14.12.2009
Once again we need to bring to contractors attention the dangers posed by Downlighers and the almost inevitable laying of the blame on the electrical contractor, which follows when one of these Downlighters either goes on fire itself, or causes fire in an adjacent beam or other building material.
The fact remains that unless there is adequate pre-planning at the building stage it is virtually impossible to safely install these fitting, particularly in spaces between ceilings and the floor above.
Installing a Downlighter in such a location involves cutting a hole of perhaps 100mm diameter in the ceiling into which the light is pushed, and unless there has been co-ordination between the builder and the person who decides on the position of these lights, it is almost certain that no insulation free space will have been left for the Downlighter.
Neither is it possible to insert a fire cap through the hole in the ceiling, and in many cases, once the holes are drilled in the ceiling, it is found that one or more of the light fittings end up in close proximity to a joist.
At that stage it is too late to do anything in that the joist cannot be moved and moving one or more of the light fittings to a safer location, not only leaves redundant holes in the ceiling which have to be patched, but also the idea of one or more of the lights completely out of line with the others is visually unacceptable.
Contractors would be well advised to do all in their power to dissuade their customers from fitting these Downlighers, as even the best of them invariably become a source of trouble, inconvenience, expense and in extreme cases, fire and destruction.
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Related contacts
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Coolmore House
Park Road
Killarney
County Kerry
Telephone: 064 37266
Fax: 064 37269 |
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Source: ECSSA Winter 2009 Newsletter |
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