When it is set up, most of a recessed light fixture is from sight, however there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. Variations in housing design, electrical requirements and decorative finishes result in a wide selection of possible fixture fashions, and those style differences are not only superficial. A given fixture’s specifications determine in which it can be set up, how energy-efficient it is and what lighting job it is best suited for.
IC Rating
After the housing of a recessed lighting fixture will be in touch with thermal insulation inside the ceiling, the fixture must get an IC rating, meaning that it is certified as safe to use in an insulated ceiling. IC-rated fixtures are designed so that the outside of their housings does not become so hot that it is very likely to ignite the encompassing insulation. A fixture that is not IC-rated does not conform to IC specifications and should not be used in an insulated ceiling.
New Construction Vs. Remodel
Recessed fixture housings are designed differently based on whether they are intended to be used in new building or in a remodeling project. A new-construction fixture is set up on mounting bars that are nailed straight into the ceiling joists; nevertheless they make the most of the simple fact that they are sometimes installed before the ceiling is finished. Remodel fixtures do not attach straight to this joists; they are inserted right into a hole cut at the finished ceiling and secured with clips that are mounting.
Home Size
The housing of a recessed fixture must be shallow enough to fit in the space between the finished ceiling and the surface of the ceiling joists; this space is called a plenum, and at typical framing, the plenum is between 7 5/8 inches and 11 5/8 inches. A standard recessed lighting housing with a thickness of 7 1/2 inches will fit in many ceilings built with two-by-eight, two-by-ten or even two-by-twelve joists. Shallower ceilings may require low-profile fixtures with a thickness of 5 inches or less.
Trim Types
The fixture’s trim includes a decorative ring that surrounds the opening of this fixture and any other trim pieces that modify the fixture’s aperture to control the quantity and direction of the light emitted. A fixture with open trim supplies general illumination, and a baffle trim includes a grooved aperture that cuts down on glare. Eyeball and wall-wash trims have small, adjustable apertures that permit the mild to be directed as an accent on a wall, either artwork or any other surface.
Voltage and Bulbs
Line-voltage fixtures operate on standard 120-V household current and accept standard incandescent, compact fluorescent or lights. Low-voltage fixtures operate by means of a transformer that measures household current down to a reduce voltage, many commonly 12 V. Low-voltage halogen lamps of a given wattage typically create more light than line-voltage lamps of precisely the exact same wattage.