Recessed lights - LED bulbs?

griangraf

Hi guys, just moved into house, old house (110years old) total refurb... Pumped insulation into new walls with 50 mm insulated slab on those walls and all existing inner walls.

Basically I have high ceilings to the kitchen and we placed 4 GU10 fittings with LED bulbs to give us counter light, we have no overhead kitchen units.

We put 100mm rafterlock insulation into the joists so its pretty well insulated. But now we have a small breeze coming in through the light fittings. Obviously cos we cut into the insulation.

Can i get a definitive answer please, is it possible to insulation over these lights, I have no access from above so it would be a case of putting something up from the holes cut. Either that or i can pull the slates over the lights but that would mean interfering with the felt which doesn't sound like a great idea.

Stoner

Well I have insulated around mine.

http://www.downlightsdirect.co.uk/downlights/low-energy-fire-rated-cfl-downlights-gu10/fixed-low-energy-fire-rated-downlights/cat_18.html

As its GU10 and I have no GU10 Halogen lamps, only CFL and LED they don't get very hot, not where near as hot as a halogen. So I installed fire rated top hat fittings and pulled the insulation over them.

the worry is that someone else might change them for halogen as I would not recommend insulating around a halogen lamp or traffo, I would only attempt to insulated a mains 240Vac GU10 type fitting with a LED or CFL lamp, this is not a recommendation, it's just what i am happy to do.

Building regs will obviously recommend that you do not insulate around light fitting at all, that is what most people will tell you because there is always a risk with electricity and that risk will increase with insulation around the fitting. The trick is to reduce that risk as much as possible and in my opinion I'm happy to have my fittings insulated over (not packed in around the fitting) but the same unbroken insulation that is in place.


note the fittings above are a suggestion only, i noticed that a Philips Master LED will not fit them, but there are many other fire rated fittings out there. For the record the Philips Master LED is a really good lamp imho.

griangraf

Stoner wrote: »

Well I have insulated around mine.

the worry is that someone else might change them for halogen as I would not recommend insulating around a halogen lamp or traffo,

Not really worried about this as we will DEFO be using LEDs in them. The way things are going i think i will be in this house for ever more

paddy147

griangraf wrote: »

Not really worried about this as we will DEFO be using LEDs in them. The way things are going i think i will be in this house for ever more

Completely overhauled my house with Philips 4W master LED bulbs.

No heat what so ever and just simpley use downlight fire cans/insulaters and then you can insulate to your hearts content.:)

M cebee

philips 4wattt eh:pac:

paddy147

M cebee wrote: »

philips 4wattt eh:pac:

:D

exaisle

Stoner wrote: »

Well I have insulated around mine.

http://www.downlightsdirect.co.uk/downlights/low-energy-fire-rated-cfl-downlights-gu10/fixed-low-energy-fire-rated-downlights/cat_18.html

I have the same fittings in my house and I'm just wondering if it's possible to make them airtight...or near-airtight? I'm thinking in terms of using neoprene to seal the space around the hole in the ceiling but I'm wondering how the top end might be safely sealed....all to be done from below, of course...although the fittings are easily removed.

I have all of my downlighters fitted with LED lamps so build up of heat is not such an issue as it would be in the case of halogens.

E.