Scorch marks or a hot smell around a downlight?
Turn that light off at the wall and leave it off. Old halogen downlights run hot, and scorched plasterboard, a melting smell or a fitting that keeps failing all mean it needs an electrician soon. Don't climb into the ceiling space to investigate. If you see smoke, get everyone out and call 111.
Halogen to LED: what actually changes
Many older homes have halogen downlights with a small transformer sitting in the ceiling above each one. LEDs run far cooler and use less power, but the swap isn't always as simple as changing a lamp. The old transformer may not suit the new LED, and that mismatch is a common cause of flicker and early failure.
The tidier fix is usually a complete LED fitting rather than an LED lamp pushed into the old halogen fitting. An electrician can look at one or two of yours and tell you which way your ceiling suits.
What about the insulation above the ceiling?
Ceiling insulation and downlights have to work together. Some fittings are made to be covered by insulation, others need a clear gap around them, and old halogens were often put in with the insulation cut away, leaving cold patches across the ceiling.
In a rental, it matters twice over. Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory in rental homes since 1 July 2019, so a downlight job shouldn't leave holes in it. Ask the electrician which fitting they'll use and how the insulation goes back once it's in.
Planning a layout that suits the room
A grid of evenly spaced downlights lights the floor well and the walls badly. Put light where you need it: over the bench, along a wall with art on it, near the shower, above the reading chair. Fewer, well-placed fittings often look better than more of them.
Check what's above before you commit to positions. Joists, ducting and the roof pitch decide where a fitting can actually go, so the electrician may need to shift a light along a little to clear them.
Which certificate will you get?
Swapping an existing fitting for a new one is low-risk work, which comes with an Electrical Safety Certificate (ESC). New downlights mean new or extended wiring, which is general work, so you also get a Certificate of Compliance (CoC). None of this is high-risk work on its own.
Keep the CoC with the house papers. The Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) says it may be needed for insurance claims or when you sell.
Dimmers, and why the specialist matters
If you want the downlights dimmable, choose the fittings and the dimmer together. An LED that doesn't match its dimmer may flicker or hum at low settings, and that's a frustrating thing to discover after the ceiling is patched.
An electrician who fits downlights all the time knows which fittings suit an insulated ceiling, carries the right hole saw, and leaves a clean edge in the plasterboard rather than a ragged one. Those details are what you'll be looking at for years.
What's yours, and what's licensed work
You can
- Choose the look, the colour of the light and whether you want them dimmable.
- Mark where furniture, benches and artwork will go, so lights land where you need them.
- Clear the way to the ceiling access hatch, and mention anything stored up there.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Cutting in and wiring new downlights, and connecting them to the supply.
- Replacing old transformers or converting halogen fittings.
- Bathroom downlights. The EWRB recommends homeowners don't replace fittings in damp areas like bathrooms.
- Any downlight work in a rental, where landlords and tenants can't do electrical work unless they're licensed.
What the quote should say
- How many downlights, where they go, and the exact fitting.
- Whether each fitting can sit against or under insulation.
- Whether they dim, and the dimmer that suits them.
- What happens to the old transformers and fittings.
- Whether new wiring or a new circuit is involved.
- The certificates: an ESC for every job, and a CoC for new or extended wiring.
What we'd ask for
If we were replacing halogens, we'd ask for complete LED fittings suited to insulation contact, a dimmer matched to them, and the insulation put back snug afterwards. For new downlights, we'd plan the positions around how the room is used and ask the electrician to look in the ceiling space before settling on how many.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.