Recessed light retrofit -- sealed IC vs. plain IC rated
 

I'm retrofitting recessed lights into my kitchen. The area above the
kitchen is the attic crawlspace which has blown-in fiberglass insulation.

I bought IC rated (direct insulation contact) remodel cans, but I'm
starting to wonder if I should have bought the sealed IC kind. Since the
cans will be about 3-5 feet from the roof, even though they are covered
with insulation, will I have a big problem with air leakage and possibly
ice dams?

What about heat radiation? I can only imagine that 6 cans with 65 watt
bulbs will produce some heat despite the insulation on top. I'm trying to
swing the wife to use CFLs for this (for big energy savings AND cooler
operation), but she's kind of a CFL hater.

And speaking of heat, is it really safe to cover IC rated cans of any kind
with blown-in type fiberglass insulation? I know they are designed for
direct insulation contact, but it still seems dubious.

I'm a little disappointed at the crappy documentation that comes with the
cans and the guidance the manufacturers provide.

[For anyone considering this themselves, its a messy and itchy job! The
ceiling has some kind of sandy plaster over the wallboard which is hell on
the lighting saw and really makes for a big mess, not to mention the
multiple itchy trips into the crawlspace.]

Recessed light retrofit -- sealed IC vs. plain IC rated
 

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:38:46 -0600 from Howard Beale
:
I'm trying to
swing the wife to use CFLs for this (for big energy savings AND cooler
operation), but she's kind of a CFL hater.

What's her objection? The early models had off colors and maybe
buzzed, but I haven't seen any problems with recent ones.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
"If there's one thing I know, it's men. I ought to: it's
been my life work." -- Marie Dressler, in /Dinner at Eight/