How to Install Insulation Next to IC Light Fixtures

When you add insulation to your attic, you save energy cost by keeping the warm air in your living area. However, most homeowner's attics are not simply beams running across the length of the home. Many people find chimney's, electrical wires and recessed light fixtures in their attic. Knowing what insulation can touch and what it should remain distanced from is important in keeping your home safe. Insulation Contact (IC) light fixtures have a protective circuit built in which allows them to turn off when they become too hot.

Flashlight
Utility knife

Instructions

- 1
  Unscrew the light bulb in your recessed light fixture and set it aside. Reach inside the fixture and unhook the cover trim's metal rods from the grooves inside the fixture. Set the cover trim aside.
- 2
  Look inside your recessed light fixture for the information sticker, use a flashlight if necessary. This sticker tells you whether or not the fixture is an IC fixture and how many watts the fixture can handle.
- 3
  Measure the distance from the attic's edge to the recessed light fixture. Transfer this measurement to a piece of insulation and cut it with a utility knife. Push the insulation into the space between the ceiling joists, with one end touching the IC fixture.
- 4
  Measure from the fixture's other side to the attic's opposite end. Transfer this measurement to another piece of insulation and cut it to length with a utility knife. Stuff this insulation into the space between the ceiling rafters, with one end touching the IC fixture.
- 5
  Tear smaller chunks of insulation off the left-over pieces and stuff them on either side of the IC fixture.

Government Standards for How to Go Green

BTU Ratings for Air Conditioners

Energy Efficient Homes