Insulating roofspace over downlighters - are hoods needed ?

[mikeyw]

Guys,

I'm just in the process of insulating my loft and have an area where 4 downlighters are exposed in the roofspace. At present there is no insulation over the downlighters , just the cables exposed. I'd like to lay a blanket of insualtion over the area but am concerned about any potential fire risk due to heat build up. I guess the insulation is fireproof but probably best to be safe.

Assuming insulation cannot be laid over downlighters is something like this suitable ?

http://www.flamecontain.com/index.php?cat=Downlight_Covers

Thanks in advance,
Mike.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Will those things support the weight of insulation piled over the top?

Also items like that are not designed to trap heat, they are designed to intumesce at abnormally high temperatures to stop the spread of fire - normal heat escapes, so you should check that it will provide the right clearances.

Finally, what is the room the lights are in? If it's a bathroom or kitchen then that firehood will be of no use as it won't provide a seal to prevent moist air getting into the loft.

 

[mikeyw]

Yes they are in a bathroom - excuse my ignorance but why is the moisture prevention so important ?

Would it be better not to cover the downlighters at all ? - if I dont all bathroom heat will fly out of the openings where the lights are.

 

[flameport]

If you must have downlighters, this is the type of product to use:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/JC94020.html

If moisture escapes from the room below into the loft space, it will form condensation causing the loft to go mouldy and the timbers supporting the roof to rot away.
The downlighters need to be sealed to prevent this from happening.

Fire hoods are useless items. They are designed to stop fire spreading through the holes in the ceiling. They are only needed where the ceiling is a fire barrier, and 99% of ceilings in homes are not fire barriers.

The real answer is not to have downlighters at all.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you must have downlighters, this is the type of product to use:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/JC94020.html[/QUOTE]
But not over bathrooms.

The downlighters need to be sealed to prevent this from happening.

That TLC product does not provide a seal.

http://www.nhbc.co.uk/NHBCPublicati...ical/StandardsExtra/filedownload,16553,en.pdf

Would it be better not to cover the downlighters at all ?

No - it would be better to get rid of them.

 

[bloxy]

What you need are these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLALC724.html sealed to plasterboard using a general purpose silicone mastic as per instructions.

 

[wineo]

or these

http://www.aico.co.uk/firecap_loftcap.htm

 

[bloxy]

or these

http://www.aico.co.uk/firecap_loftcap.htm[/QUOTE]

Same thing!

 

[mikeyw]

Twice the cost of the entire loft insualtion - poxy things

 

[flameport]

poxy things

Applicable to both the covers and the lights.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Twice the cost of the entire loft insualtion - poxy things

There you are then - get rid of the lights and save on the cost of caps as well as the cost of running the useless things.

 

[Lower]

So is there a constructive answer for what to do when you do have down lighters in your bathroom, don't want to change, the ceiling isn't a fire wall, and you want to insulate above?

1. Leave a gap in the insulation and accept the heat losses?
2. Insulate over the top?
3. An other option?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1. Leave a gap in the insulation and accept the heat losses?

That contravenes the Building Regulations.

2. Insulate over the top?

Nope:

3. An other option?

Yes - get rid of the useless things and install lighting actually designed to light a room, not to highlight small items on display in shops.

 

[Lower]

Right, so you've demonstrated what insulating over the top can do to a down lighter and told us that we can't leave them uninsulated. Thank you.

But i'm not going to remove them.

I don't understand the vitriolic hatred of down lighters on here. I've recently fitted three in our new bathroom and they light the room perfectly. They are correctly zoned bathroom lights and sealed to the ceiling.

Probably like the OP, I'm not going to replace them but would like to insulate the ceiling properly.

So could we please not have any more 'rip em out' type posts and any constructive advice would be very appreciated.

 

[bloxy]

I don't understand the vitriolic hatred of down lighters on here. I've recently fitted three in our new bathroom and they light the room perfectly. They are correctly zoned bathroom lights and sealed to the ceiling.

Probably like the OP, I'm not going to replace them but would like to insulate the ceiling properly.

So could we please not have any more 'rip em out' type posts and any constructive advice would be very appreciated.

I also fail to understand the dislike of down lighters when properly installed. If you want electrical advice you won't get better then here but there are some strongly held opinions that may not match your style and design ideas!

If you have down lighters and want to keep them and insulate over them then use Loftcaps. It doesn't matter if they cost more than the insulation (and mine didn't) if they do the required job does it?