Insulation hazard with halegon lights

Joined
12 Sep 2004
Messages
32
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
HI,

I have just had an extention built and I would like to put 240v 50w halegon lights into the bedrooms.

The only problem is that the insulation in the celling is resting on the plasterboard...

Is there a minimum distance I have to cut the insulation back away from the lights or can I put some kind of light protection around the light to stop the heat transfer to the insulation.

Thanks
 
Sponsored Links
you can get some heat proof case type things to put on top of the lights not sure how much they are but use them!
 
If you're talking about firehoods they are not heatproof - they are intumescent - designed to foam up if there is a fire and block the passage of fire through the downlighter hole.

If you put them over the lights, and then put insulation over them, the insulation will trap the heat, and the luminaire, or the cable in it, could get too hot and be damaged, or possibly (I might be wrong) the firehood could get so hot that it starts to intumesce.
 
So to answer your question, to avoid excessive heat build up you should ensure that the insulation is well away from the downlight, at least a 50mm air gap.

And then to do a proper job and retain the fire integrity of your ceiling you should install a intumescent fire hood. I havn't got any above my downlighters, but that is what you should be doing ;) And to answer your next question, the fire hoods start from about a tenner each for a 150mm downlighter cover.
 
Sponsored Links
the firehoods are only needed if the ceiling is required to be fire rated

most in a domestic situation are not (the main one that is is one between a garage and a habitable room)
 
I didnt say it was the requirement, just what you should be doing, as after all, there is just as much fire risk in a domestic dwelling as a commercial one. I suppose the plasterboard ceiling in a domestic dwelling does not have much fire integrity anyway, does anyone know if this is a different or lesser spec than the commercial equivelant?

I didnt know it was a requirement between a garage and a habitable room, I'll remember that one.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Back
Top