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I do seem to be having troubles lately. First my fireplace, now…….I have in-the-ceiling can lights in my family room (same room as the smokey fireplace – no correlation – just thought I’d mention it) and 2 “eyeballs” which spotlight the fireplace. Went to replace a bulb in each area, and the cold air coming out is amazingly ridiculous! I can hold my hand about 3″ away, bulb in or out, and feel the cold air coming out! The bulbs are ice cold! Maybe that’s why they keep blowing? There’s insulation up there, but I know the lights are the kind that the insulation has to be 3″(?), I think it is, away from the housing. The ceiling shares space with the unheated garage. There are 8 lights altogether – 6 cans and 2 eyeballs.
Do I have to replace them all with the kind you can butt the insulation right up to the housing, or is there some remedy? That room has been freezing lately, even the furniture is ice cold….which makes us start a fire in the fireplace…..which smokes us out…..which……any help truly appreciated.
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Usually the best way to deal with leaky cans is to build small boxes (plywood, OSB, sheetrock, etc.) to fit around the cans and seal all the edges with foam sealant to eliminate air leakage. Then insulate adequately around the boxes. As always, proper air sealing (with adequate insulation) is the key to energy efficiency and comfort.
*Adrianne, it sounds like you have a lot of air sealing problems. Don't assume the cans and the fireplace draft are unrelated! Both suggest that the room is seriously depressurized ... visit Freddy's http://www.weatherization.com for more.Ceiling cans to the attic are generally evil, I would get rid of them if possible and seal the holes. Yes, you can get IC (insulation contact) fixtures, and still others than claim to be airtight, or build boxes, but is it worth the trouble to hang on to inefficient light fixtures?
*Um, right, what he said.Translation: You got big holes all over house. You go plug them. Go attic/upstairs first.
*Hi Fred,You beat me to it! I knew that the minute I read her post. The nagging question is this: How come this has been a recent phenomenon (last 4 years) yet Adrianne insists that nothing about the house has changed since it was built (was it 18 years ago? I forget).Fess up adrianne! Something has to have changed.Fred and I just looked at a house where they ran A/C ducts for a possible future installation. they ducted all the second floor bedrooms, supply and return, and dumped them, wide open, into an unheated, unsealed attic area. Woman was wondering where all her heat was going. There are probably big holes in the top the house somewhere, Adrianne, think hard. Something has to have changed. Any plumbing work? Any heating system work? Any A/C work? What about that garage? Is it new? Any work in there?Steve
*For the record, I didn't mean to imply that fixing the can lights would be enough. Oh no. I would have built the job up plenty after that. ;-)Adrianne, start by sealing off the problem room, explore for drafts, etc. I'm eager to hear what changed that supposed didn't. Do I understand you as saying that the problems are getting worse?
*I'm so excited I can't even deal with this now! Of course, I may be completely bummed out tomorrow, and then I'll be back.