Fire-rated LED downlights can help protect your home against fire. When installing a recessed fixture, you must cut a hole into your ceiling, compromising its natural fire barrier. Even if you plug the hole with the fixture, small gaps surround it. As a result, when a fire breaks out, it can slip through those holes, speeding its travel across your ceiling and walls.
You’ll need a fire-rated downlight because:
- It has an intumescent pad that can completely reseal the gaps around the fixture, reinforcing your ceiling to extend the time when the fire will spread.
- It will allow you to meet all the necessary building regulations.
- When used with an LED bulb, it can provide top-quality illumination for a reasonable cost.
- It can help contain fire and prevent the spread to other areas.
Where Do I Use Them?
Fire-rated recessed downlights are necessary if a house, office, or establishment has two, three, or more floors. While it’s ideal that all ceilings have fire-rated downlights, they’re critical for floors that have occupants above them. This lessens the chances of the levels above collapsing on the ones below, removing the possibility of blocking potential exit points.
How Do LED They Work?
Why can fire-rated recessed downlights help deter fire? How can the intumescent pad mentioned above work? An intumescent pad is a material that swells up when exposed to a specific temperature. Once active, it seals the hole into which the downlight is installed, thwarting the fire from spreading upwards.
Before you conclude that fire-rated lighting fixtures can stop the fire, hit the brakes on that thought. They cannot wholly block the fire; instead, they delay the spread of fire so the people inside will have sufficient time to escape. If there’s a fire in your house or building, exit quickly before the fire-rating protection is exhausted. Use the delay to search for the exit and get help.
Can I Cover a Fire-Rated Downlight with Insulation?
Have you ever considered putting insulation over your lights to reinforce the safety features of your space? While that may seem like a good idea for specific applications, it does not always produce favourable results.
Unless the recessed fire-rated downlight mentions explicitly that it’s insulation-coverable, do not put anything over your lights. Not all LED downlights can accommodate this, so to be sure, it’s best to take extra precautions and not put anything if there are no go signals. If you need clarification, please call your supplier or the manufacturer of your downlights to confirm.
What are the Different Fire-Ratings that I Can Get?
Fire-rated downlights have different fire ratings. A fire rating indicates how long the downlight can delay the fire spread. Most fire-rated fixtures offer 30, 60, or 90 minutes of protection, while some extend to 120 minutes!
- 30-minute protection – It’s made from a 600mm joist centre with one layer of 12.5mm thick plyboard. Downlights with this fire rating have fire resistance that can last for 30 minutes, allowing occupants to evacuate safely and giving firefighters a chance to contain the fire.
- 60-minute protection—It’s constructed from a 600mm joist centre with two layers of 15mm thick plyboard. This fire rating provides a higher resistance level than a 30-minute protection and can withstand fire exposure for 60 minutes, providing more time to evacuate and address the situation.
- 90-minute protection—It’s designed with a 450mm joist centre and two layers of 150mm thick plyboard. It has one of the highest fire ratings available, providing more extended fire protection!
How Do I Know If My Downlights Are Fire-Rated?
There are several ways to determine whether or not your downlights are fire-rated. Here’s what you need to find!
- Fire-Rating Marks: Fire-rated LED downlights will have noticeable markings about their fire-resistance rating. You can find them on the lighting fixture itself or in the packaging. The fire rating is typically specified in minutes, such as 30 minutes, 90 minutes, etc.
- Product Information and Documentation: You can usually see the fire rating of the downlights in the user’s manual, product description or installation guide given by the manufacturer. Read through them to know how to mount your lights correctly and use them appropriately!
- Manufacturer Specification: Review the technical specifications provided by the manufacturer. Some will explicitly say that it’s a fire-rated downlight. However, others will only include a statement about its fire resistance.
- Fire Rated, LED, GU10, Dimmable Downlight, Fixed – Various Finishes, Incl Quick Connectors
- Dimmable, Fire Rated, Adjustable GU10 Downlight in Brushed Chrome, White or Chrome
- Matt Black Fire Rated GU10 Downlight, With Quick Connectors
Why Should I Use Them?
The primary reason for using a fire-rated downlight is to enhance the fire protection of your space. However, there are more benefits to using this lighting solution!
- Prevent Fire Spread: A recessed fire-rated downlight can help contain the fire and prevent it from extending from one area to another. If you use fire-resistant materials, employ fire-preventive construction techniques, and use fire-rated LED downlights, keeping the fire in a specific room is highly possible. This is excellent news, especially for establishments that are adjacent to each other.
- Structural Integrity Protection: Fire-rated recessed downlight can help protect the structural integrity of your home or establishment. Because of their fire-resistance features, even if you cut a hole into your ceiling to mount them, they don’t compromise the fire protection of your space.
- Compliance with Building Regulations: Specific areas will require you to use fire-rated fittings to keep the space and occupants safe in the event of a fire. Using them will help you comply with these requirements!
Conclusion
Fire-rated downlights can reinforce the fire protection of your space. They can reseal the hole that you did to install your recessed fixtures and delay the time when the fire will spread. Do you need a fire-rated downlight? Yes, if you want to meet necessary building regulations, enhance the structural integrity of your property and prevent the spread of fire.
If you are looking for premium-quality fire-rated LED downlights, visit our website, Simple Lighting! We have an extensive collection, so you’ll find one that meets your lighting requirements!
