Electrician recommended I don't add soffit lights...

[ConstantChange]

I currently have four 6" cans as soffit lights. I want to add 15 additional 6" cans around the rest of the house.

I had an electrician come out this morning to give me a quote and after explaining what I wanted to do he said, "I wouldn't do that. Since you're out here in the country, you're going to have problems with mud daubers. I wouldn't put any additional holes in your house."

I live on 5 acres in central Oklahoma. Yes, I've seen a few mud dauber nests but no more than when I lived in a neighborhood on a tiny city lot and I never had issues.

If I use a retrofit, sealed LED unit like this...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0118NPQZQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

... I don't see how I'm creating much of a gap.

Do you agree with him that I shouldn't do it or do you feel he just didn't want to do the job?

 

[raco232]

I’d do it! I don’t see where there would be any gap created. Maybe he just didn’t fully understand what kind of a light you were going to use in the can lights. I can see his concern if an incandescent lamp is going in, but what you are wanting to use, will be sealing up the can light. Talk to him again and show him the Amazon pic, I would think he will change his mind.

 

[JRC3]

Sounds to me he didn't want to do the work.

I love exterior soffit lighting. I wanted cans but went with dimable 2700K LED rope lighting instead.


You'll have no gap with retro kits. Even with incandescent they make a sealed trim kit that seals the inside of the can.

 

[Skiff Builder]

What soffitt material do you have? If vinyl, sometimes the grooves leave an opening under the trim ring for bugs to enter.
That said, there's ways to seal if you want it done.

 

[Whynot52]

I did them in our house last year....We live in the country (Alabama) and I haven't seen any issues with daubers or any other insects. Sounds to me like he just didn't want to do them

 

[cybrdyke]

Dump the "can" idea and go with snap-ins. Much simpler to install. Your electrician probably hasn't seen them yet.
CD

 

[ConstantChange]

What soffitt material do you have? If vinyl, sometimes the grooves leave an opening under the trim ring for bugs to enter.
That said, there's ways to seal if you want it done.

It's like a 1/4 plywood type material. Now that I think about it, it has soffit vents every 5 or so feet that mud daubers could get in all day long if they wanted.

 

[JRC3]

It's like a 1/4 plywood type material. Now that I think about it, it has soffit vents every 5 or so feet that mud daubers could get in all day long if they wanted.

That what I was thinking about. 1/4" cedar plywood, that's what is used around here beside cheap vinyl like I have.

I looked at the clip-in type online, they were also low voltage. I decide against the cans or clip-ins out of laziness and the way it would fit in my vinyl soffit. Plus, there's an old wood soffit behind that.

If you have nice flat plywood there is no reason to worry about mud daubers. I can't imagine the electrician only knows of incandescent screw in bulbs. I still say he didn't want the job.

 

[ConstantChange]

I did them in our house last year....We live in the country (Alabama) and I haven't seen any issues with daubers or any other insects. Sounds to me like he just didn't want to do them

That looks great!

I think he didn't want to do the job too. Come to find out the company I called, who has great reviews, sent this guy out because they were too busy. This guy is just starting out and friends with the owner of the company I called, so he was trying to give him some work.

I'm not pleased the company I called sent out another company without telling me, so I'm starting over with a new electrician.