Recessed can insulation product
 

I met a neighbor at my local dog park where I run my dog, and he has this new project that he is launching. Says on of the big boxes has agreed to pick it up (he named one but I'll sit on that for him).

I'm not endorsing it. I'm just submitting it for your consideration. There is a 2 minute video on the site too:
Recessed Can Light Cover | Seal Your Recessed Lights with CanCoverIt

Any opinions on the degree of innovation here? It seems like a very simple idea. Perhaps one that has long been known to some builders. I suppose what's new might just be the product development (prefab convenience and standardization).

james

Looks like an ice cream bag to me (in silver).

I like it. I don't know if the product itself is anything revolutionary, but the fact that it is quick and easy is new. The electrician can install these as he mounts the lights, or the insulation contractor can install them as he works his way around. Now there is no reason to ignore the problem. I hope they come to Canada.

That's very close to how he described it. He said something about the goal being to solve a well known problem in a simple and inexpensive way. He was not explaining it as a genius invention.

All new can lites in the USA are pretty much of the variety that allows the fixture to be covered in insulation .

I have seen various chicken wire " gadgets " used on older fixtures , to keep the insulation off the fixture .

Both varieties have thermal cut-offs to turn the lite off , if it over heats .

Still older can lites have no safety features and also should not be covered in insulation .

Keep these factors in mind . Especially , if the fixture starts to turn off & on , after you use any sort of insulation around the lite .

Best solution is to avoid can lites , if you can . A lot of the light does not make it out of the can and the light that does , does not disperse around the room very well , unless the ceiling is pretty high .

Other styles of fixtures do a better job , but may not be as " pretty " ?

Use compact florescents or LED's in all your fixtures , for energy savings . The LED's are especially advantagious for high / hard to get to fixtures , due to the long life of the lamp .

God bless
Wyr

I think that in one shot you've both hit the nail on the head, and missed the point completely. You are not alone, and that's where the problem lies.

Most pot lights are designed to have INSULATION installed completely around them, they can be covered with just about any insulating product, and remain fire safe. They usually have a compliance sticker somewhere on the can.

The problem is that this does not mean that they are VAPOUR tight. In fact, they can sometimes count on the free flow of air to help them stay cool. They are not designed to keep your vapour barrier continuous.

These prefab bags are deigned to keep you vapour barrier continuous around the fixture. I think that if they are as user friendly as they appear then they are worth considering.

I like pot lights, especially the smaller 4" ones. I'm not ready to just give up on them because air tends to leak around them. They do require extra work to make them "green". One method that seems to work is to brush all the small seams and small holes on them with duct mastic. It works just as well here as on ducts to seal small leaks. Mastic over tape works for the larger holes. You do this either before they are installed or before the drywall goes up.

Once they are installed and poking out of the drywall then you need to seal between where it pokes out and the surrounding drywall hole. Don't use duct mastic for that, but rather a good flexible sealant. Finally, go up above the ceiling and give a shot of foam all around the rectangular flat surface that abuts the backside of the ceiling drywall. There is no longer any need with this method to encapsulate the entire pot with foam or an accessory talked about here.

If you do it that way it will be well sealed but you can still remove it if necessary. It also allows you to insulate with cellulose right on the pot so you get more insulation than with a bag of some sort which moves the insulation away. I really don't think you need to worry about overheating as long as you use a low enough wattage non-incandecent bulb.

The best part, of course, is that this method is cheap.

I like your approach, the attention to the details. It's called craftsmanship.

Look for the initials "TC" on the model number for cans. This means thermostatically controlled.

The thermostat is also visible in the upper recess of the can. The non TC cans simply have the wires exiting from the socket (no thermostat).

Many of the older cans were rated for incandescent (IC) lamps. These gave off a huge amount of light. The use of CFL bulbs is very safe as a 100 watt CF only gives off a small fraction of the heat compared to an IC lamp of the same lumens.

Steve

Even better with LED's .

God bless
Wyr