- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Hospital Master Electrician
Has anyone else had issues with cans left on for a prolonged period melting the thermocouple, shorting itself to the can casing?
We use Capri Quicklights (QL1, I think) with a regular white baffle, and use a 65W R30 bulb, where the max is rated at a 75W R30.
I think someone turned it on, forgot about it, and the can just sat there and festered. The label inside the can melted down to a memory pattern, the insulator around the thermocouple melted through, and the can trim has a hat shape when removed from the ceiling, now.
My thought is, cans aren't supposed to be on for days at a time, and this occurred in a spec that's been sitting there for months. On one hand, being left on for days unattended is kind of abnormal abuse.
On the other hand, that thermocouple is supposed to prevent this meltdown from happening in the first place. It's an IC-rated can entering the attic space, insulated with that blown paper crud. It's IC-rated, with a bulb 10 watts below it's max.
What's everybody else's take on this? Defective can or abnormal abuse? As far as the GC is concerned, I told him that the cans aren't rated for continuous duty, and to turn the damn things off when the house gets locked. He asked, "What kind of cheap crap are you installing?" I had to partly agree, at least to myself.
I have to say, I am impressed with the arc fault in this case. Might have prevented a catastrophe.
[ April 01, 2005, 07:04 PM: Message edited by: georgestolz ]
We use Capri Quicklights (QL1, I think) with a regular white baffle, and use a 65W R30 bulb, where the max is rated at a 75W R30.
I think someone turned it on, forgot about it, and the can just sat there and festered. The label inside the can melted down to a memory pattern, the insulator around the thermocouple melted through, and the can trim has a hat shape when removed from the ceiling, now.
My thought is, cans aren't supposed to be on for days at a time, and this occurred in a spec that's been sitting there for months. On one hand, being left on for days unattended is kind of abnormal abuse.
On the other hand, that thermocouple is supposed to prevent this meltdown from happening in the first place. It's an IC-rated can entering the attic space, insulated with that blown paper crud. It's IC-rated, with a bulb 10 watts below it's max.
What's everybody else's take on this? Defective can or abnormal abuse? As far as the GC is concerned, I told him that the cans aren't rated for continuous duty, and to turn the damn things off when the house gets locked. He asked, "What kind of cheap crap are you installing?" I had to partly agree, at least to myself.
I have to say, I am impressed with the arc fault in this case. Might have prevented a catastrophe.
[ April 01, 2005, 07:04 PM: Message edited by: georgestolz ]
