Suggestions for home made Downlight Covers?

Joined
23 Feb 2010
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
Bedfordshire
Country
United Kingdom
So have just fitted some led downlights in an upstairs room, I think I'm right in saying that with downlights fitted upstairs you don't need to be concerned about fire rated covers to go over the lights to insulated them against fire but you also shouldn't cover downlights with insulation in the loft?. I have looked and just bog standard downlight covers are fairly expensive for what they are and if you have a fair few downlights they can become expensive.

So I was wondering what ideas people have had for home made downlight covers?. I was thinking of just getting some plastic flower pots with the holes in the bottom or getting some 2 litre paint mixing pots from work (and drilling a few holes in the bottom) and just sticking them in place over the lights they would be large enough to have a inch or so circumference clearance around the light itself and 2-3 inches above it and just lay the insulation over the flower pot, i think this is more that enough as having had the downlights on for an hour I have gone into the loft and touched the shell of the downlight there's hardly any heat coming from them at all.

Is there any reason you should buy these over priced downlight covers for upstairs lighting over making up your own home made cover?
 
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
"Plastic" isn't a material, it's a broad category of materials. You can't just grab a random flower pot and hope that it's not going to melt or ignite easily.
Having said that, it would probably be more critical if you're using incandescent lighting. LED lights put out a lot less heat.
 
Yeah as I said I had them on for an hour and the shell/case of the lights were barely warm, which i guess it expected seeing's as the majority of the heat will be generated from the LED itself which is facing downwards away from the rear of the light that would be in contact with the insulation.

I guess as a test having the plastic pot you intend to use sat on a hot radiator and if that does melt it then theres no way these LED downlights would.

For example sake these are the downlights I have, so there's plenty of 'exhaust' space behind the actual led lamp anyways...
 

Attachments

  • GU10_Bathroom_-_White_-_Main_-_Google_700x.jpeg
    GU10_Bathroom_-_White_-_Main_-_Google_700x.jpeg
    39.1 KB · Views: 32
What sort of led downlights have you fitted that need a cover
 
If you have some plasterboard to hand, you can make an open-bottomed box and put it on the ceiling from above to cover and enclose the lamp.

Plasterboard is fireproof and will also block the passage of smoke and flame through the holes in the ceiling if there should be a fire in the room below.
 
No..most led's are made for that now......check the specs
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top