Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Home repair fix #7 Sealing "can" lights


Man when I figured this one out I stayed awake for four or five nights wondering how we could have been so stupid for so long....Recessed or "can" lights can be notorious energy wasters because only recently has there been available anything like a "sealed" can light fixture. The new "green" homes like mine have them but I bet you don't. And depending on how many you have in your home, it could be leaking air like swiss cheese! I've fixed these leakers two different ways. For the ones that you can get to in the attic, we use a styrofoam minnow bucket, about $3.00 at wal-mart. Cut a slit in it where the electrical wire comes out, then foam it into place, and seal up the slit you cut also. Works like a champ! For the other ones, like in a floor or a vaulted ceiling, I've taken them apart from the bottom and sealed up all the holes with that aluminum duct tape. After you get done with each method I'd recommend changing out the bulbs to a compact fluorescent version. They look the same, but don't put out any heat like the old bulbs do. And they use 25% of the energy of the old bulbs too. You can spend about $12 a bulb instead of the $6 for the regular ones and get dimmable if you need them. They don't dim all the way, but they do dim about half way. And you fixed one of the biggest potential leaks in the house!

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