Are non-fire rated LED downlights dangerous?

[mxo]

Electrician has told me I should replace all the LED downlights in my flat with fire-rated lights. It’s a flat on one floor and the space above the ceiling is the loft. Other flats below.

The existing non-fire rated lights were only installed 6-7 years ago and this never came up with the previous electrician back then.

I have a lot of downlights (all rooms and corridor have them). Is it worth replacing them all or can it be tolerated as-is?

 

[foxhole]

Probably looking for work .

 

[ericmark]

The fire rating, nothing to do with the electrician, it is the fire inspector who has to decide that. Same with smoke alarms etc.

 

[EFLImpudence]

...but they are not required if above is the same property - unlike your neighbour downstairs who has your property above his.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It depends on how the flats are constructed. In principle, buildings like this have each flat built as separate fire compartments. The ceilings are (should be) a fire barrier, to slow the spread of fire from one living space to an adjacent one.
If it is a fire barrier then making a number of 70mm diameter holes in the ceiling wrecks the fire resistance.
In that case absolutely any downlights must be fire-rated to maintain the fire integrity of the ceiling.

The fire barrier ceiling is not only between lower flats and the one above, but also the ceiling of the top floor flat , to slow the spread of fire into the (shared) roof space.
How can you tell if the ceiling is a fire barrier?
Usually it is constructed of two layers of 12.5mm standard plasterboard or a single sheet of fire-resistant plasterboard, this is coloured PINK.

 

[JohnW2]

The fire barrier ceiling is not only between lower flats and the one above, but also the ceiling of the top floor flat , to slow the spread of fire into the (shared) roof space.

Is the roof space still considered to be 'shared' if there are no other flats to the side of a single 'top one'?

Indeed, even if there are 'other flats to the side of the top one', would there then be any shared roof space - i.e. wouldn't there then be a requirement for a fire barrier between the two (or more) roof spaces?

 

[Murdochcat]

Has this “electrician” quoted a reg, electrical or building standards to justify his advice?

Based on what the op has written I would say it’s tricky to justify the need to change