Recessed can from the attic side
What's wrong here?
- A recessed luminaire not identified as Type IC is buried in thermal insulation
- NM cable in an attic must be protected by guard strips wherever it runs
- The housing must be at least 3 in from the joist it hangs from
- Nothing. This installation is compliant
Show the answer and the code reference
The answer
A Type Non-IC recessed housing has fiberglass batts packed against its sides and folded over its top.
Correct choice: 1. A recessed luminaire not identified as Type IC is buried in thermal insulation
A recessed luminaire that is not identified as Type IC depends on free air around the housing to shed heat. 410.116(B) says thermal insulation shall not be installed above a recessed luminaire or within 3 in of its enclosure, wiring compartment, ballast, transformer, LED driver, or power supply unless the luminaire is identified as Type IC. Buried non-IC cans cycle on their thermal protectors at best and scorch framing and insulation facing at worst. The vent slots and the Non-IC label on the housing are the giveaway from the attic side.
How to fix it
Either pull the insulation back to a 3 in clearance on all sides with nothing over the top (a sheet-metal or listed dam keeps it there) or, better, replace the housing with a Type IC, airtight-rated luminaire and re-insulate over it.
Code references
NEC 2023 410.116(B) — Installation
Thermal insulation shall not be installed above a recessed luminaire or within 3 in of the luminaire's enclosure, wiring compartment, ballast, transformer, LED driver, or power supply unless the luminaire is identified as Type IC for insulation contact.
Drills citing 410.116(B)NEC 2023 410.116(A)(1) — Clearance: Non-Type IC
A recessed luminaire not identified as Type IC shall have all recessed parts spaced at least 1/2 in from combustible materials, except at points of support and the finish trim at the ceiling opening.
Drills citing 410.116(A)(1)NEC 2023 320.23 — In Accessible Attics
Applied to NM cable by 334.23: cable run across the top of joists, or across the face of rafters or studs within 7 ft of the floor, needs guard strips at least as high as the cable (only within 6 ft of the scuttle if there are no permanent stairs or ladder); cable run along the sides of rafters, studs, or joists needs neither guard strips nor running boards.
Drills citing 320.23
2026 NEC:same rule and number. The 2026 NEC deleted the old Part XI of Article 410 (construction of flush and recessed luminaires), but the installation rule in 410.116(B) appears to stay: no thermal insulation over or within 3 in of a recessed luminaire unless it is identified as Type IC. Nothing found suggests a change to this rule or its number. Confidence: low
Minnesota
Minnesota adopted the 2023 NEC with no Minnesota amendments as the Minnesota Electrical Code, effective July 1, 2023 (Minn. Stat. 326B.35; Minn. Rules 1315.0200). It governs electrical permits filed before Aug. 17, 2026; permits filed on or after that date fall under the 2026 NEC, so confirm the 2026 numbering for current work. No Minnesota amendment to 410.116 exists. Separately, the Minnesota Residential Energy Code (Minn. Rules ch. 1322) requires recessed luminaires in the building thermal envelope to be IC-rated, labeled for no more than 2.0 cfm air leakage, and sealed to the ceiling, so a new non-IC can under an insulated attic also fails the building inspection.
How Minnesota adopts the NECWhy the other choices are wrong
- NM cable in an attic must be protected by guard strips wherever it runs. Guard strips under 320.23(A) (applied to NM by 334.23) are needed where cable runs across the top of joists, or across the face of rafters or studs within 7 ft of the floor, and only within 6 ft of the scuttle when the attic has no permanent stairs or ladder. Cable run along the side of a joist, as here, needs neither guard strips nor running boards under 320.23(B).
- The housing must be at least 3 in from the joist it hangs from. The 3 in dimension in 410.116(B) is the spacing to insulation; a non-IC housing needs 1/2 in from combustible material under 410.116(A)(1), except at its points of support, which is where the bar hangers meet the joists.
- Nothing. This installation is compliant. The housing is labeled Type Non-IC and has insulation against and on top of it, which 410.116(B) prohibits.