Ventilation clearance for LED lighting

[steveclecy]

I am a recent convert to LED lighting and recently replaced recessed halogen lamps in two rooms upstairs with equivalent LED units. They were a straight swap and very easy to do. When the original halogen lamps were installed insulation in the loft was moved clear to create sufficient space to allow the heat from the halogen lamps to dissipate. What I would like to know is can I now reposition the insulation closer to the LED lamps and if so, how close? I am thinking of creating a "bridge" above the lamps so I can insulate over the top. How much air space should I leave?

 

[Ian]

LEDs don't generate much heat at all - however it's not as straightforward as adding insulation over the top of old fittings when you change bulbs, as someone could easily swap the bulbs for halogen in future (perhaps a future home owner) and they wouldn't know.

The correct way of doing it would be to buy new fixtures with a rear basket that will create the bridge that you are after (insulation cap cover), which would work for all types of fitting. I bought some nice ones from Aurora a few months ago and would recommend them:

http://auroraclearance.com/au-unif791.html

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it would be remiss of me to give incorrect advice!

You could also buy standalone rear caps for retrofitting, but I've not used them before - here's an example of one: https://www.downlights.co.uk/spot-clip-insulation-cover-caps.html. I assume the instructions that come with them will give details on the distance the insulation needs to be pushed back.