Recessed lighting

[loco35]

Several questions:

Does the ceiling trim have to be from the same manufacturer as the can?

If not, I assume the trims have to be compatible, rating wise, with the can. Am I correct?

Does the ceiling trim have to be rated? Our cans are, but the trims are not marked.

Is the rating inside the ceiling cans (75W-R30) good for both incandesent and halogen lights? I ask because I am told the halogens throw off a lot more heat than incandesents

If the trims are rated, is their rating good for both types of bulbs?

Is there a problem with putting R40 bulbs in R30 or R38 cans? If so, what is the problem and how significant is it? Could this void our insurance?

Same question as above for trims.

All help is greatly appreciated.

[Cheyenps]

Several questions:

Does the ceiling trim have to be from the same manufacturer as the can?
If not, I assume the trims have to be compatible, rating wise, with the can. Am I correct?

The only proper way to answer this question is with the "official" answer - which is the one you will get if you ask one of the fixture manufacturers:

Yes, they must be by the same manufacturer if you are to maintain the of the UL listing. The assemblies are all tested using only components manufactured by the same company. Mixed setups are not tested, and have no listing.

Does the ceiling trim have to be rated? Our cans are, but the trims are not marked.

The cans will be marked with their wattage rating based on the part number of the trim you are using. The trims are not generally marked with this number and you will have to check the manufacturers literature to figure out which trim you have. Even with the same trim, various cans will allow different wattages with a particular trim depending on the style of the can itself.

Is the rating inside the ceiling cans (75W-R30) good for both incandesent and halogen lights? I ask because I am told the halogens throw off a lot more heat than incandesents.

If the trims are rated, is their rating good for both types of bulbs?

I don't know - and I should. I'll try to find out.

Is there a problem with putting R40 bulbs in R30 or R38 cans? If so, what is the problem and how significant is it? Same question as above for trims.

An R40 lamp will not physically fit in an R30 trim. If you use lamps in can/trim configurations that are not listed for those lamps, there is a good chance that the fixture will overheat. What this usually means is that the lamp cycles on and off, but in a worst-case scenario the fixture could catch fire.

Could this void our insurance?

Who knows? Have your lawyer call their lawyer... ;)

The bottom line is that manufacturers list their products based on installations using both their cans and their trims. Various combinations may work, but no manufacturer will take any responsibility for a setup involving products other than their own.