Fire Hoods - Downlights

[highspark]

Just attended a job for piece of mind of customer.

New ground floor extention of existing kitchen and garage.

Garage does not have room above and new part of kitchen doesnt.

However the original kitchen is below the bathroom of the property and the new loft space (ground floor) is in the same compartment as the bathroom floor with no fire barrier etc.

Do these downlights need to have hoods on them?

A builder has completed all electrical work himself and got a 3rd party electrician to sign it off. However building control have pulled it for things like no earth sleeving on connections etc.

For piece of mind customer has got me in to have a look. Firstly yes no sleeving on earths. No brown sleeving on switch lives etc.

However its the hoods im not sure about. As i said to customer I always fit fire rated anyway and most sparks will. I advised him to ask building control if they are needed as the inspector had not pulled the builder for this.

Although there is no rooms direct above the garage or ectention they share a compartment with the original house.

Thoughts?

 

[Paul.M]

Its a single standing domestic dwelling with an extension so fire ratted fittings are not required unless required by the labc so I would say no as they have not pulled the builder on them. But as you say we all would fit fire ratted, dont cost much more.

 

[telectrix]

as he said ^^^^^. hoods not required.

 

[highspark]

Seems to be a grey area. Just spoke to tech department at my Part P scheme. Guys serms to think it doesnt comply without fire rated or hoods.,,.. Hmmmm

 

[Paul.M]

Has this house got a big hole in the middle of it where someone has fitted some stairs so therefore no fire barrier between ground and first floor?

Fire ratted light fitting, doors, plaster board on walls and ceiling needs to withstand 30 mins of fire to protect adjoining separate dwellings and not single dwellings like you have here.

By all means buy some fire hoods and put in as many as you can if you have the space above to do so but you dont have to.

 

[Phillcbr400]

Fire rated fittings OR hood if not fire rated.

 

[Paul.M]

http://www.esc.org.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/industry/best_practice/BPG5_08.pdf

Have a look at Table 1. BPG 5 only recommends fire ratted to be fitted wish most sparks do anyway.

 

[highspark]

Paul. When you say all this where is it in black and white in the building regs to reference it?

I always put them in for peace of mind. However this is for a customer whos asked my professional advice on the installation. I cant refer them to any text written in stone!

 

[Paul.M]

Have a look at the link above (pdf) page 5 Scope.

E-mail or call the ESC and ask them to send you a couple of their Best Practice Guild 5 to hand to your customer. I've done this with landlords in the past. Or you can just print it off.



Regs 527.1.1/2 and 527.2.1

 

[TaffyDuck]

Buy JC fire-rated downlighters and only fit them, never the cheapie non fire-rated stuff. They aint expensive so why bother taking the risk