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LED wafer lights: what to check before you install them
Wafer lights, also called canless recessed lights, are everywhere now. They go in fast, which is exactly why mistakes get made. Watch the video for Percy's warning, then use the checklist below on every job.
The breakdown, in plain English
- Read the instructions in the box. A wafer light is only legal when it goes in the way its listing says, so the paperwork is part of the install.
- The little remote box on the cord is usually the driver and the junction box together. Make your splices inside it and close the cover. Splices floating in the ceiling are a fail.
- Check the label for an IC rating before insulation touches it. IC means it is rated for insulation contact.
- Bathrooms, showers and covered porches need a light rated for damp or wet locations. Look for that on the label.
- Only daisy-chain from one light to the next if the instructions allow it, and don't put more wires in the driver box than it is marked for.
- Make sure the dimmer you pick is listed as compatible with that light, or you'll get flicker and buzzing callbacks.
Codes to look up
Listed equipment has to be installed and used the way its listing and instructions say.
Recessed lights need proper clearance from insulation and combustibles unless they are rated for contact.
A light in a damp or wet spot has to be marked as suitable for that location.
Don't put more conductors in a box than its size allows.
These are plain-English summaries, not the code's exact wording. Always check the full section in the NEC edition your area has adopted, plus local amendments.
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