Halo 4" can failures

[electricguy61]

Anyone experienced failures of Halo H99ICT cans?

I've now had 8 cans fail on two different jobs. It appears that the screw that holds in the socket at the top of the can was too long and when you tighten into the lampholder the screw shorts the metal housing to the lampholder.

When the first 4 failed, Halo sent me replacement cans and offered $45 each for the labor to replace them. They didn't ask for the cans to be returned to them, which makes me wonder if this was a defect they were well aware of.

That was in February of this year, and the cans were purchased @ Home Depot.

In July, I installed 4 more on a rough in (OK, so I had a brain fart). These were purchased @ my local supply house. Went to trim out the house last week, and guess what: same problem. Only these were on the first floor of a two story house, which meant ripping out sheetrock to replace them (I replaced them with Juno's)

 

[SEO]

We haven't had any problems but thanks for the heads up.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

The problems I have seen are with the socket adapter that is installed into the can. A Halo H99 ICT is limited to 50 watts. If you use a Par 50 halogen I believe you must use a socket extender. When the extenders are used it apparently will wreck havoc with an arc fault circuit. I believe Halo is aware of this problem since the problem has been around for some time now. I reported it here at the forum on May 29.

 

[electricguy61]

The problems I have seen are with the socket adapter that is installed into the can. A Halo H99 ICT is limited to 50 watts. If you use a Par 50 halogen I believe you must use a socket extender. When the extenders are used it apparently will wreck havoc with an arc fault circuit. I believe Halo is aware of this problem since the problem has been around for some time now. I reported it here at the forum on May 29.

Dennis: You're correct. We were using extenders. I can't find the post you refer to above. Do you know where it's located? Thanks!

 

[alfiesauce]

4" cans are a huge pain. I love how they look but I dislike installing them a lot.
I've never had the shorting issue.
I always use socket extenders because I think they look nicer with the bulb a bit lower in the fixture.
What I do have issues with is that if you screw in the socket extender it becomes loose sometimes and then the HO is not always smart enough to realize the issue. So recently I tried some lock-tight on the socket extender to see if that fixes the problem.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Dennis: You're correct. We were using extenders. I can't find the post you refer to above. Do you know where it's located? Thanks!

I was going to post it but it only had one response saying thanks for the info. Here

 

[alfiesauce]

Do you use the Halo extenders or a generic extender?

 

[ivsenroute]

This is why I use Progress Lighting cans

 

[tonyou812]

im a big fan of the 3" cans that use the gu10 bulb. The look of low voltage without the clunky transformer.

 

[electricguy61]

Thanks for the reply Dennis.

Has anyone noticed a difference between the generic extenders and the Halo ones?

Has anyone figured out why the extenders cause the problem?

Has Halo addressed the issue to you?

Thanks again for everyones input!

 

[electricmanscott]

im a big fan of the 3" cans that use the gu10 bulb. The look of low voltage without the clunky transformer.

I just added a couple of those cans to match some existing in a kitchen.

Not even remotely close to the look of low voltage. Poor light output. The people hated them but did not want to replace them all so I just added a few. Thankfully I was not the original installer.

 

[bradleyelectric]

im a big fan of the 3" cans that use the gu10 bulb. The look of low voltage without the clunky transformer.

Do you have a prefered manufacturer for the 3" cans and trims and some you do not like and why. I don't have experience with the 3".

 

[tonyou812]

Ive probably put in about 4 dozen in the past few months and I cant say Ive had any problems. And ive been using leviton bulb extenders.

 

[alfiesauce]

Electric guy- do you bend the hot strap on the back of the halo fixture socket down before you screw in the extension socket?

 

[electricguy61]

Electric guy- do you bend the hot strap on the back of the halo fixture socket down before you screw in the extension socket?

Do you mean the part of the socket that contacts the center of the lamp?

No. Even if I do that now, in two years when the homeowner screws in a new lamp, the socket is liable to short out. I understand what you're saying, but i don't think we should have to modify a fixture because Halo can't build it correctly.

I'm getting ready to call Halo again about this issue (they didn't return my call on thursday nor Friday)

 

[Fulthrotl]

I'm getting ready to call Halo again about this issue (they didn't return my call on thursday nor Friday)

friends don't let friends use halo....

i hate halo.... for the same price as home desperate sells halo cans,
you can purchase elite.... nora is better still, and their cost is about
fifty cents more a can for remodel 5". i priced them the other day and
was surprised to learn this..... i thought they were bunches more.

and then there's bruck..... priced 40% beyond the absence of reason.


randy