not garage, can light led retrofit question

[Rosco]

I have aprox. 23 Non-IC can lights in my house. Not only does this cause energy loss, but my attic is also insulated with cellulose insulation which I believe is causing a dust issue.

My question is, do I need to change all of the Non-IC housings to IC, or can I do an led retrofit (less heat and energy, plus sealed)? I know the project will be a little costly, I can do the work myself, just wondering from the pro's what my options are.

If I change the housings I will be able to seal and insulate over the top. I changed 1 as a trial run using an air-tight IC housing and I still had to use a little spray foam around the housing to sheetrock transition as there were still small gaps. Is the spray foam a no-no in this area?

Sorry for the long questions, just wanting advice, tips etc. before going any further.

 

[rsanter]

I don't remember the brand but there is an LED made for can lights that is screw in and has a flange trim that when screwed in will meet up with the ceiling and make a finished edge. They look really nice and allow the use of the cheaper cans while sealing things up

Look at philips or Cree, it may be one of them

Bob

 

[jdsac]

These are from COSTCO - very bright @ 1200 lumens / 3000 Kelvin color temp
(a little less yellow than most) & draw 18 watts. They are also dimmable.
Probably around 10 minutes a can to install. Adapter screws in where orig bulb
was. Built in trim rings. Package looks like this:

http://www.fatwallet.com/static/attachments/236360_wp_20121224_002.jpg

As far as the cans go, if your holes aren't over cut you can use IC remodel cans that install from below. I looked at several brands and when you take the cover off the electrical make up box, they are all the same. They all have the same lamp socket & 18 ga wire. with the push in connectors to hook your 12 ga feed wires to.
Ic (insulation contact) cans would be safer than non IC.

Lowes had these in the store, but not avail off the web- Same internal wiring as "HALO"
brand + they even have a "UL" sticker inside. Rated for a 75 w bulb, should be fine with LED's.

Price was under $10.00 each

http://www.lowes.com/pd_290214-95029-CR06RICAT_0__?productId=3278609

 

[cowboyjosh]

Get up into your attic and cover your cans with these, they work great, and then do a LED retro fit similar to the CREE LR6.

http://www.cancoverit.com

 

[Rosco]

Get up into your attic and cover your cans with these, they work great, and then do a LED retro fit similar to the CREE LR6.

http://www.cancoverit.com

I have thought about those, but forgot to mention I also need some of the space for a walkway. Great Idea for the ones that are over the living/bedroom tray ceilings...... Thanks!!

I have been told that an led retrofit would be safe to install in a Non IC can and cover with insulation, but that the rating on the can could cause me issues down the road if there was ever an incident requiring code, inspections, fire etc.

Looks like I will be doing a combination of the covers and a complete swap out. Thanks all for the advice. I will also go look at the remodel cans.

 

[bassman]

not liking those really. how can it insulate, yet vent at the same time? Also, must be ul approved for use with either particular fixtures or all fixtures. And you can't just bury non IC cans with insulation because you put an led bulb in it.

 

[jdsac]

At $20.00 each, the can covers are close to twice the cost of a remodel ic can.
I'd just rather put in an airtight ic rated can if nothing else for peace of mind.

 

[CanCoverMan]

Full disclosure, I work for CanCoverIt. Thanks for the mention of the product. I appreciate the discussion and the feedback. I hope you don't mind me adding a few comments to the discussion.

The tall cancoverit does have vents, but they are left in place for the installer to remove if required. If the vents are removed because the homeowner is still using incandescent bulbs in a non IC-rated can light, the vents can easily be sealed when the homeowner moves to LEDs. Cancoverit is the only product that can be easily air sealed after the initial install. Many times contractors use the smaller cancoverit for IC-AT fixtures, since many of the IC-AT fixtures are not completely air tight, and as a second level of protection for air sealing around the trim.

There are over 500,000,000 non ic-rated and ic-rated can lights in existing homes that are leaking between 50 - 100 cfm when measured at 50 Pa. The great thing is that people are beginning to realize can lights are an issue. Recently, a home seller contacted us because his home buyer wanted him to replace the non ic-rated cans with IC-AT cans. After reviewing cancoverit the homeowner and the inspector agreed to allow the seller to cover the lights with cancoverit instead of replacing. Using cancoverit saved him $350 vs. hiring an electrician to replace 12 can lights. I have some very good friends who love to change out lights, but it isn't for every contractor or homeowner, and cancoverit is another option.

Regarding price, I encourage you to check out some of our distributors which you can find on-line. The smaller covers can be found for about $13.50 including freight, while the taller ones can be found for about $16.00 including freight. If you are an Efficiency First or ICAA member, we are offering promotions that end this month where the low profile price is $12.75 and the universal price is $14.95, freight included. The sites are www.cancoverit.com/efficiencyfirst or www.cancoverit.com/icaa.

We have only been around for a few months so I love to see that the word is getting around that we even exist. Thank you.