WARNING: INSULATION CAN EASILY BE RENDERED ALMOST USELESS (Thermal Report available)

Many will hurry to insulate their home, because the insulation is FREE… but wise people will consider how to get the most benefit from this well intentioned government initiative before they make their move. Everyone has heard the expression "the devil is in the detail".

The fact is that if homeowners with popular recessed downlights installed in their ceilings don't do their homework, their insulation could easily be reduced down to as little as 33% effective, when it could be virtually 100%. This would prevent homeowners receiving the large intended on-going power cost reductions, leaving their air conditioning often working much harder than it needs to, or simply not coping.

Arrowform, Australia's sole specialists in recessed downlight protection, have made available 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 the "default" option (d) which requires up to 200mm clearances e.g. 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. Worse, 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 the solution, however products that do not close off the opening between the living area and the ceiling zone should be bypassed. The benefits of closing off the back of the downlight are huge, in addition to insulation energy savings. Sealed Isolite™ enclosures by Arrowform prevent; air conditioned air loss and dust, allergens, insects and noise passing through the downlight to the serious detriment of the comfort, cleanliness, healthiness and energy efficiency of the home. They can be fitted to existing downlights, mostly without disconnection of any wiring. Flexi™ enclosures achieve a similar result, and can be fitted from below the ceiling. Fully proven and approved, Arrowform enclosures can abut timber and insulation, allowing maximum thermal energy efficiency.

There are other vital, but easily overlooked qualifications to enable enclosures to be safe and reliable. A highly recommended non-product check sheet headed "How much do I have to pay for LV and ELV downlight protection" is available along with the JMF Thermal Performance Report and the Trade & Homeowner Alert flyer. Contact Arrowform on 1800 852 741 for any further assistance. Arrowform's unique products are available from over 1000 locations nationally including quality Electrical Wholesale and Lighting outlets and Mitre 10 or Home Hardware Stores.