Airtight IC Recessed Lighting

[ted_haladyna]

Hello all,

I am planning on putting in 4 additional recessed lights in my family room (there are two existing that are pointing at my fireplace). I have a two questions:

1) Above the family room is my attic, which is easily accessible. Can I buy the new construction kind, or should I get the remodel ones? The new construction ones seem to be a lot sturdier looking and maybe easier to install? (I just have to move the installation out of the way above, install it, and then put the insulation back?) Is it that easy?

2) How do the "airtite" housings seal against the drywall ceiling? I looked at a couple of these at Home Depot, and I saw that all the openings in the top and side of the housing are plugged, but there was no seal or gasket on the bottom to seal around the hole that is cut in the drywall. It appeared that the metal base just sits on the drywall. I checked online and Halo's website says they are supposed to have a stick on gasket on the bottom. Maybe the ones at Home Depot were missing this piece?

Thanks in advance, Ted in MI

[SQLit]

Air tight and recessed can are some what misnomers. You can get recessed cans but unless they are lensed they are not really air tight. Think shower fixture trim. Some are tighter than others.

Some cans are IC/thermally protected. A lot of the borg store stuff is not. IC does depend on manufacture how close you can install insulation. I only install the ones that can be burried in insulation directly. They only cost a couple of bucks more but I can sleep at night when someone's misses decides to install that 200 watt light bulb.

Pick a size you like and then shop around. I install CF in most of the cans with switches. I prefer levels of light to dimmers.

[RBM]

Depending upon the manufacturer you choose, some new work housings would be very difficult to install from above. You have to read carefully as there are combinations of housings and trims. Halo for example has airtight trims like the "30 wat" which is only airtight when used with certain housings. This particular trim mates to the socket with a gasket between them and has spring clips to keep the trim ring close to the ceiling. It's an open bulb fixture, but there are no openings for air to go through

[Larry Bud]

I JUST bought 8 of the 5" halos from HD. they are IC and airtight. They DO have a gasket in the pagkaging. It's in a plastic bag. Not very big all folded up either, so you probably just missed it.

[Paul Franklin]

If you have easy access you might as well use the new construction type, and yes, it is as easy as you describe. Just make sure you get the IC type (insulation contact).

The airtight ones I have installed come with a foam gasket to seal the housing against the ceiling, but I always use spray foam insulation to form a bead around the housing flange before I drop it in the hole. I think it makes a more positive seal than the gasket. (The gasket is usually in a little envelope stuffed into the can; maybe that's why you didn't see it on the HD ones you looked at.) I spray a bead of foam around the rim, drop it in the hole, and hold it down until the foam stops expanding. Then I drive the little spikes into the joists and add a couple of screws. The foam usually oozes out around the can down below; I just wait until it hardens and slice it off before snapping in the trim.

HTH,

Paul

[michigan_t]

Thanks, all! I will do the foam thing as I have a few cans of that around here somewhere...

Follow up questions:

If I buy the airtight housings, do I have to get the airtight trim as well? Or is it a one or the other type of thing?

Also, some of the housings I was looking at had a screw in the side that served as a "height limiter" of the socket adjustment. Is that what that is supposed to do? It looked like if I really used that as the max height, the light bulb would be sticking out about 3/4" below the trim. (I want it flush). I was looking at the Halo H7ICAT model.

[Art]

They come with foam gaskets but in my experience they dry out and go bad in no time so the gaskets are worthless.

[spudnuty]

Sort of. If I were doing it I would remove the nails that are provided and use dry wall screws and a driver drill. Hammering that close to the drywall might result in other problems.

As other posters have said the airtite housings only work with specified trims. If you read the fine print you'll find the recommended bulb ratings drop drasticly for the airtites. FWIW I prefer the Junos. Richard

[torretta1]

Any one ever constructed an insulation box for non-IC recessed lights and can offer any tips or suggestions? I've heard that some use drywall to build the box while others use some type of insulation board with slits to allow for heat escape...

[michigan_t]

Update:

I bought the Halo airtight housings. Others were recommended, but none were as cheap as the Halo ones! (Only 8.xx at H.D.) Other airtights were around 15 a piece. Then, I also got the Halo airtight trim (30WATH). I think the trim piece is MUCH more effective at stopping the air than the housing would have been by itself, and maybe a standard IC would have been enough, but for an extra 2 bucks, whatever.

I installed them, and can feel no drafts. I haven't wired them up yet, because I forgot to buy wire. (I knew I forgot something...)