Downlights and fire regulation

[platforminc]

Hi All,

I would like to clarify where a fire rated downlight is required and where its not required. Its for a semi detached residential house, ground floor and upstairs.

I am thinking about the following areas.

Kitchen open plan with living room
Toilet & Utility room (will have boiler/washing machine/dryer)
Lounge
First floor landing.
Bathroom (I know its a special kind of downlight)
En-suite (I know its a special kind of downlight)


Thanks in advance.

 

[EFLImpudence]

They are required where the ceiling is a fire barrier.
That is in a garage with room above and between separate dwellings.

Nowhere in 'your' house.

 

[bernardgreen]

The plaster board of the ceiling is a fire stop to delay a fire in a room reaching the timbers of the floor above.

The regulations require that delay to be long enough that the floor does not collapse until the occupants in the house have realised there is a fire and have got out.

It is assumed that even if the ceiling collapses immediately that the floor will survive long enough. Hence it is not considered necessary to use fire rated lamps in the holes in the plaster board. But if the lamps let fumes through and the floor above is not air tight then fumes may affect people before they wake up and realise there is a fire below them.

Downlights are a poor way to light a room and are they worth the hazard they may create ?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Downlights are a poor way to light a room and are they worth the hazard they may create ?

Each to his own. I have a very tall friend and he is often knocking his head on pendant light fittings. They are a hazard to him.
Downlights are not his problem...

 

[JohnW2]

Each to his own. I have a very tall friend and he is often knocking his head on pendant light fittings. They are a hazard to him. Downlights are not his problem...

My son-in-law has the same problem seriously exacerbated by the fact that they live in an 18th century cottage with very low ceilings (and even lower beams). However, their solution is wall lights/uplighters/wall-mounted spots, rather than ceiling-mounted downlighters (not the least because of the lath and plaster ceilings!).

Kind Regards, John

 

[StephenStephen]

...not an answer to the question asked - so my apologies for that, but I would suggest considering LED strips instead of downlighters. They're much more flexible (literally), extremely efficient, don't create problem of sound, heat and smoke travel, and are generally (excuse the pun) brilliant.

 

[winston1]

. extremely efficient,

Disagree. They are more efficient than filament lamps, but only about half that of normal LEDs or CFLs.