Recessed lights offer a modern and unobtrusive style, while providing light practically anywhere in your home. However, there are drawbacks to recessed lighting fixtures — air leaks and heat gain/loss between your attic and living spaces. Energy losses make your HVAC system work harder and use more energy. Following are some tips to give your HVAC system more recess time and less work.
Types of Recessed Lighting
When you install recessed lighting fixtures, you are basically cutting a hole in your home's ceiling that compromises the insulation barrier. Energy losses can be minimized or exacerbated, depending on the rating of your recessed lights, air tightness and insulation factors.
Insulation Contact (IC): You need to know if your recessed lighting fixtures are rated "IC" for Insulation Contact. Fixtures with the IC designation may come into contact with attic insulation without the risk of fire.
Non-IC rated: If you have non-IC fixtures installed, attic insulation should be no less than 3 inches away from the top and sides of the recessed lighting fixtures.
Airtight fixtures: Airtight recessed lighting fixtures use gaskets to create a seal between the fixture and ceiling. Fixtures designated as airtight will be marked with "ASTM E283" on the canister.
Sealing and Insulating Recessed Lights
Take a look at all of your recessed lighting fixtures to see if you spot the IC and ASTM E283 ratings. If you do, then you don't have to worry about sealing air leaks. Even more, you can pile insulation up to and on top of the light canisters: HVAC energy losses solved.If your fixtures aren't rated airtight and insulation safe, perform efficiency upgrades to keep conditioned air out of your attic and attic air out of your living spaces. One of the most practical solutions is installing air-tight insulation boxes over the top of your recessed lights. Browse your home store or talk to your HVAC professional about your best options.
If you adore your recessed lights but abhor wasting energy in your Broken Arrow home, contact Air Assurance to audit your home efficiency and find the best solutions to promote energy savings.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about recessed lights and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273.