Arrowform wish to warn many homeowners with popular recessed downlights installed in their ceilings, because if they do not do their homework, their free insulation could easily be reduced down to as little as 33% effective, when it could be virtually 100%. This would rob homeowners of huge on-going power cost reductions.
Arrowform have a vital independent report on the thermal performance (or effectiveness) of insulation installed in ceilings and particularly around recessed downlights, to alert people as to what commonly occurs with insulation installed in the ceiling by “default”.
It is based around the latest Australian Standards AS/NZS 3000:2007 clause 4.5.2.3 which has mandatory requirement options with regards to insulation clearances from recessed downlights, particularly to prevent fire risk.
The option to be avoided in the standard is “default” option (d) which requires up to 200mm clearances, for example a shocking 500mm x 500mm hole in the insulation for each halogen downlight.
This “default” option is mostly used when the homeowner is unaware of the consequences. Most people will not realise as it is hidden in the ceiling or in the detail of the home. These large holes in the Oz-home layer rarely remove the risk of fire posed by future loose build-up, they rather act as a trap.
Homeowners need to be alerted to the fact that existing downlights must either have clear instructions available from the manufacturer allowing the insulation to be installed close to the downlight (option a or c), or a fire resistant downlight enclosure retro-fitted with alternative clearance instructions (option b), or they can expect that the “default” clearance option will be used when insulation is installed, at a huge hidden on-going cost in the future.
Any work that is done in the ceiling after June 2008 clearly must comply with this standard.
Downlight enclosures are mostly the way to go. Products that do not close off of the opening between the living area and the ceiling zone should be bypassed. The benefits of closing off the back of the downlight are many in addition to insulation energy savings.
Arrowform’s cool sealed Isolite enclosures prevent air conditioned air loss and dust, allergens and insects and noise passing through the downlight to the serious detriment of the comfort, cleanliness, health and the energy efficiency of the home.
Flexi enclosures achieve a similar result, and can be fitted from below the ceiling. Fully approved, these enclosures can abut timber and insulation, giving maximum thermal energy efficiency.
Flexi enclosures are suitable for use in Insulation and Accoustics, Lighting and Electrical, Environmental Products, Commercial and Retail Fitouts, Heating and Cooling and Wall and Ceiling applications.