Downlights in outside wooden soffit

SSE · Dec 14, 2011

I've already wired these for someone but have yet to fit the lights. The lights had already been bought by the person whos house it is but I'm not sure if the ones they have got are really appropriate. They got IP65 shower gu10 lights but they ain't fire rated which I thought they might have to be seen as they are gonna be sitting in wood, albeit the lamps sit a fair bit up from the wood. Someone suggested to me they may be ok if the lamps were changed to another kind but can't remember what kind they said. Are they going to need to change these lights or what? Beside each light there is circular vents also for the air.

SirKit Breaker · Dec 14, 2011

Shove cool LED lamps in, job sorted. Toolstation do them for about £5 a piece, and there is a choice of colours. Or why not fit IP65 fire rated ones? To be fair mate, i have seen hot running GU10's in allsorts of materials without problems, as the heat rises, but would still steer away from them all the same.

Cheers........Howard

Richard Burns · Dec 14, 2011

Fire rated downlights are for preventing the spread of a fire from one fire compartment to another. Since these are to be mounted in the soffit there is no fire compartment for them to protect.
The downlights however must have the "suitable for mounting on normally flammable surfaces" logo (the F in a triangle). If they have this then they should be OK for installation in wood.

I would also be unsure about the IP65 rating for the downlights if the soffit is not sealed, as the IP65 would be only from the front, would water be able to drip down the back, as I have not seen the installation this is just an idea.

SSE · Dec 14, 2011

SirKit Breaker said:
Shove cool LED lamps in, job sorted. Toolstation do them for about £5 a piece, and there is a choice of colours. Or why not fit IP65 fire rated ones? To be fair mate, i have seen hot running GU10's in allsorts of materials without problems, as the heat rises, but would still steer away from them all the same.

Cool, I've never used these before I'll check them out. The lights ain't going to be on for long periods, just at night obviously and turned off before they go to their bed.

Cheers........Howard

Cool, I've never used these before I'll check them out. The lights ain't going to be on for long periods, just at night obviously and turned off before they go to their bed.

Richard Burns said:
Fire rated downlights are for preventing the spread of a fire from one fire compartment to another. Since these are to be mounted in the soffit there is no fire compartment for them to protect.
The downlights however must have the "suitable for mounting on normally flammable surfaces" logo (the F in a triangle). If they have this then they should be OK for installation in wood.

I would also be unsure about the IP65 rating for the downlights if the soffit is not sealed, as the IP65 would be only from the front, would water be able to drip down the back, as I have not seen the installation this is just an idea.

I'm pretty sure they don't have these on them...

Would it be safe enough to just install them with the cool running lamps you think. Obviously in an ideal situation I'd just swap them for ones with the F rating but I forgot to mention in the first post that the person no longer has the receipt so can't put them back...

Richard Burns · Dec 15, 2011

SSE said:
I'm pretty sure they don't have these on them...

Would it be safe enough to just install them with the cool running lamps you think. Obviously in an ideal situation I'd just swap them for ones with the F rating but I forgot to mention in the first post that the person no longer has the receipt so can't put them back...

Depends if you want to comply with the regulations or not! the likelihood is that with LED lamps, certainly the cluster ones indicated above, the lamp will not get hot, though if you use 9W triple LED lamps then they will.
Have a look at the instructions with the lights as the symbol is often not on the fitting. However as most downlighters are fitted in plasterboard ceilings there is no reason for them to be suitable.
Your call.