High hat recessed lighting heat loss

[kenwit]

I had an energy audit. With an exhuast fan on, the amount of air being drawn through the hi-hats was staggering. What is the best way to solve this problem? Thanks, Ken

 

[midwestcoast]

Can get up in the attic & make a box around them with drywall or rigid foam, sealed all around with caulk or spray foam. Google around & you'll find instructions. Make box big enough that is doesn't overheat inside.
Or replace them with sealed lights rated 'IC' insulation contact

 

[kenwit]

Thank you, Mid West. I'll check out google or utube. I'm hoping I can just silicone all the holes in the can from the inside.

 

[midwestcoast]

You might miss leaks between the can & drywall that way. Also if you ever want to insulate in the attic you'd still need to do one of the above first.

 

[begreen]

Here are a couple tips for sealing these fixtures:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N24fvXgXBjc

or look for retrofit, sealed cans like Halo 30CAT and 30PAT as mentioned in this thread:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/63663/

 

[kenwit]

Be Green, thanks for the links. The first one looks like what I need to do. The video makes it look easy, I know better. Thanks again, Ken

 

[Reggie Dunlap]

Like these guys say if they are IC rated you can lay fiberglass or blow cellulose over the top to seal them. If not you can build foam boxes, which can be time consuming because you'll have to notch around the existing framing.

I'd concentrate on air leakage, not R value, when sealing them up.

 

[begreen]

Our living room has 8 friggin old style highhats in a ceiling which someone dropped to accommodate them. The dropped ceiling acts like a plenum, allowing big air losses. This is my next energy sealing project.

 

[Jotul_Rockland]

Building a box seems like too much work. What if I just put clear plastic paper over the light in Winter. All my lights are energy efficient and don't generate a lot of heat. Am I taking a risk with fire with this approach?

 

[btuser]

Building a box seems like too much work. What if I just put clear plastic paper over the light in Winter. All my lights are energy efficient and don't generate a lot of heat. Am I taking a risk with fire with this approach?

Only if someone turns the lights on.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Best practice is to replace with rated IC fixtures when one finds incorrect pot lights have been installed & you want to stick with pot lights. Note: you will still need a vapor seal in the attic space. This will comply with code & also avoid an easy instant get out of jail free card for your insurance co, should you have a fire. You asked for the best way to solve this problem & that is replace with standard ceiling mount fixtures, far cheaper than an IC rated fixture if budget is a concern, as well as far more choice in style, etc. Best way to seal a house is to stop cutting holes in the envelope. Given the unknown (to me) headroom you may have to limit your choices to those that are slender in profile. Either way follow code. No point wasting all those ins premiums.

 

[begreen]

Problem is that in some houses like ours with first floor recessed cans, that there is no access to them other than opening up the ceiling. That's why I am considering the retrofit cans.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Yes BG if the wrong can was installed sometimes it's a real nasty job to change it out. When a can intended for an attic is used in an enclosed inaccessable space often one is faced with either having to cut the old can out in pieces, through the can hole itself (no fun) or using some type of retro can. In the case of the later I would suggest a retro IC can as it's rated for contact, meaning it will operate cooler than a non IC can. Note: more shopping required to find retro IC cans, usually not a big box store item. Secondly I would recommend a can that will either take compact floresent bulb or an led bulb. Either way not the place for a halogen bulb for sure (too hot) very likely incandesant will be too hot as well. If those cans are in a 5-6" hole you can cut them out through the whole, once that's done you can choose any fixture that will cover the original hole, no patching needed. In case you wanted to go back to traditional fixtures. BTW don't forget to turn off switches/breakers.

 

[jharkin]

Im actually doing this exact project at my place. I have old non sealed cans in a slope ceiling (eyeballs). Due to the age of the house I dont have the depth for regular cans.

I got some Halo low profile ICAT (insulation contact air tight) cans like these
http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=MYB8TvidLsutrAegyK3iDw&ved=0CEcQ8wIwBQ

If it was a flat ceiling I would look into Cree CR6 LEDs (you can get HD knockoff for $30), but since I have the slopes I got Halo eyeball trims and these HD Ecosmart LED bulbs

(broken link removed to http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=202670529&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=202670529&ci_src=14110944&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D27X-_-202670529&locStoreNum=2667)

 

[begreen]

The irony is that in the living room we almost never use these recess cans. I mean like maybe once a year. They are all on dimmers, but I am thinking of taking them out and just putting in switches and running very low watt CFLs in them once I fix the cans. Though I would have no problem sealing them up and doing without them, which is also an option.

In the dining room we have 3. I'm thinking of eliminating one and installing can convertors on the other 2 so that I can mount conventional hanging lamps there instead.

http://www.thecanconverter.com/store/index.php