I have recently installed 8 of these 5 inch insulation contact rated remodler housings in my kitchen. Two of the holes I made were close to an existing nonmetallic sheathed cable (NM) running through the ceiling, and I believe that the outside of the housing may be in direct contact with the NM cable.
Is this going to be an issue (i.e. do I have to be worried about the NM cable melting and starting a fire), or am I okay because the housing is IC-rated? In case it matters I plan on using 75 watt halogen bulbs in the housings.
I also placed the housing in contact with the paper facing of the insulation in the ceiling, but I assume this will not be a problem since the housing is IC-rated, correct?
Best Answer
Some approved insulations (such as polystyrene) have a lower heat rating than standard NM cable. Since all conventional insulations can touch an IC rated fixture, cable should be no problem.