skip to main content

how do I change this light bulb? (recessed)

10 years ago

I am embarrassed to ask this, but after fiddling around I could not figure out how to get this light bulb out... I saw one video on youtube where they pull the whole housing out but ours is painted on...

Please advise... Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

lee676

10 years ago

Is there a thin silver metal ring around the glass lens? If so, look for a break in it, and use a fingernail or small non-scratchy flat-blade object to pull it inwards and then down, after which the glass lens will fall out allowing access to the bulb. If it's an MR16 bulb, the bulb and reflector will be part of the same unit, so pull on the reflector not the glass bulb.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

dandylandy
Original Author
10 years ago
Hi Lee, Thanks for the suggestion but no, there is not - I can push the glass up a little but it is definitely not able to be pushed in and then down... I can't believe how hard this is.
We both looked at it and played with it to no avail.

Any other ideas?
Related Discussions
Have 'Jetsons' recessed lights. How to change to smaller?
Q
Comments (1)
It is usually necessary to cut out a square of ceiling larger than the fixture, remove the fixture and housing, install a new fixture and then patch the hole. Once, on some 6" fixtures I was able to remove the interior trim and replace it with a "cross blade" trim made for the original housing. Using frosted PAR 30 lamps also helped.
...See More
How do I change the bulb in this light?
Q
Comments (0)
Just moved into our new home and I love the pendant lights but they need cleaning and new bulbs and we cannot figure out how to take off the glass globes. The top just lifts off and the cross piece inside holds it in place. Can anyone help us with how to remove the globes?
...See More
Do I need to change the recessed can housing for LED bulbs?
Q
Comments (10)
As someone else pointed out, the retrofits do help close off the Swiss cheese holes in your ceiling for less unintentional ventilation. (Ten 6" holes is a total of over 280 square inches, partly blocked by the housings of course.) And the retrofits have come down a lot in price. If you already have LED bulbs, though, it's hard to justify junking them. With any luck they'll last many years. In fact, if they're the earlier ones that cost $30+ each, they're probably built with better quality electronic components than the newer, cheaper models (including the retrofits). If you decide you really want the new stuff, can you find someone who could use your bulbs to give them to?
...See More
Changing Recessed/Can Bulb
Q
Comments (5)
Get rid of the bulb and go with a new retrofit LED Trim and save money on your electric bill! We have a 5 year warranty on this fixture! https://www.questledlighting.com/collections/downlights/products/led-5-6-inch-retrofit-gimbal-downlight-10w-dimmable
...See More
lee676
10 years ago
Don't know then. The housing is "painted on"? It shouldn't be. If you think you need to remove the entire housing, try taking a box-cutting knife blade carefully around the edge of the fixture, holding the knife almost sideways, to break the fixture free from the ceiling paint so it can be removed without taking chunks of ceiling paint or drywall with it.
wws944
10 years ago
I have some MR16 'wall washers' that look something like those. You simply have to pull the housing down and out to access the bulb.

Agree with the post above about using a knife to carefully cut the paint around the rim. Razor blade or xacto-like knife would also work.
Dude Duderson
6 years ago
Did you ever find an answer for this?
elpaso1
6 years ago
With that kind, you will need to do as suggested above, and cut close to trim ring, to lose housing enough to pull down. You access light from behind. There will be two thin metal brackets that are spring loaded that will prevent it from falling off ceiling, so unless you squeeze those, it will only come out about 2 inches.

Related Stories

HOME TECH Here's a Bright Idea: Smart Bulbs for Better Lighting

Lightbulbs that can change brightness and color with a cell phone command show flashes of design brilliance

LIGHTING Guest Picks: Exposed Bulb Lighting

Celebrate the filament bulb with 20 stylish lighting options

LIGHTING Get Your Home's Recessed Lighting Right

By Elements of Style

Learn the formula for how much light a room needs plus how to space downlights, use dimmers and more

LIGHTING Antique Chic: Edison Bulbs

By Natalie Myers

Industrial-Style Filament Bulbs Reinvent Lighting (Again)

FALL GARDENING 6 Splendid Blue-Flowering Bulbs

By Therese Ciesinski

How do you blue? With colors from sky to cobalt, these bulbs will greet you merrily in a spring garden

LIGHTING Recessed Lighting 101

By Lisa Frederick

Looking to brighten a drab, dim space? Recessed lighting may be your answer. Here's what you need to know

TRANSITIONAL HOMES Houzz Tour: Change of Heart Prompts Change of House

By Mary Jo Bowling

They were set for a New England look, but a weekend in the California wine country changed everything

LIGHTING Change Up Your Bedroom’s Look With Pendant Lamps

By Laura Gaskill

When table lamps seem snoozy or you want to save space, bedside pendant lights are a bright idea

COLOR PALETTES Recessive Color: 8 Eye-Catching Niches, Nooks and Crannies

By Jennifer Ott Design

Create a focal point with a small chunk of a big hue

BATHROOM DESIGN Should You Get a Recessed or Wall-Mounted Medicine Cabinet?

By Karen Egly-Thompson

Here’s what you need to know to pick the right bathroom medicine cabinet and get it installed

More Discussions

pendant for large kitchen island

9

Kitchen Island Pendants Size

9

What light do I use in under cabinet recessed?

10

Island pendant lights

6

Which Pendant lights for shaker kitchen?

28