Which downlights are people using?

[Neil Holdsworth]

I've been fitting the enlite range of downlights' as they seem well made and are quick to install. They are about £18 inc vat per fitting. Anyone have any other recommendations? 

Thanks Neil

 

[Evans Electric]

I tend to stick with gear that doesn't cause grief in installing, cost and call backs so  as choice I use JCC chrome fire rated downlights ,  sling the supplied GU10 lamp and fit an LED .

Basic fitting around £7.50  plus £4.50 ish for the LED.

 

[kerching]

Cheap job.......Hi Spec ( yes, I DO know! ) and Luxnar LED lamps

better job......Greenlite PAL all in ones with switchable colour WW/CW/DL and 5 trims, dimmable , IP and FR 30/60/90 5 Y warranty I think

Best job....Click Inceptor or Inceptor micro.......BUT you have to know colour/trim/dimmable BEFORE ordering( does not matter with the PAL ones) but these have a longer warranty

 

[Neil Holdsworth]

Ideally i'd fit something with a replaceable lamp. Push fit connections speed up the install time considerably. Do the jcc ones with a replaceable lamp have pushfit.

 

[binky]

I fit Aurora twist lock fittings with megaman lamps, can't stand fittings with 'cans' on the back unless I have to fit fire rated. I like these becuase they don't go ****ty white

 

[Neil Holdsworth]

They have to be fire rated as they are in the kitchen

 

[Andy™]

They have to be fire rated as they are in the kitchen

BS. they need to be fire rated if they break a fire barrier between fire compartments

 

[Neil Holdsworth]

My understanding was cutting a hole in plasterboard then makes fire rated down light necessary if its a ground floor install with rooms above. Not needed upstairs but with insulation in attics the new style ones can be buried which makes them the better choice? 

 

[Andy™]

nope. the fact that plasterboard is a fire barrier is irrelevant if its not required as a fire barrier. in a normal house then you generally wont need fire rated unless you put downlights in a garage with a room above it. or if you put any downlights in a downstarts flat you will always need fire rated (unless you leave existing ceiling and fit a lowered one)

and fire rated makes no difference to covering with insulation, they still need space around them

 

[Neil Holdsworth]

So why are most of us fitting them? They're quite a bit more expensive. 

 

[Neil Holdsworth]

The led ones i mention in my first post can be covered in insulation.

 

[Andy™]

So why are most of us fitting them? They're quite a bit more expensive. 

paying more attention to what you mate / wholesaler etc says instead of looking at what the regs actually require

The led ones i mention in my first post can be covered in insulation.

LED's generally yes (since they run a lot cooler), but for halogen it makes no difference if its fire rated or not, it needs space around it

 

[Neil Holdsworth]

I don't fit halogen at all anymore. If i was to fit something with a replaceable lamp i would still fit led.

 

[kerching]

Well,according to Amtechs EICR schedule sheet "fire rated fittings are used to prevent the build up of heat" or very similar wording  :slap

i will have a look later when Mr Merlot leaves 

 

[binky]

So why are most of us fitting them? They're quite a bit more expensive. 

coz you've been sold a pup for years. You only need fire rated if breaking through a fire compartment, 1 house is 1 fire compartment, so basically you don't need fire rated fittings. Flats are a different matter.

Well,according to Amtechs EICR schedule sheet "fire rated fittings are used to prevent the build up of heat" or very similar wording  :slap

i will have a look later when Mr Merlot leaves 

Hmmm, let me see, you fit a heat retaining can to the back of the fitting and hey-presto the lamps tend to overheat and fail early.

 

[Neil Holdsworth]

Ok, so completely unnecessary! They have a decent warranty with them and have an excellent light output for 8w of electricity though 

 

[leesparkykent]

Ok, so completely unnecessary! They have a decent warranty with them and have an excellent light output for 8w of electricity though 

There is nothing wrong with going above and beyond the bare minimum....

 

[Doc Hudson]

They have to be fire rated as they are in the kitchen

Compare the physical structure and construction of ceiling in a kitchen with a ceiling in a lounge or bedroom or hallway etc, then look at the construction of ceiling in an integral garage.  I think you will find, (just as Andy points out), a kitchen is not a separate fire compartment. It is fire compartments you need to read up on. You will also typically find fire compartments have fire-doors. Kitchen doors have no greater fire resistance than any other door between habitable rooms of a single dwelling. Basic rule of thumb, single house (not multiple occupancy) is one single compartment, Single house with integral garage has two compartments, One for garage, One for rest of house. This industry has an abundance of hear-say, word-of-mouth, miss-information. It is always best to check official guidance before taking anyone's word. However a fire rated fitting can often be a neater solution in my personal opinion. Also they can help prevent dust and mess falling though when replacing lamps.

Doc H. 

 

[Evans Electric]

Mr Holdsworth has raised a good point .  I remember some confusion reigning about the use of Fire rated downlights  and to overcome the confusion ,  decided to only fit fire rated fittings by default.     The heat developed by exposed GU10  50 watt lamps  concerned me , we extracted some that were covered in old newspaper in the roof space .  I think if they had been left on for say 2-3 hours a fire would have resulted. 

   Not fitted open back downlights for years .

I agree that a house is one fire compartment  with the garage as a second compartment , but TBH always thought that  the ceilings were 1/2 hour fire rated and drilling a row of 70mm holes destroyed that rating, hence the use of fire rated fittings. 

I also note that most of the architect drawings we've worked to would state that :-   WIring was to be to latest edition Regs..........smoke detector on each level ....downlights to be fire rated.   

 

[Evans Electric]

I don't fit halogen at all anymore. If i was to fit something with a replaceable lamp i would still fit led.

I believe they were on the list to be discontinued along with the 100w incandescant lamps etc.    but it was put back for two years  ...presumably to clear old stocks.

What was once the latest in modern , small spotlights now looks like a washed out , dim , energy guzzling, heat developing cousin at 50 Watt  compared to  ,say, a 5 Watt  LED  Cool White  replacement.