Terminology printed on cans for can lights -

[Stephen Tashiro]

The "cans" for recessed lights can be rated as "IC" or "non-IC", but is this terminology printed somewhere on the product? In looking at Halo brand cans, I haven't found such notation on them.

A Home Depot description of a Halo can https://www.homedepot.com/p/Halo-H7-6-in-Aluminum-Recessed-Lighting-Housing-for-New-Construction-Ceiling-Insulation-Contact-6-Pack-H7ICT-6-PK/203891884 says:



designed for new construction installations where the housing will be in direct contact with ceiling insulation


...


This recessed light can fixture is NOT Air-Tite rated


That doesn't use the abbreviation "IC" or the phrase "Insulation Contact rated" and it does mention a rating called "Air-Tite".

[Bill Dufour]

IC means covered with insulation the can will not overheat and burn down the house. Old lights were not IC and they had to be uncovered in the attic with no insulation touching or on top.
Air tite means they are sealed so no conditioned air leaks up into the attic.
Those are two different things. To be honest with led lights IC is probably easy to meet.
Bil lD

[Stephen Tashiro]

IC means covered with insulation the can will not overheat and burn down the house. Old lights were not IC and they had to be uncovered in the attic with no insulation touching or on top.
Air tite means they are sealed so no conditioned air leaks up into the attic.
Those are two different things. To be honest with led lights IC is probably easy to meet.
Bil lD

Well, yes, but my question is whether the things printed on the can itself tell whether it is IC or not. Is the abbreviation "IC" actually used somewhere - for example in the printing that gives the Underwriters Lab info? Or is some other symbol or acronym used instead of "IC"?

To me "Air-Tite" sounds like terminology made up by the Halo company to suggest the phrase "air tight" but do it in proprietary language. Other descriptions of can lights (e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Sunco-Lighting-Construction-Downlight-Electrician/dp/B07D92B5DL/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=can+lights&qid=1596224550&s=hi&sr=1-6 ) use the phrase "Air Tight". Do the capital letters indicate an Underwriters Lab standard?

[Paul F Franklin]

Might want to ask over at green building advisor. But be prepared for a thousand reasons you should just use low profile surface mount LEDs and forget about the cans. And you should listen to those reasons :D

[mike stenson]

IME the "Air Tight" cans just have weatherstripping at the rim, so they're really just less leaky

[Frank Pratt]

The "air tight" cans do not meet local building code requirements here (Alberta) so you still have to use vapor hats with them. Check with your local AHJ.

[Paul F Franklin]

IME the "Air Tight" cans just have weatherstripping at the rim, so they're really just less leaky

Yes, and they slap a few pieces of foil over the bigger holes in the top of the can, but they are still really leaky. Plus the rim weatherstripping doesn't work when the ceiling has texture, and at least in this part of the country, a lot of them have texture.

[Bruce King]

Where it says they are designed to be in contact with insulation is layman’s terminology for IC. Probably too many people didn’t understand IC so they spelled it out.