Morning All,
I was wandering through a couple of the bix box stores and took notice of the 3″ recessed lights. Advertised as Commercial Electric (HD), these were marked as Remodel Only.
I asked about this and it appears they have no joist-mounting kit and simply use the drywall for physical installation. Bummer. I am trying to move away from the extroverted 4″-6″ canned lights.
Anyone see a problem with using these in my basement finishing application? Just have the electrician run electrical boxes into each cavity and ask him to wire after drywalling?
Strangely enough, these things did not have an IC/Non-IC indicator on them, but close inspection of the product packaging revealed no insulation within 3″. Hmm, maybe these particular products have the right ‘size’ but not the desired thermal properties. 🙂
I was thinking of running a line of these across the ceiling width at the screen wall (home theater), again at the second row seating, and a couple on either side of the projector location (just over the first row seating).
BTW, anyone know if any of the less expensive commercial home drafting programs can recreate 3D presentation with soffit lighting, or sconce lighting? I did find that Kinko’s can blow up 36″x48″ B&W drawings for $9–cool, as I can give to electrician that way.
Replies
Try Westside Wholesale. I've used them several times.
They've got some 3" new construction cans from Halo/Cooper here:
Westside Wholsale
3" should be fine for a home theater setup. I've got some 4" ones that I use for the same thing.
Not heard anything good about Commercial Electric. Got the impression that it was the Harbor Freight of the lighting world. YMMV though.
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Edited 8/24/2008 8:29 am ET by FatRoman
I'm not sure what you mean by "run electrical boxes into each cavity." I do know that I've spoken to a few electricians who have told me that they always try to use the remodel housings (because they are so much easier to get in a precise location), even when doing new work. I presume they just run romex to the area where the light will be and then drill the hole and pull it through once the drywalling is done.
But I have looked at many of these lights, and none of them that I've found are IC-rated. In fact, I have not been able to find any IC-rated remodel housings smaller than 5". I have found IC-rated new work 4" housings, but no IC-rated 4" remodel housings. If you can't find where it says it's IC-rated in writing, it's not.
Here are some 2" rated IC products. Here are some 3" rated IC products. And we can thank FatRoman, too. :)
None of those are IC-rated remodel housings.
I wonder why they say IC and not be IC. Oh well, I guess the IC means something else. Gotta love marketing, huh? :)
Nuke, if you read my post, I said IC-rated remodel housings.
I know there are IC-rated new construction, but they are not at all the same thing.
Edited 8/24/2008 3:36 pm ET by JDLee
Sorry, my eyes were focused on the whole IC/non-IC thing.
Understandable. By focusing on that I was kind of getting away from your original question.
When I first started looking at recessed lighting, I wanted to go with the new-construction type (despite everyone I spoke to trying to talk me out of it). I ultimately decided it would be easier to more precisely position the lights once the drywall was in place, so I just ran the wiring to the approximate location so I can reach in there and get it when I install the lights. Of course, that would be harder with a smaller light, but it turns out most of them aren't available in remodel IC configurations, anyway (and maybe that's part of the reason why they aren't).
not a prob to use a remodel lite in new construction... but you never hide a box where it can't be accessed... you just leave your wire long... if all the lights will be in a common stud/joist bay with no blocking you only need to leave one wire then ...
after your drywall... holesaw your light layout (which can be alot more accurate than with a pre mounted can) even a cheap laser works well for this layout... and fish your wires through from hole to hole...
many like this because light placement seems to be better when you have a completed view of the room ie: with drywall
just make sure you can get the wires from where you think each can will go to each can... this might involve some pieces of prewire'n through blocking or between joist bays ect... remember you will have a 3" hole to fish through...
lowes has some pretty cool 3" lights in chrome/nickle or black or white sometimes in 3 packs for $17 or so... some even have adjustable eyes
p
FatRoman, thanks for that link. Looking at it now. Hey, they have 2" low-voltage solutions, too.
JD, I think you are right. I wonder if this is also true for LED or flourescent based lights, too.
ponytl, the room is approximately 12.5' wide, but about 1-1.5' of that width is eaten up by soffits. The joists above run the length of the room, which means one can almost assume one-can/light per joist cavity. Being I-joists I think I could use pre-cut knockout holes to run a wire from light-to-light.
Edit: Seems that Wiki has reference to LED MR16 lamps, too.
Edited 8/24/2008 10:04 am ET by Nuke
I don't think you'll find any "small" cans that are IC, they need to be internally protected, therefore larger size required.
This due to the heat generated from the lamp, right? I'd imagine with the continued implementation of LED this will change over time.
If you are talking about the Halos, the remodel housing clips have reached a new low in these fixtures ...
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however the full housing version is just fine.
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Jeff