LED downlights and Insulation question

[4MyEgo]

12 hours ago, scorecard said:

I remember another suggestion, buy a full length of about 6" diameter plastic piping (maybe even bigger diameter) and cut into say 15 cm? lengths (cut enough 'units' to sit one 'unit' in the ceiling above each light) and drill perhaps 4 or 5 airflow holes in each length of plastic pipe. Lay the insulation over the top of the upright 'units' but being careful to not move the 'units' when the insulation is laid.

 

I'm assuming that installing the insulation is to reduce heat in the room(s) just below.

Just discussed this with the Mrs as I think the suggestion is workable, as the saying goes 1 and a half brains are better than one.

 

In discussing this, she said you will need a cap to cap it off as the heat will rise and possibly enter through the plastic piping and into the rooms below, yo can tell who has the full brain here 555

 

According to her calculations you would be looking at 100 baht per section with the cap, the cap being the most expensive part of it at 70-80 baht per cap, she therefore suggested plastic garden pots as she is a keen gardener, and at about 10 baht each, I think they can work as they are also light in weight.

 

So will look at getting some 10" in diameter which will allow enough room to cover the fitting and the driver, but also allow enough room for them within the plastic garden pot not to overheat, and the height of them will be about 8"-10" which is be over the 6" of insulation, and they have some small holes at the bottom so when tipped upside down to cover the light and driver, they will have enough area for the heat to exit and if any heads south into the rooms below, it will be minimal.

 

This all sounds too easy and so cheap, now to head out and investigate what else is available, almost there, genius my Mrs, but won't be telling her that anytime soon 555 otherwise I wouldn't be needing to break everyone's balls on TVF 

[Crossy]

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

she therefore suggested plastic garden pots as she is a keen gardener, and at about 10 baht each, I think they can work as they are also light in weight.

This idea I like ?

 

[aussie11950]

Flower pots sounds good but I don't really think the downlights (up to 18W) would generate much heat. .

The driver too are electronic and designed to be cool with a switching circuit. 

Personally I would just lay the insulation on top and not buy special LED lights. 

My house is only LED' s (down lights and surface lights) and they run cool. 

I am very happy with them. 

From DoHome about 230฿ for 12W. 

Cheaper for 9W, 170฿  

 

[Crossy]

22 minutes ago, aussie11950 said:

The driver too are electronic and designed to be cool with a switching circuit. 

Personally I would just lay the insulation on top and not buy special LED lights. 

Whilst the LEDs and drivers run relatively cool they are much more sensitive to heat.

 

I would most definitely NOT just place the insulation over the driver and LEDs.

 

But of course, it's entirely up2u.

 

[4MyEgo]

45 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Whilst the LEDs and drivers run relatively cool they are much more sensitive to heat.

 

I would most definitely NOT just place the insulation over the driver and LEDs.

 

But of course, it's entirely up2u.

 

Would NEVER do it as it's not recommended to lay insulation over the LED lights, i.e. unless they are IC rated (insulated contact), if you lay non IC housing insulation which is really prohibited when it comes to using non IC housing insulation, you would be asking for trouble, let's assume for a minute the insulation catches fire, house burns down, and no one is killed, you would be lucky if your house insurance assessor didn't work it out. 

 

 

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, aussie11950 said:

The driver too are electronic and designed to be cool with a switching circuit. 

A lot of LED's have capacitive droppers as the drivers as they are cheaper, simpler, and in some cases better than switching supplies, they can get quite walm. If you don't allow some cooling  (the plant pots are a brilliant solution to that) they will not live long and prosper. 

 

A very interesting  channel on YouTube is BigClive among other things he opens up LED's and shows the workings, sometimes using a thermal imaging camera, you would be surprised at the temperatures found 60 degrees C above ambient is not uncommon.

[4MyEgo]

On 7/21/2018 at 9:29 PM, sometimewoodworker said:

A lot of LED's have capacitive droppers as the drivers as they are cheaper, simpler, and in some cases better than switching supplies, they can get quite walm. If you don't allow some cooling  (the plant pots are a brilliant solution to that) they will not live long and prosper. 

 

A very interesting  channel on YouTube is BigClive among other things he opens up LED's and shows the workings, sometimes using a thermal imaging camera, you would be surprised at the temperatures found 60 degrees C above ambient is not uncommon.

This is what I have come up with after many posts.

 

No changing any lights with IC lights, no paying crazy prices on the net for recessed downlight covers in the ceiling.

 

Purchased at DoHome today 35 x 27 baht to cover 35 LED 6 watt panel downlights.

 

The plastic garden pots are 8" wide and 7.5" in height, therefore enough room to cover the 6" insulation when I instal it soon.

 

As you can see from the photos plenty of room and the hole at the top to allow any heat out, although the 6 watt LED panel lights at the equivalent to 40 watt lights back in the old days.

 

Wish me luck and thanks for all the input.

 

 

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

This is what I have come up with after many posts.

 

No changing any lights with IC lights, no paying crazy prices on the net for recessed downlight covers in the ceiling.

 

Purchased at DoHome today 35 x 27 baht to cover 35 LED 6 watt panel downlights.

 

The plastic garden pots are 8" wide and 7.5" in height, therefore enough room to cover the 6" insulation when I instal it soon.

 

As you can see from the photos plenty of room and the hole at the top to allow any heat out, although the 6 watt LED panel lights at the equivalent to 40 watt lights back in the old days.

 

Wish me luck and thanks for all the input.

 

 

 

 

If you plan on cutting through the insulation then the driver on top(bottom) of the pots will work well.

[4MyEgo]

7 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

If you plan on cutting through the insulation then the driver on top(bottom) of the pots will work well.

The driver will sit exactly as you see it in the picture, i.e. it will sit on the bottom of the pot (upside down), with the insulation about 1 and 1/2 inches below it as the pot is 7 and a half inches high and the insulation is 6 inches high.

 

What I will attempt to do so as to minimise any loss of sealing the insulation, is cut a hole in the insulation about 8 inches wide and feed the pot through at the bottom of the insulation, therefore it should fit like a glove and be a perfect fit at the bottom, while packing in the 1/2 difference down and around it.

 

That's the plan anyways.