Lately, I ‘ve been seeing a lot of poorly insulated and unsafe recesses lighting. These light fixtures should contain an Underwriters’ Laboratory label containing an “IC” rating if installed in a ceiling containing insulation. The “IC” stands for “Insulation Contact”. Uninformed consumers increase their chances of a fire because of the excessive heat build up if a non-IC fixture is used. The following link to Capri Lighting offers a easy to understand explanation (IC and nonIC ratings).
Also, if insulation is moved away from a non-IC rated fixture then there is a void in the insulation blanket. This could be a significant heat loss (or heat gain) which obviously affects energy efficiency and increases utility costs. Fomo Products offers a “Recessed Lighting Cover” to solve this problem.
