CINCINNATI Blog

Air Sealing and recessed lighting

Recessed downlights are the most popular home lighting fixture in the United States. Older model recessed can fixtures are energy intensive in three ways—they are not approved for insulation contact so insulation has to be kept at least 3 inches away all the way around, leaving about 1 square foot of uninsulated ceiling space. Most are using incandescent bulbs that use 3 to 5 times the power of fluorescents and add to air-conditioning loads. Third, the cans are not airtight, so they allow conditioned air to escape from the living area into unconditioned spaces such as attics. If your home has non-airtight fixtures, you can have an electrician replace the whole fixture with insulation contact-rated, air-tight (ICAT) fixtures, which would most likely be a very expensive option. Or you can simply reach out to Koala Insulation to seal each recessed light fixture with a fire proof cover and sealed with commercial fire proof caulking that seals and adheres them where the cover housing meets the drywall.

Non-airtight recessed can fixtures can allow heated air to escape to attic during winter, carrying moisture that can condense in a cool attic. They can also draw hot attic air into the home in summer, pulling dust and insulation particles into your home. 

If you have multiple recessed lights in your home, let Koala Insulation of Cincinnati help you, before you begin to tackle work related to improving the efficiency of your home, take the time to reach out to us for a free insulation evaluation. We are committed here at Koala Insulation of Cincinnati to delivering efficiency and improving your comfort.