Can You Blow Insulation Over Recessed Lights

If you don t see the ic designation however you must keep the.

Can you blow insulation over recessed lights.

If you see them printed on a recessed fixture the fixture presents no fire danger even if you completely cover it with insulation. You could hire an electrician to replace each fixture with a sealed one rated for insulation contact ic. Go to a home center and buy a fire rated recessed light cover like the ones made by tenmat for every fixture. Insulation should be kept away from recessed can lights because the insulation does not allow the heat generated by the lights to dissipate.

But here s another solution which you can do yourself. Your best bet is to replace the lights before proceeding with blow in insulation. However there are ways you can cover them and then safely add insulation. Even an ic rated light could have a series of holes inside the housing which is letting air escape into the attic.

Since you mentioned your cans have holes in them they are most definitely not ic rated. Choosing an ic f rated downlight is added insurance that if during the course of its life insulation is accidentally dislodged and falls on the light no abnormal operation should be expected. The heat that recessed lights produce can affect temperature in the attic and in the room in which they shine. 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.

You can minimize this heat. Over time debris from leaves and other sources can build up on top of the light so it would be reassuring to know that product has already passed.