existing housing. Our published wall-pack pages describe fixtures; do not interpret them as a universal retrofit-kit approval. For metal-halide replacement, compare the source-supported statements in the replacement guide. Send photographs, voltage, mounting details and quantities through RFQ to make the requested configuration clear.
Document checklist for the handoff:
- Wall elevations, mounting height, adjacent paths and property boundaries.
- Exact model and voltage, optic or beam setting, and mounting instructions.
- Photocell or occupancy accessory documents and the required operating sequence.
- Photometric evidence for cutoff requirements; separate emergency-driver documents if specified.
Related guides
- BUG Ratings and Dark Sky Lighting: A Specifier’s Guide
- Occupancy Sensors, Photocells and LED Dimming
- Emergency Battery Drivers: Compatibility and Output
- Barn Lights and Dusk-to-Dawn Controls: A Trade Guide
- Commercial Flood Light Buying Guide: Distribution and Aiming
Prepare the contractor fixture schedule.
Browse all buyer guides or send your fixture schedule for a quote.
Follow NEC/local code and use a licensed electrician.