correct detailing for halogen spots w.r.t. solid insulation

antiskeptic

The electrician is fitting halogen spots at the moment. His method involves boring a hole in the insulated slab ceiling, scraping some of the solid insulation away from around the hole and fitting the spotlight. Strikes me as a fire risk - since all of these foams can burn.

What's the proper detailing here does anyone know. I'd have imagined some kind of hood inserted and the light installed in that. Seems like there is nothing to prevent loose bits of foam being blown onto the back of the bulb as it is now..


Thanks...

fclauson

Appreciate its on the other side of the world - but read the h&s section of this
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs48.html


I would call the insulation board manufactures and check with them

Bigcheeze

The way I've seen it done is just leaving some space around the fitting. Is anyone still fitting halogen spots? Surely you should be getting LED spots ? Negligible heat with the LED's too.

antiskeptic

fclauson wrote: »

Appreciate its on the other side of the world - but read the h&s section of this
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs48.html


I would call the insulation board manufactures and check with them

Good advice, thanks. This from your link.


"Ceiling fires have increased significantly with the more common use of downlights that penetrate the ceiling. Care must be taken to ensure minimum clearances around downlights are maintained and that transformers are not underneath the insulation. Wherever possible avoid recessed light fittings as these are a major source of heat loss."

antiskeptic

Bigcheeze wrote: »

The way I've seen it done is just leaving some space around the fitting. Is anyone still fitting halogen spots? Surely you should be getting LED spots ? Negligible heat with the LED's too.

LED's would seem to be the way to go except that I don't like the light they give - not even from the so called 'warmer' ones.

Although nominally warmer than halogens (K-value wise), the supposedly warm LED light is made up of a narrow band of wavelength whereas halogens light is made up of a whole range of wavelengths which, though averaging out colder, actually have warmer tones in there. Which the eye picks up on. The Farrow & Ball of the lighting world



-

I've not been convinced by the low-energy lightbulb argument since whatever you gain in lighting efficiency is going to be lost by having to turn your heat up in compensation (for much of the year). If only a way could be found to hold recessed spot heat in the building...

Worth nothing that the other bane of the halogen, short life, has been solved it would seem. I've long life (15,000 hr) halogens in work burning 12 hiours/5 days and they've been going this last year and a half without a single one of the 25 fitted blowing..

Bigcheeze

One poster was using ceramic covers over the fittings and then covering with insulation to avoid heat loss.

mfceiling

antiskeptic wrote: »

LED's would seem to be the way to go except that I don't like the light they give - not even from the so called 'warmer' ones.

Although nominally warmer than halogens (K-value wise), the supposedly warm LED light is made up of a narrow band of wavelength whereas halogens light is made up of a whole range of wavelengths which, though averaging out colder, actually have warmer tones in there. Which the eye picks up on. The Farrow & Ball of the lighting world



-

I've not been convinced by the low-energy lightbulb argument since whatever you gain in lighting efficiency is going to be lost by having to turn your heat up in compensation (for much of the year). If only a way could be found to hold recessed spot heat in the building...

Worth nothing that the other bane of the halogen, short life, has been solved it would seem. I've long life (15,000 hr) halogens in work burning 12 hiours/5 days and they've been going this last year and a half without a single one of the 25 fitted blowing..

You don't seriously believe that the heat from a few light bulbs would mean you had to turn your heat up...seriously??

Bigcheeze

antiskeptic wrote: »

LED's would seem to be the way to go except that I don't like the light they give - not even from the so called 'warmer' ones.

Although nominally warmer than halogens (K-value wise), the supposedly warm LED light is made up of a narrow band of wavelength whereas halogens light is made up of a whole range of wavelengths which, though averaging out colder, actually have warmer tones in there. Which the eye picks up on. The Farrow & Ball of the lighting world

I've not been convinced by the low-energy lightbulb argument since whatever you gain in lighting efficiency is going to be lost by having to turn your heat up in compensation (for much of the year). If only a way could be found to hold recessed spot heat in the building...

Worth nothing that the other bane of the halogen, short life, has been solved it would seem. I've long life (15,000 hr) halogens in work burning 12 hiours/5 days and they've been going this last year and a half without a single one of the 25 fitted blowing..

I have about 100 of the Philips Master 4W warm white LED's in my house. I honestly can't say I notice anything different about the light. (400W lighting vs 3.5kw :-) ) On the LED thread in the electrical forum the conclusion is that the Philips single LED bulbs are the best available.....so might be worth trying a couple of them in one room.

antiskeptic

mfceiling wrote: »

You don't seriously believe that the heat from a few light bulbs would mean you had to turn your heat up...seriously??

If the heat from a few lights was so insignificant then so too would the savings be from changing them out. Start adding them up though and you quickly get beyond a few. Granted, it'd be better to save on electric light heating by using gas in it's place but not at the expense of not nice (imo) light

liveandnetural

here some info
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jutpTZ5xlH4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orHQhSFGub0

the american way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PinEzA7_Zw

by the way leds are the only way to go

antiskeptic

liveandnetural wrote: »

here some info
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jutpTZ5xlH4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orHQhSFGub0

the american way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PinEzA7_Zw

by the way leds are the only way to go

Thanks, I'll check them out.

I'd agree that LED is the way to go on a whole raft of fronts. Bar for the one that matters to me most: the fact I don't like the light they give out. As pointed out above, this would appear to stem from the fact that:

• Single Wavelength
  An LED has a narrow light emission spectral band and can be designed to radiate single-wavelength light through the selection of the element.

..whereas a a halogen outputs a wide spectrum of light