We have compiled this article per the guidelines set by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) of Western Australia. According to DFES, one house fire is caused in Western Australia every week because of the poorly installed downlights in the ceilings or old downlights.
Over time, dust and litter are collected in roof insulation or timers. It keeps burning above the smoke alarms in roof space, eventually leading to a fire. Most of the times, they go undetected till its too late to take any action. People detect these fires when the flames come out of the vents in their air conditioners or the whole ceiling collapses. Since it is detected so late, the escape becomes very difficult and sometimes impossible.
Let’s look at how a fire can start in your roof space:
The location of a roof space fire is mostly under the roof tiles and/or tin but above the ceiling. It is trapped between these two. A number of factors, such as heat from Halogen downlights, water pipes, broken electrical circuits, heater flues, rodents, or white ants, might be the cause of this roof space fire. You can ensure that this type of fire is avoided by hiring licensed Perth electricians who will install the downlights correctly and keep them at a distance from the combustible material so that the risk of fire is mitigated.
Which are a few main causes of the downlight fires?
When an installed downlight comes in contact with combustible material such as roof timbers, dust, leaf litter, or even just insulation, there’s a risk of a roof fire being started. As per the DFES research, a downlight can heat up to 240 degrees and beyond. It is worth noting here that when your licensed Perth electrician installs a downlight correctly there is no risk of a fire. So, please always hire professional electricians in Perth so that they can ensure that the electrical work is being done as per the Australian Safety Standards. Also, it is illegal to install the downlights on your own, so always be sure to hire a licensed Perth electrical contractor such as Response Electricians for all your electrical work.
Which are a few steps that you can take to prevent home fires?
- Work with only licensed electrical contractors.
- Be sure that there are proper mechanical barriers installed to cover downlights.
- All the electrical work done must meet the Australian Standards.
- Ensure that all the work is inspected by a licensed Perth electrician.
- Replace 240V incandescent globes with fluorescent or LED globes.
- Replace 12V halogen globes with LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamps.
What can you do in case of a fire at your home?
- Crawl and stay low under the smoke
- Alert people
- Assist people, only after you are safe
- Call 000 (TRIPLE ZERO)
- Call firefighters and wait for them
- Never enter a burning property