On Thu, Aug 11, 2005 at 11:29:58AM -0600, Michael Lowe wrote:
>
> Hello Trevor,
>
> I had a similar problem, with the same bulbs and found a real problem was
> the 'pots' the lamps were in were placed so the vents were blocked and no
> air could circulate (there was also insulation around some of the fixtures).
> We measured temps at the fixtures and found them around 350-400deg. F, way
> too high for any sort of safety. There was a little char around a couple.
This is rather disturbing. All UL-certified cans must have a thermal breaker
that will turn the light off if things get too hot. That fact that you saw
charring around your cans suggests that either (a) they're at least 20 years
old and predate the UL regulations or (b) their thermal breakers are
non-functional. I'd strongly recommend you closely examine those cans and
replace them if necessary.
Also be aware that some cans are designed to be in direct contact with
insulation (so-called IC-rated cans). Non-IC-rated cans must have at least
3 inches clearance.
Also there are so-called airtight cans. You'd be surprised how much air will
leak through an unsealed can. Not a big deal if you've installed your lights
in enclosed soffits but if they're simply installed through the ceiling, it'll
be like an open window 24 hours a day. I've seen figures as high as a
million BTU/year per unsealed fixture.
> life went a much better range, still a little pricy compared to other forms,
> though the ones we have on dimmers last much longer than straight connected
> lamps.
Absolutely agree! I have a halogen floor lamp with a dimmer. It sees 4-5
hours
use every night but I rarely have need to turn it up more than halfway. I
actually prefer the warm color of the dimmed light. It must be 9-10 years old
now and I've yet to replace the bulb. Even my CFL lights don't live that long.
Jimmie
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