Fire rated / Fire barrier

[studentspark]

Old R80 type fittings

Is the term fire rated relatively new with respect to downlight type fittings?

The old R80 style fittings did have an enclosure, so I presume will provide some fire barrier qualities.

It seems though that the fire rated aspect of modern GU10/MR16 type fittings is the intumescent pad.

The older R80 lamps do not have this, so I presume they are not fire rated.
But do they provide a fire barrier?

I need to replace some R80 downlights.
The downlighter conversion kits give quite a clean and cheap solution to the big hole, but I wonder what is its fire barrier qualities? and is it any worse than a R80 fitting.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Take a step back.

What is the ceiling? Is it a fire barrier. If it is not, then there's no point in worrying about it as the ceiling will fail before any fire-rated downlight will

 

[studentspark]

I presumed all walls and ceilings were fire barriers

 

[Taylortwocities]

I presumed all walls and ceilings were fire barriers

 

[studentspark]

OK.

How do you tell.

Surly a structure must be a barrier to the spread of fire, a normal room door for example,would slow the progress of a fire. but is not necessarily a fire door.
So you must be alluding to certain building regulations, classification of builds.

Ive looked at the ESC best practice guide (No 5) Table 1 with regards to recessed lights.
It does not really clear anything up for me.

Its usually not a problem, because if I have to install downlights I always use fire rated fittings.

The problem is with retro fitting lights with large holes such as the r80 fittings.
I am unsure it these downlight conversion kits would make the property more vulnerable to the spread of fire.

 

[RF Lighting]

Basically if it's a normal domestic dwelling it will not be a fire barrier.

The normal place to find them is the ceiling between individual flats . Sometimes as boxing round steel beams, and garage ceilings below a habitable room, but drilling holes in that ceiling would be a really bad idea as they are sealed again fire and also the fumes from your car exhaust.

Fire rated ceilings will be pink plasterboard or double boarded.

A standard downlighter will stop the passage of fire for 30 mins anyway. Fire rated fittings are only required where the passage of fire needs to be prevented for 60 or 90 minutes.