LED lights under insulation

In the new shop I am having built I want to use flush mount LED lights in the ceiling.

Some folks say I need a can over them because the insulation will be blown in. I don't know why since the LED lights don't produce much heat.

Am I missing something or just plain wrong?

Thanks

Jim

Reply to
swalker
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I would say at a minimum the cans should be used for esthetics if nothing else. The cans will prevent the insulation from falling down into the opening. It will also keep the insulations away from the connection making it easier to repair or replace the ligth fixture in the future.

I think the first question you should be asking is what is the building code in your area. Cans may be required for the installation of all types of lights.

Reply to
Keith Nuttle

Some lights, whether they be incandescent, fluorescent, or LED, are rated for insulation contact (IC) and others are not. It will be clearly marked on the fixture and the box. All of the dedicated LED flush lights I've looked at have been rated IC but that doesn't mean that they all are. By all means do it by code otherwise you might find your investment going up in flames with no recourse to insurance coverage.

Reply to
BenignBodger

LED lights themselves do not produce heat. Their transformers however do produce some heat, whether that be at an alternate location or built into the light element it self.

The instructions that come with the LED lighting will indicate what is necessary.

Reply to
Leon

If it's subject to inspection, talk to the inspector--building codes are generally a few years behind current technology and the inspector is in general obligated to follow the code.

Reply to
J. Clarke

My high output flashlight gets rather hot after a while. Maybe the lithium batteries? Or an in-line resistor.?

Reply to
G. Ross

High Power LEDs produce a LOT of heat at its junction on the mcpcb (metal core printed circuit board) which is transferred through the pill, in this cut-away:

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Reply to
Spalted Walt

Leon wrote in news:CqCdnTPzT8TS0rLKnZ2dnUU7- snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

LEDs themselves do produce heat, altho not very much. As it happens, transformers also produce heat, altho not very much. The two things that do produce enough heat to watch for are the rectifier circuit (usually but not always in with the transformer) and the current limiting resistor (usually but not always in with the LED). Typically the biggest heat source is the resistor.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Don't stick your finger on the LED. The LEDs themselves get quite hot.

Yup. RTFM.

Reply to
krw

LED lights can produce a great amount of heat, so I would lean on the side of you being wrong. The better way to look at it is belt and suspenders approach, then if it catches fire you are in a better position for your insurance claim.

Reply to
Markem

Leon I have burned myself on LEDs, granted I was repairing a problem but they do get warm it is a function of how much current is flowing. But the transformer is the main heat sources and what ever resistive element is use to create current.

Reply to
Markem

I'm not sure how he's going to connect the lights but there is likely a "listed" way to do it. The light probably requires some sort of fixture or electrical box. Doing it any other way would be a code violation. I'm with you. Do it right.

Reply to
krw

Actually I have held my finger on countless LEDs, ribbon LEDs, and have never felt anything.

Reply to
Leon

I will say that the ribbon LEDs that I have used produce no noticeable amount of heat at the LED itself. We in fact never turn our under cabinet ribbon LEDs off and there is no heat build up at all.

Given that, a roll of ribbon LEDs on the reel will heat up pretty quickly but once unwound and laid out flat there is no noticeable amount of heat, ever.

In fact our LED strings of Christmas lights that I also leave plunged in all season 24/7 never get warm either.

Reply to
Leon

Energy is being consumed so some heat is generated somewhere but I have never witnessed the actual Light Emitting Diode to ever even be warm.

Reply to
Leon

I have never felt any heat from an LED. And that is touching them directly.

Reply to
Leon

LED lights produce a lot of heat. The problem is the LED itself is very sensitive to heat and this heat from the LED is essentially a point source. Much work with heat sink design goes into removing this heat.

-BR

Reply to
Brewster

Bigger ones (500 Lumens or more) produce enough heat to burn skin, It's painful 8^(

-BR

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Reply to
Brewster

At high output, they sure will. Probably not fire hot but they'll get hot enough to cook many insulators, which may avalanche into a real problem. Use the fixtures as designed.

Reply to
krw

Don't assume they're all the same. Again, use them AS DESIGNED and you won't have problems.

Reply to
krw

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