Advice on Electrical Inspection - Fire rated downlights
Discussion
I have recently had a periodic Electrical Inspection carried out on a shop I own and let out on a commercial lease.
The main recommendation that has been made is to replace all the downlights (more than 40 of them, so not a cheap job) with the modern fire rated equivalent, which I understand offer more protection against smoke and fire to the floor above. They are fitted to a suspended ceiling, with a further ceiling above.
I want to do the right thing, and if the install was fresh would go fire rated. However I don't want to do work that may not be really required; this is an existing installation that would to my knowledge have passed all regs when it was put in.
Can anyone from a surveying/electrical background tell me at what point it became a requirement to have fire rated lights, and whether given there is a ceiling above, this may or may not make sense to do?
The main recommendation that has been made is to replace all the downlights (more than 40 of them, so not a cheap job) with the modern fire rated equivalent, which I understand offer more protection against smoke and fire to the floor above. They are fitted to a suspended ceiling, with a further ceiling above.
I want to do the right thing, and if the install was fresh would go fire rated. However I don't want to do work that may not be really required; this is an existing installation that would to my knowledge have passed all regs when it was put in.
Can anyone from a surveying/electrical background tell me at what point it became a requirement to have fire rated lights, and whether given there is a ceiling above, this may or may not make sense to do?
Solid ceiling as in concrete or plasterboard?
If the former, you don't need FR down lights as fire ain't getting through concrete. TBH, you shouldn't need them at all as FR is about maintaining the integrity of each zone. Plaster ceilings don't burn through for a long time but of course, you compromise the ceiling's integrity when cutting down light holes so you fit FR down lights accordingly. If you're not doing that you don't need them.
If the former, you don't need FR down lights as fire ain't getting through concrete. TBH, you shouldn't need them at all as FR is about maintaining the integrity of each zone. Plaster ceilings don't burn through for a long time but of course, you compromise the ceiling's integrity when cutting down light holes so you fit FR down lights accordingly. If you're not doing that you don't need them.
k all fire protection so seems daft that you'd need FR down lights in the tiles?Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff