Putting Ceiling Downlights in a ground floor apartment

[jtownson]

Hi,

I live in a ground floor apartment and the kitchen has a standard bulb holder light fitting. I would like to replace it with some sort of downlight system - I have read about the PL and the CFL spotlights on this forum.

As there is another apartment above - is it allowed by the regs to still put something in the ceiling void? and is it notifiable?

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

Flats etc are built as separate fire compartments. If you make a swiss cheese of your ceiling you will be compromising the integrity of the ceiling (fire barrier).

Secondly there will be acoustic material up in the ceiling to reduce sound between the flats. You'll have to make that good in accordance with Building regulations or you'll be able to hear your upstairs neighbour - and he/shee will be able to hear you.

Thirdly, the existing fitting will probably be on a wooden joist so you will not be able to put a downlight there.

Fourthly, how will you run cables between the several downlight locations? There will be supporting material in the ceiling void. This may be wood, or concrete. You'll need to remove chunks of the ceiling to permit the cable to be run.

Fifthly (is that right?). Downlights are a very inefficient form of lighting. At the moment you probably have one 60watt lamp to illuminate the whole room. You'll probably need 400watts or more of equivalent downlights to give you the same illumination. That's not great energy conservation, is it?
(Guess why they are called downlights).

Sixthly. If you rent then you are not allowed to do any of this.

Unless you know what you are doing I suggest you abandon your downlight plan and just find a new fitting to replace the existing one.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Seventhly, yes, it is notifiable.

Re fifthly - the large diameter PL recessed lights are OK.

 

[ajrobb]

Re fifthly - the large diameter PL recessed lights are OK.

For tree hugging credentials, a digital ballast fluorescent tube light is much more efficient than low-energy bulbs (compact fluorescent lamps) and somewhat more efficient than standard ballast. It also starts immediately and has no flicker. It is important a fluorescent lamp (or LED for that matter) has 3 phosphors; they used to have just yellow and blue and colour rendition was poor.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I always think that people who use the term "tree-hugging" don't really think that seeking efficiency and avoiding waste are good things.

It's not just that lights like that are more efficient, they are also less wasteful and less polluting because you're not throwing away the ballast each time you change the lamp.

And they can be dimmed.

 

[ajrobb]

I always think that people who use the term "tree-hugging" don't really think that seeking efficiency and avoiding waste are good things.

I was being self-deprecating. However, sometimes effectiveness is more important than energy efficiency. Digital ballast makes for a better fluorescent light (I forgot to mention their silence), efficiency is just one aspect of that.

 

[1john]

The OP, you can build a false ceiling some 8" below your existing ceiling, and stick you cpots in there, this will leave the fire rating and acoustic rating of the existing ceiling as it is.

 

[Steve]

I have two large PL downlights in my kitchen, total rating 52 watts, on the energy meter they read about 35 watts, and they are very bright. Much brighter than even 100 watts that two halogens would use.