We are about to have loft insulation installed through the government scheme. Our bathroom has lights fitted into the ceiling. When these were fitted, the bulbs kept blowing because they got too hot due to the (not very thick) insulation in the loft space and this has been solved simply by rolling back the insulation... Now we are about to get really thick insulation. Are there any suggestion about what we can do to prevent the bulbs from overheating?
loft insulation and ceiling lights
- Thread starter annepatricia
- Start date
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Tell the installers you expect them to leave open space above the lights. If you have the time you could get some suitably wide drainpipe, cut to length, and stand it over the lights so the insulation layers can fit round them.
PJ
PJ
I sincerely hope that they would not be allowed to do that and would refuse the request.
What a stupid, stupid idea.
Earth to pjcomp - what's insulation for? And what will happen to all the warm moist air from the bathroom when it rises up the handy ducts you've suggested and gets into the cold loft space?
You need sealed enclosures over the lights, large enough to provide the clearance specified by the maker of the lights.
Sealing is important, or you risk condensation causing your roof timbers to rot.
Large enough is important or you risk overheating/damage/fire.
You can build them yourself out of plasterboard, or buy something.
- http://www.nhbc.co.uk/NHBCPublicati...ical/StandardsExtra/filedownload,16553,en.pdf
- Pre-formed cap to seal downlights: http://www.aico.co.uk/downlights-in-loft-space-what-to-fit.html (It's NOT a firehood....)
- IET article on installing downlighters safely
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here's what you need
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLALC724.html
PS Do not house the transformer inside the loft cap, and don't bury them under the insulation, either.
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLALC724.html
PS Do not house the transformer inside the loft cap, and don't bury them under the insulation, either.
Don't be so myopic, BAN. The things you describe are already happening in the OP's loft - insulation rolled back. moisture getting in. However, a few small holes over downlighters do not appreciably affect the insulating effect of all that rockwool, and if the lighting installer did the sensible thing and put in bathroom-rated lights with intumescent seals, there won't be any moisture egress anyway.
PJ
PJ
Yes - so the advice you should give is to rectify that, not stupid advice to perpetuate it.
They aren't that small.
Intumescent seals do not block any paths through the light until there is a fire.
"Bathroom-rated" lights are all about keeping moisture away from the electrics, not about stopping it passing safely through the light into the loft.
Thanks for the (contradictory) advice. We have bought some soil pipe to fix over the top of the lights in the loft and once the insulation bods have unrolled the rockwool, will have to try to locate the pipes and cut holes in the horrible stuff and all without putting a foot through the ceiling- suspect it many not be that easy.... Not too worried about condensation as the bathroom is not that much used these days and being an old farmhouse, there is plenty of ventilation in the loft - hence the need for insulation - and hopefully the builder used the right kind of light when the bathroom was upgraded last year.
The company which the Government is trusting with this work should do it properly for you.
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