Fire Rated Downlights

[carl9254]

About to price up a full rewire, they want quite a few downlights, where are they needed to be fire rated??

Thank you.

 

[needasparks]

Can't think of a job I have not used them. Its not only about fire rating but accustic also and insulation is everywhere nowdays.

 

[Andy78]

I agree with above. Fire rated are so cheap, the only reason not to use them is severley limited space.

 

[needasparks]

Am starting to wonder its not rocket science to understand why they are required and then work out where. I thought it was something that was required to know about to be registered as doing part pee jobs.

 

[drew35]

They're not required unless its a fire rated ceiling, and in a domestic property that's usually only above a garage.

I had to look long and hard to find that information once before, but I can't remember where it came from, saying that find a document that says that you do!

 

[needasparks]

Would you like me to pass you a tin hat fella.

 

[Amp David]

Most fire rated fittings are also accoustic rated

 

[telectrix]

fire rated are only required when it is necessary to reistate a fire barrier that you have breached by drilling the hole/s for the downlight/s. e.g. in an integral garaage ceiling, or where the floor above is occupied by a separate occupier

 

[Welchyboy]

if there is a habitable room above and your drilling large holes in the ceiling below, (even 1 skin of plasterboard is rated at 30 mins each)
you are contributing to the speed in which the fire will travel to the room above

It may not be strictly a fire barrier as per building regs but for the cost of fire rated downlights nowadays i personally wouldnt fit the cheap tat ones

 

[ezzzekiel]

standard house is classed as a single fire compartment, house with integral garage as already mentioned would be two fire compartments otherwise it would be things like flats etc when fire rated must be installed

 

[drew35]

I've just read through part B, yawn... No specific mention of fire rated downlights.

Building regulations state that any residential dwelling with a height of the top floor of up to 18m above ground should have ceilings resistant to fire for up to 60 minutes. Those with a top floor up to 30m should have ceilings resistant to fire for up to 90 minutes.

So that's three stories and over right? Anything under is 30 minutes which is a single layer of plaster board.

Every reference I could find would only "suggest" that fire rated are used, not "must be".

There is material that states that in tests a standard plasterboard ceilings fire resistance, single thickness, is not adversely affected by the fitting of downlighters.

As usual the building regs are as clear as mud, and totally ambiguous.

 

[jase]

Can't think of a job I have not used them. Its not only about fire rating but accustic also and insulation is everywhere nowdays.

Just cos they are fire rated doesnt mean they can be covered in insulation!! they still run hot, the fire rating means that the intumescent foam expands in the event of a fire thus closing the hole in the ceiling caused by the downlight being there

 

[micknew]

Never seem to fit halogens lately, LED's lessen the concern of overheating even when covered in insulation.

 

[lauriehurman]

Never seem to fit halogens lately, LED's lessen the concern of overheating even when covered in insulation.

... or if the customer wont pay for LEDs (and the LED driver) then definatly fit Aluminium reflector halogens. When you read what Dichroic actually means you wonder why anyone fitted them in the first place.

Laurie

 

[stu_guy]

At £3.49 each i would not bother with any other type unless space is an issue

Stu