Recessed Lighting question

[Jen Etten]

Okay, so i noticed while I have been researching recessed lighting for our spec home, it seems the new construction housing cost Way more than the remodel retrofit housings. Can anyone speak to this? Can I just put retrofit for new construction? I don't really need to meet and energy savings requirements for this home( as far as air tightness), although I do think I'll install LED trims. Thanks, Jen

[Ryan Booth]

Wiring recessed or "Can" lights is about as easy as electrical work gets, most modern quality recessed lights are almost plug and play, assuming you can get the wire to the light. 

For most remodel work you would cut a somewhat precise hole in the drywall, pull your wiring out of the hole, make up the electrical connections and tuck the wiring and housing up into the hole until it "snaps" into place. Make sure you get the "IC" (insulation contact) rated housings if you will be using them anywhere they may come in contact with insulation or other combustibles. 

As noted above, recessed lighting consists of 2 components, 

1, The "housing" ($8-$20 each) that you either mount to the framing for new construction or "snaps" into a hole cut in the drywall for remodel work. The housings come in several sizes, the most common by far is 6 inch, followed by 4 inch for some applications. 

2, The "trim" or "trim and light" ($5-$40+) which you install in the housing, usually after painting is done, come in a huge variety of styles and features. From a small piece to go around an incandescent bulb, to expensive LED tilting "eye ball" trim.  

Anther possible difference between "new construction" and "remodel" is the type of connector inside the housing. Most will be a standard E26 (Edison type, 26mm) screw in base for the bulb, but in some areas, such as here in California, all of the new construction housings must have a 2 pin connector so that you cannot install a regular screw type bulb into the housing, instead you have to use a high efficiency bulb with a 2 pin plug. So here we have "old work" housings that mount to the framing and look just like new construction housings, except they have a bulb base instead of a 2 pin connector. 

If you are going to install one in or next to a shower, make sure it is rated for "damp" locations.