5/6" LED trim question

[JFletcher]

We've been using mainly the Sylvania 5/6" LED trims. This time we bought some Halo ones. They come with a grounding wire from the top of the trim, which has to be attached to the can. I'm assuming this is because the top of the trim housing is metal vs plastic, but I wanted to know for sure: is this a code issue, new install vs retrofit, what I assumed, something else entirely?

LED trims take longer to get unpacked and throw away the trash than installing... usually. If you get these, you can figure an extra minute or so per can, not insignificant if you have 60+ to install.

 

[ActionDave]

I bought a Halo led trim to try out in my house. The metal fingers on the trim wedge solidly to the metal tabs on the can that hold the trim in place and the can is equipment grounded. I have no idea what that silly little egc wire on the led is good for. I didn't hook it up

 

[JFletcher]

I bought a Halo led trim to try out in my house. The metal fingers on the trim wedge solidly to the metal tabs on the can that hold the trim in place and the can is equipment grounded. I have no idea what that silly little egc wire on the led is good for. I didn't hook it up

In my house, I would have done the same. Unfortunately, I read the directions that said the ground must be installed.

My best guess is that the springs on the 5/6" cans arent a suitable ground path, and it would be possible to get shocked while removing a faulty energized trim if one touched the metal top while reaching for the disconnect. Lame; just make the whole thing out of plastic and ditch the ground wire. Then again, these trims were almost $8 cheaper each than other trims, so spending a minute installing the ground wire is still coming out ahead.

The HALO trims also include a gasket which has to be installed. More labor.

afaik, only the 4" trims come with the three metal fingers you mentioned.

 

[chris1971]

The Halo 5/6" LED teims have really come down in price. We just got a newer version for around $14.50 each. I don't think they have a egc on them.

 

[kwired]

I installed thousands of metallic trims over the years for incandescent or halogen lamp types, none of them ever had a bonding pigtail and any bonding was done via the attachment springs.

Have listing standards changed?

 

[curt swartz]

I installed thousands of metallic trims over the years for incandescent or halogen lamp types, none of them ever had a bonding pigtail and any bonding was done via the attachment springs.

Have listing standards changed?

I have always wondered the same thing. Why the EGC for LED trims but not incandescent. Cree originally had grounding pigtails on their trims but stopped providing them a few years ago.

 

[JFletcher]

I installed thousands of metallic trims over the years for incandescent or halogen lamp types, none of them ever had a bonding pigtail and any bonding was done via the attachment springs.

Have listing standards changed?

I dont think so but that's why I was asking here. These Halo 5/6" trims have metal components in the top whereas the Sylvanias are all plastic; I suspect that is why they have the 'silly little egc' soldered on - other LED trims are probably insulated and dont need them. $12.50 vs $20 a light tho... they wouldnt have been bad to install but I swear half of the screws I pulled out to attach were factory cross-threaded, making getting them back in a bear.

The incandescent trims with the coil springs, arent electrically connected like an LED is.

I assume the gaskets (which other trims dont have either) are to help seal gaps for energy code. I put them on even tho they looked kinda worthless to me.

 

[kwired]

I dont think so but that's why I was asking here. These Halo 5/6" trims have metal components in the top whereas the Sylvanias are all plastic; I suspect that is why they have the 'silly little egc' soldered on - other LED trims are probably insulated and dont need them. $12.50 vs $20 a light tho... they wouldnt have been bad to install but I swear half of the screws I pulled out to attach were factory cross-threaded, making getting them back in a bear.

The incandescent trims with the coil springs, arent electrically connected like an LED is.

I assume the gaskets (which other trims dont have either) are to help seal gaps for energy code. I put them on even tho they looked kinda worthless to me.

I guess certain trims are sort of isolated from components that have ungrounded conductors connected to them, but there are also many incandescent trims that the lamp socket does attach to the trim. A majority of those I have installed over the years do have the lamp socket attached to the trim.