Insulation Around Recessed Lights

These fixtures are sealed to stop airflow.

Insulation around recessed lights. The recessed lights in my house are accessible from the attic but there s no insulation around them because it says on the fixtures that they need to vent the heat generated by incandescent bulbs. In order to cover your recessed light cans with insulation you need to have ic rated insulation contact cans installed regardless of the type of light installed in the can. Construct a circular dam to place around each can with wire mesh or sheet metal if the lights are not ic rated. If you have recessed lighting in your ceiling it can get in the way when you want to insulate the attic because the canisters might get hot enough to ignite the insulation.

In addition they have gasketed edges to seal them to the drywall. Insulation should be kept away from recessed can lights because the insulation does not allow the heat generated by the lights to dissipate. When heat builds up in a recessed can light it can. Use spray foam around recessed ceiling canister lights these lights are a prime area for heat loss if they re installed on the underside of your roof but be careful about some types of spray foam insulation around the top of ceiling light boxes.

Smartcap attic recessed light cover is a pre assembled easy to install fire rated recessed light cover that simply unfolds into a perfect cap over non ic rated attic light fixtures requiring a 3 gap between fixture and insulation. If i replace those bulbs with leds will that reduce the heat enough so i can insulate around the existing lighting cans. They can trap heat and increase the danger of fire. However if you want them use type ic airtight fixtures available at lighting stores and home centers.

Replacement can be challenging. Since you mentioned your cans have holes in them they are most definitely not ic rated. If you see the letters.