loft insulation and lights, advice needed

silvercar

Having loft insulation fitted next week by a compnay recommended from the energysaving trust website, with the grants, so only costing about £200

I have 44 (:eek:) ceiling lights. The surveyor said that they make a whole in the insulation around each light, but suggested that I supply something that they can put around each whole.

He suggested cuts of guttering, but cutting 44 slices will be tedious. I did see in Wickes some drain attachments that could do the job.


Anyone any better suggestions?

matbe

Be very careful with this.

I assume you mean downlighters.

The problem with covering these up is that heat needs to be able to dissipate from the bulb and the transformer.

a reasonable size area has to be left around them for this i would suggest about 6 inches.

If you cover them over and there is no space around them the bulbs will not last very long the transformers can burn out and there is a slim possibility of fire.

I saw in a builders magazine today (profesional builder) a thing like a plant pot that fits over the top not sure what its called maybe someone else can find the info.
Hope this helps

P.s. dont beleive what a surveyor from an insulation company tells you for "surveyor" read salesman.

madjay

You can not use guttering it will melt and is a fire Hazard

You need to use downlighter a Fire Hood or a Downlight Guard, see below

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/84802/Lighting-Lamps/Internal-Lighting/Fire-Rated-Lighting/Fire-Hoods/Fire-Rated-Downlight-Guard-340-x-340-x-150mm

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/56254/Lighting-Lamps/Internal-Lighting/Fire-Rated-Lighting/Fire-Hoods/Halolite-Fire-Hood-150mm;jsessionid=XP303GKGGGLHOCSTHZOSFFQ?ts=00104

Both of which is going to cost more than the insulation, Thats the trouble when people put them in houses they forget about the part you don't see

wonka

Take a look at this thread, on the same subject:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=556867

It sounds like you need a fire hood, however if you want to vover up the hood with insulation, a better product would be a loft cap. I bought some of these from www.denmans.co.uk, however, just had a quick look there and couldn't find it, so not sure if they still do them.

A loft cap is just like an upturned flower pot, but made of pulp, which is fireproof, moisture proof, and can support the weight of loft insulation.

silvercar

Thanks folks. I'm going to leave it to the experts. The surveyor (salesman?) did say that they would be clearing an area around each light, so I won't mess around and interfere. I checked they are getting all the necessary sign-offs.

27col

silvercar, I am having trouble getting to grips with 44 down lighters. If you are truly a Doubly Diehard Moneysaving Devotee, how does that square with money saving. Is this bungalow or a house?
Also, it seems to me that if you were serious about money saving you would have insulated your roof years ago. Have you considered reducing the wattage of the downlighters, this would be a good energy/money saver. I did that in my downlighters except where they were situated over where I do most of my reading. I have 25 downlighters situated in the lounge and the kitchen and I thought that that was a lot. I have them switched in groups of not more than 4, which allows a lot of flexibility.
If you tell me to mind my own business that's ok. no hard feelings if you do. It was the number 44 that sparked my comments.

fiddiwebb

Would terracotta plant pots be suitable?

Fire_Fox

This is a serious issue, any bodges like plant pots or guttering and you completely negate your insurance policy. Getting the finished job signed off means nothing - if you have a house fire they could easily claim you added the guttering or plant pots at a later date. Plus all your documentary evidence will have gone up in smoke. People who suggest using bits of plastic guttering to enclose a light fitting are not experts. :mad:

I have a new-ish flat conversion (four years old) with 50W halogen lamps. We have had one light fitting burn out on two occasions, first the transformer melted then the wiring scorched as it was too close to the hot lamp. Luckily I have fire-retardent plasterboard, fire doors and a hard-wired smoke alarm, do you?

Assuming these are halogen spots, you'd be better of changing the bulbs for lower energy alternatives - a lot of which have coatings which are supposed to direct any heat downwards. In general lamps that are not designed to be enclosed should not be enclosed.

mikey72

I've had to go to at least two houses where the spot lights have suddenly become intermittent. They'll work for ten minutes to an hour, then cut out. An hour later come back on.
Yes, up in the loft, new insulation, laid over all the transformers, all overheating and tripping out.
Professionally laid insulation in both cases.

hardpressed

I have these light in my kitchen (bungalow) and wonder if that is why the room is so cold. Loft is insulated except round the lights. Would the cold from the loft be coming down around the lights?

brig001

I am not keen on these lights for upstairs use (or anywhere in a bungalow...). They are never sealed and can't be, so when you insulate, the roof gets cooler, and warm moist air goes up from the rooms and condenses everywhere. This is particularly bad if they are in a bathroom. I think warnings should be put on the boxes for these things, or they should be banned being used below loft spaces. A house is supposed to be reasonably airtight to keep the heat in, and these obviously don't help.

Sorry, rant over.