Downlighters

[Digimods]

Hi guys,

I have purchased two two-in-one downlighters, each fitted with 50 watt GU10 bulbs. A bit like these:

I've just cut the hole out of the ceiling in my porch and found within the roof void some insulation.

What is the best way to go about this with regards to preventing a fire hazzard. I'm a little reticent to start ripping out the insulation and I can't find a fire hood that size. If I were to purchase low power LED GU10 (you can get 80 led ones now that are equiv. to 35-50w) could I just drop the insulation on top of these as they run cool?

Want to make sure I get it right prior to inspection.

Thanks

 

[1john]

insulation needs to be removed in accordance with the manufacturers recomendation, putting in LED's is all well and good untill someone replaces a bulb with a halogen.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I can't find a fire hood that size.

You obviously misunderstand what a fire hood is for,

It is to prevent the spread of fire in the room/space below into the room/space above because the fire-rated surface has been compromised by someone (you) cutting holes in it for a light fitting.

You only need a fire hood (or fire-rated downlight fitting) if:

The ceiling in your porch is fire rated (I doubt it)

also, you might like to consider the possibility of a fire starting in your porch (eh?)

and if it did

would it spread to the room above the porch?

Personally, I do not have a room above my porch, but maybe you do, or perhaps you want to save your wasp nests and spiders from getting burnt if the wellington boots in your porch were to spontaneously combust.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi guys,

I have purchased two two-in-one downlighters, each fitted with 50 watt GU10 bulbs.

Did you want to provide useful light in the porch, or a couple of narrow beams to make a bright spot on the floor?

You could have done a better job of illuminating the porch with a wall or non-recessed ceiling light with about half the wattage (or less) of the one you bought.

I've just cut the hole out of the ceiling in my porch and found within the roof void some insulation.

Why is there insulation there?

I know that TTC joked about it, but I've seen lots of houses where the porch is effectively a recess in the ground floor, i.e. there is a room above it. If that's the case, and the "ceiling insulation" is really underfloor insulation for the room above then you must not remove it, so basically you can't have recessed lights.

If I were to purchase low power LED GU10 (you can get 80 led ones now that are equiv. to 35-50w) could I just drop the insulation on top of these as they run cool?

As 1john said, LED lamps in that luminaire wouldn't be a safe answer because someone might put halogens back in.

And even if it was safe, or if you found LED lights that didn't also take halogen lamps, you need to think about what you mean by "cool". Yes, LED lights produce little heat in comparison with halogens, but they do produce some, and a very important point to note is that they are highly intolerant of even the little they do produce.

You only have to look at the s*dding great heatsinks you get on fairly modest LED lights - they may not make a lot of heat but what they do make has to be got rid of or the lamp will fail.

So there's no guarantee that you'd be able to just drop the insulation on top of them anyway.

Want to make sure I get it right prior to inspection.

If that insulation is actually for the floor above then Building Control will not let you remove it.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

[

......also, you might like to consider the possibility of a fire starting in your porch (eh?)......


........perhaps you want to save your wasp nests and spiders from getting burnt if the wellington boots in your porch were to spontaneously combust.

 

[RF Lighting]

Did you want to provide useful light in the porch, or a couple of narrow beams to make a bright spot on the floor?

That statement is simply incorrect. You obviously have no experience of using these type of lights, or any concept of how they actually light a room in the real world.

They will not leave the room in darkness with the exception of two bright spots on the flool like the image you have conceived in your mind. It is just wrong.

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

RF, everyone is entitled to his opinions, no matter how drunk he is.

aww, bless his little cotton ones, he must have been getting 'tired and emotional' by this stage, hes had a busy week

Look how tired he got by 2AM

 

[LoveRocket]

RF, everyone is entitled to his opinions, no matter how drunk he is.

aww, bless his little cotton ones, he must have been getting 'tired and emotional' by this stage, hes had a busy week

Look how tired he got by 2AM

To be fair, I'd be pretty ratty if I'd been up til gone 2am doing boolean algebra about hypothetical lawnmowing...