*
During a recent remodel in my home I came across recessed cans not approved for contact with insulation and
struggled to keep the blown-in insulation from covering them. Is there some fix to this problem? Does any
company make a unit to cover them? What do you people do? A large coffee can would cover a mini can and
since it would have to have a strip cut up the side to accomodate the strap for the box it would have some
ventilation. Any thoughts you have will be appreciated.
Thanks, Randy
Replies
*
Randy, I would agree with steve on building boxes around the fixtures. We used to make them out of plywwood
and as mentioned drywall scraps. The thing to remember is to make the boxes big enough to dissipate the heat,I
recall 14-1/2 by 48" or 22-1/2 by 36"(depending on joist spacing)and they were at least 12"in height.It"s an awfull
job as I recall,now all I"ll use are thermally protected ones with vapour barriers over them.the latter being the best
way to go.good luck Larry Sivell
*I would just tear out the old fixtures and replace them with new IC-rated fixtures. Jury-rigging the old ones isasking for trouble. In my area, a good IC fixture is about $38.
*Randy,I'm not a big fan of these can lights in any shape or form when they are stuck into an insulated ceiling. Theseolder can lights can be very dangerous and have caused fires when people insulated over them. The problems are: 1) The older ones did not have remote junction boxes 2) Some of them did not have thermal cutoff switches 3)The insulation on standard (Romex) type wire used to melt at a much lower temperature. I would not even thinkabout insulating over them. You can always buy a new higher quality unit and retrofit them if you must use thatkind of light fixture....
*Randy,I've read of people building a box out of drywall scraps to cover it from above. Tape and caulk are used to hold ittogether. I've not tried it though. What you really want to do is get it air-sealed so that you don't have big hole inthe ceiling plane.Steve
*I think the primary feature of the IC (insulated ceiling) recessed can is the safety switch that turns it off should itoverheat. Adding a metal jacket won't make a non-IC fixture any safer if it's surrounded by anything other than freeairflow. This is a serious fire hazard!
*Dear Greg,I can only amplify your comments by saying that "Fire Hazard" rated fixtures should be removed whenever theyhave been installed into the thermal envelope. People are often reluctant to address or admit this mistake and ittakes some direct leadership to make it happen.Affirmatively, derf
*Randy---I bought a house with about 20 or 30 cann lights, poking into a cold attack space. MAJOR holes in vapor barrier (a big deal around here) plus no insulation on top (very cold). Most of them were next to impossible to get to from above.I found a company, which sells retrofits. They are a compact fluorescent unit, 2 bulbs, which produce a nice quality light. Your original cann stays put, but you remove the inside trim rings and springs and stuff. You screw the new unit into the original socket You screw a connector into the top of the can and "zip" up the new unit TIGHT against your ceiling (very simple and ingenious system). The contact is VERY tight and can be made more so with a light touch of silicone. I consider them vapor barrier tight!Then, since they are so cool running, you can insulate right on top of the can! (They are designed to do so.)Name is Scientific Component Systems2621 Dow AvenueTustin, CA 92680714/730-3555Retail they are pricey--- as I remember about 60 $ per. But I went direct to factory and got them for about half. This was ten years ago.They ALL are still functioning.It is nice to be able to recommend something which really works well!Regards,Rick LiottaAnchorage, AK
*I saw another HI TV show where they actually created boxes from foil faced 1/4" rigid insulation. The insulation kept the temps outside the box down and consequently helped with any heat loss from the thermal envelope.
*If the cans are airtight but not IC rated it may not matter that much. But if they are the usual air sieves with slots and holes you can either make an airtight cover with a good air gap or replace with a sealed unit. Halo makes retrofit sealed can lights sold at Home Depot and cost about $23.
*
During a recent remodel in my home I came across recessed cans not approved for contact with insulation and
struggled to keep the blown-in insulation from covering them. Is there some fix to this problem? Does any
company make a unit to cover them? What do you people do? A large coffee can would cover a mini can and
since it would have to have a strip cut up the side to accomodate the strap for the box it would have some
ventilation. Any thoughts you have will be appreciated.
Thanks, Randy