Loft insulation and spot lights

[True Blue 32]

When i recently fited spot lights in my bedroom, i tore away some of the old loft insulation from where the back of the spot goes into the loft, as i thought it may be a fire hazard with the heat the spots give off.

The loft insulation is very thin and very old so i'm looking at laying some more over the top of it and boarding up the loft for extra storage space. I need to know if i am ok to put new loft insulation over the spots and whether new loft insulation is heat and fire proof.

Thanks.

[True Blue 32]

Yes i am and i take it thats a no then.......

[True Blue 32]

Thanks for the feedback all.

[buildersmate]

Fibreglass is inert, but it doesn't mean it won't get dangerously hot. The only safe way I know of to do this is construct a box in plasterboard around the lights at least 100mm away from the fitting. That stops the insulation getting too close.

[True Blue 32]

Ok, so there is possibly a way aound this. Would you make the plasterboard box as high as the timber joists?

[buildersmate]

'The only safe way' on reflection is a bit of an exaggeration - its the way I have done it. You just need to prevent the insulation getting close - that allows the heat to dissipate (upwards). Timber truss bottoms are usually about 4x2 (inches). I've knocked a couple of extra 4x2 across the existing truss positions in one plane, then a couple more at 90 degreees attached to the first pair. Then one can nail four bits of plasterboard against the new wood and it can stick up say 250mm - well above the level of the ceiling plasterboard. One can leave the top uncovered - I only make a decent job and cover it if I want to stop flies collecting in the lights - but that's a bit of a Rolls-Royce effort.
It depends how much thickness you are putting in - if it's only 100m deep you can probably not do any of this - just leave a hole in the fibreglass. But modern insulation standards require at least 2500mm of the stuff (to meet Building Regs). Not an issue for you.

[True Blue 32]

Ok buildersmate, thanks for the idea.

[Clanad]

Here in the U.S., one can buy two different types of what we would call recessed lighting. One is "No Insulation Contact" whose "can" or top part is a single thickness of aluminum into which the bulb, usually halogen, fits. It has an extension which serves as a code approved junction box and contains the wires that have been fitted together with wire nuts. The other type is "Insulation Contact" (IC) and consists of about the same cnstruction with the exception that the can into which the bulb fits is double walled and already insulated. It also has the junction box attached. I've used both kinds during remodeling projuects. The non-insulated type works well in, say basement cielings where there's no insulation, while the other works well in the aoolication you describe. I can't beleive they don't also have them in the U.K. The insulation contact type ar emore expensive, but not prohibitevely so... Best of luck! (Here's a link describing the fixture: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/installrecess light )

[buildersmate]

Same over here, Clanad. I'm assuming TB32 doesn't want to change the light fittings. Another way to minimise the problem is changing the halogen bulbs for the type that throw the heat (IR) forward, so less is convected up out the back.
Hopefully the cost of energy-saving varieties will eventually fall by enough to change the lot of halogens for something else - then the issue will go away - less heat generated for the equivalent light output.

[True Blue 32]

Nice one, that seems to be less hassle than any other option on here. Cheers for that.

[sense4all]

I used these :

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Fire_an d_Smoke/Fire_Cover_Downlight/index.html