Electricians advice needed

Mark_G

Hi,
I am wanting to install some recessed down lighters into my living room ceiling, the instructions are recommending installing fire-hoods at the same time, but are an extra purchase and at £4-£5 each are quite expensive.
I was not planning on using the GU10 halogens but replacing them with LED versions.

My question is, do I still need to go to the expense of getting fire-hoods, considering LED bulbs burn far less hotter?

Cheers
Mark

DevCoder

Will the holes you cut into the ceiling breach a fire zone? (ie do you live in a flat etc)


A firehood at £5 each is cheap compared to the risk of burning into nearby combustible material. Whilst the LED's are cooler then the GU10 Halogen's they are still GU10 and run at mains voltage.

You do know that down lighters are really quite hopeless at general lighting (they are meant to be pointed at (and highlight) specific points). I've seen 12 x 20W downlighters (240W) give far less lighting then a simple 60W pendant lamp.

The only serious lighting equivalent to normal lighting is expensive fluro/plasma lights which look great but cost the earth.

Mark_G

Im not entirely sure on the firezone aspect, I live in a first floor flat (no-one above me) I have a loft which is in the process of having the insulation upgraded (to 250mm) and is partially boarded out.

I plan to use the lighting on top of the existing central light (more for ambience), and I have seen them working with LED bulbs and they would give out more than enough light for the size of the room, the LED bulbs are equiv to 40w.

DevCoder

If you breach into the loft insulation zone, then fire hoods are a no brainer.

Its £5 per light at the most, how many light do you have?

What happens if you dont install a fire hood and someone puts a halogen GU10 into the lamp holder (whether that be in your habitance of the property or if you sold it on).

Only the more expensive LED's give out an equivalence of 40W and then only some at a light tone that you could cope with in day to day without noticing it. If you are prepared to fork out £10-20 per LED lamp then a £5 extra to ensure fire safety for the lifetime is not too much to ask.

Mark_G

It's 6 lights i intend to install. The LED bulbs burn at 5000k which is a nice white light. I got them last year on a deal buy one get one free @£16 each made by phillips.

So looks likes like I'd be safer to install the hoods anyway, which answers my question.

Cheers

fluffpot

why not just install fire rated light fittings - then you don't need the hoods? The hoods are there to STOP the spread of fire through the (downlight) holes in your ceiling - nothing to do with the heat of the bulbs....

See here:
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lighting_Downlights_Index/Fire_Rated_Downlights_Gu/index.html

Make sure you leave plenty of space around the lights when you install the insulation