Downlighters in thermal insulation

[RF Lighting]

Got called to a job today where the MCB for the upstairs lights was tripping as soon as the bathroom lights were switched on.

I found three ELV downlighters completely surrounded in thermal insulation.

I found the fault was a cable which had been toasted due to being ontop of the DL lamp, and there being no where for the heat to go.

There is a clue to how hot these lights have been getting as the actual fittings have melted, and the plasterboard disintegrated around them

(Sorry about the picture quality. I only had my camera phone with me)

 

[333rocky333]

seen a few cast ones distorted recently, never realised how hot they actually get, surprised theres not more fires.

can see things getting worse with all this insulation being pushed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But you just try and tell people not to install them...

I really cannot understand why halogen MR16 lamps, both LV and ELV were not the first ones to be banned.

 

[securespark]

I've seen a good few similar situations recently, albeit not as severe. I put down these installs as at risk, advise the customers not to use them and leave a letter. As I leave, I see the lights being turned back on.




My favourite is the downlighter cut into the joist.

Or downlighters with plastic pipe and/or cable immediately above them: at least there's a ready-made sprinkler system to put it out when it does go up...

 

[ajstoneservices]

I made the mistake of having ELV's fitted in the lounge, kitchen, hallways and shower room plus bathrooms in our bungalow, 49 in total.

We have had one very small fire above the kitchen ceiling where the sparks had used a chock block instead a jb. It was found under the 270mm of insulation. The block and cable to the transformer had been alight scorching the plasterboard as in your photo's.

Heatloss from the "ventilated" ceilings into the roof space is massive because of the need to keep the insulation away from these fittings we want to replace them but what with? LED's plus drivers £££

 

[holmslaw]

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[bathjobby]

Why not use these, this is showing only one half of the cover for illustration purposes;

 

[Synapse]

Do you have some more information on that product? Or even better a link to where they can be purchased?

Edit:

Cancel that, found out off the image link. For anyone else interested:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Fire_Cover_Downlight/index.html

 

[sparkwright]

do any of these covers successfully keep the transformer away from both the downlighter and the insulation?

of course nowadays they tend to use insulation between floors ie between the downstairs ceiling and the upstairs floor of new houses. also between the suspended plasterboard ceiling and concrete slabs of new blocks of flats.

 

[electronicsuk]

What sort of person would allow the situation to get as bad as in those photos?! Aesthetically, it looks absolutely p*ss-poor, you'd think that would have been enough to make most people sort out the problem well before things got to the stage where the circuit ceased to work.

 

[holmslaw]

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