is fibreglass insulation near halogen spotlights an accident waiting to happen?

pavlovs_dog

just beginning to plan our next project with the house, which will be to properly insulate and board out the loft so that it can be better used for storage purposes.

the loft is over our bathroom. The previous owner installed halogen spotlights into the bathroom ceiling. above this in the loft, the area between the joists (including around these spotlights) has some rather old, sorry looking fibreglass insulation down. Is this safe? when we replace this fibreglass with new insulation, can we insulate the areas surrounding these lights or do we need to leave a wide gap between where the insulation ends and where the spotlights are placed?

when it comes to boarding the loft, can i cover over the top of the spotlights? I'm assuming I would have to allow clearance for ventilation etc.

apologies for what are probably quite elementary questions - i'm a DIY novice, but I'm eager to learn

WestonDave

Screwfix do some metal box contraptions that you can put over the spotlights to ensure an air gap around them and prevent the insulation coming in contact with the lights. Once those are in place you can then cover with insulation as normal. Some people reckon terracotta plant pots will do the same job. http://www.screwfix.com/prods/97932/Lighting-Lamps/Internal-Lighting/Fire-Rated-Downlights/Fire-Hoods/Halolite-Downlight-Insulation-Guard-220mm

WestonDave

In terms of boarding and insulating, you have a tricky task. Normal ceiling joists won't contain the recommended 270mm of insulation - if you try and stuff more into the normal 100mm you get it isn't effective as its the trapped air in it that makes it insulate. So if you want to board you either have to have less insulation (acknowledging that the boards themselves add a minimal amount of insulation), build up the height of the joists or use something like spaceboards which will sit across the joists and cope with boarding over the top. Given that this is more expensive than cheapo insulation you need to minimise the area you board to save money.

fluffpot

If they are open backed spot lights it would be best to replace them with fire rated ones as at least this will minimise the risk of dust/insulation falling onto the light bulbs. see here http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/FRCL02B.JPG

You need to make sure the insulation is pushed well away from the lights as they do get very hot.

pavlovs_dog

been up and measured tonight to see what we'll need. Turns out the lights are the fire rated style you showed me fluffpot. we'll ensure insulation is pushed well back as per your recommendations. Do we need to leave ventilation above the light or can we board over the top of them?

themacster

You could replace the halogens with leds - I've done this in our bathroom and find 5 20SMD5050 leds perfectly adequate - 5 50W halogens was way over the top and too bright (room is about 3x2m and white tiles on all walls). The leds are only 4W each and give off hardly any heat. Best source is brightlightz on ebay - I got mine for the equivalent of less than £8 each as I bought 12 - I'm relamping the kitchen as well. Obviously far cheaper to run and last consdiderably longer too.

pavlovs_dog

unfortunately our bathroom is quite dark, as although it does have a window it overlooks the side return, and there isn't that much space between us and next door in the grand scheme of things, so we only get a limited amount of natural light.

thanks for the suggestion though

themacster

I was thinking about night-time use anyway. If you're having to use the lights quite a bit during the day, I would have thought the leds would make even more sense. Ours is south facing so gets good light during the day, but at SWMBO always said the halogens were too bright when she went in in the middle of the night, even when I replaced the 50W with 35W as they blew - she's not mentioned it once since I fitted the leds!

27col

There is no problem about putting fibreglass near the lamps as I see it. The fibreglass will not burn. The only problem might be if the heat from the lamp cannot escape, and part of the fitting or, more likely, wood in the immediate proximity, might be affected by heat. If you are concerned mock up a simple test rig. Put the fibreglass over a light fitting and see what happens. In fact, now I have thought of it I might do it myself. Just out of interest.