The history behind halogen downlighters.

2 decades ago the halogen downlighter became very beloved and homeowners fitted them in numerous rooms in their houses. A multitude of holes became apparent in peoples ceilings spaced and regular intervals to locate the new down lighters with halogen bulbs which were connected up with special 12 volt electrics. The halogen bulbs produce a whitish blue ambiance by and large with very high intensity so as to light up every corner of the room. This high brightness illumination was in fact perfect for kitchen preparation areas and other work areas where decent visual definition was important. Because of the fact that the installation involved drilling large holes all over the ceiling, these installations have stood the test of time, but not through beauty but more because the considerable cost of filling the holes and plastering is prohibitively high. Little did we know that LED bulbs would return to the rescue in the future!.

Fire risk through halogen bulbs explained

There are 2 reasons why the halogen bulb could potentially be a fire risk.

The first point is that the halogen bulb is small and of high wattage for the lumens output, which means that it does develop a lot of heat in comparison to LED bulbs . Naturally the high heat output from the light bulb manifests itself as an inherent fire risk in the event that adequate precautions are not taken.

Secondly the fire hazard is a direct result of the means in which these light bulbs are fitted. The halogen down light will be installed in a hole in the ceiling which is actually exposed within the space bounded by the floors or to the actual loft space. The halogen spot will generate a lot of heat which, because of the close proximity of installation, is now focussed on a very small area. The halogen spot is customarily fitted to an area with loft of floor void insulation which means that the possibility of cooling through flowing air is very limited.

Taking these 2 points into consideration the fire risk can clearly be seen and this can be significantly reduced by using LED bulbs.

Precisely why would the use of LED bulbs minimise fire danger?

Due the exceptional technology in LED bulbs a 3W spot of MR16 specification will produce the same light level as a normal halogen MR16. The improved technology implicit within LED bulbs results in the fact that more electrical power is converted to light and as a consequence less power is turned into waste heat. The practical consequence of this is that you can easily handle a LED bulb as it only gets slightly hot in contrast to the halogen which would burn your fingers. The obvious consequence of this is that you can locate LED bulbs in closed spaces with much less likely hood of fire break out than with a standard halogen spot light. It is quite well known that LED bulbs will reduce your electricity bills significantly but the consequential benefits, like the reduced fire risk are often overlooked, that is until now. The icing on the cake is that LED bulbs have a much longer life which lessens landfill and the improved efficiency reduces your carbon footprint making them the perfect eco choice.