Removing spotlights from ceiling...

woj101 · 16 February 2008 at 12:15PM

I think I must be missing a trick here...

I live in a 2005 property with quite a few spotlights set into the ceiling (i.e. the circular lights with a plastic ring outside them to hide the hole in the ceiling) in various rooms. After 2.5 years of no problems four of them have stopped working in the past month. But I can't work out the best way to access them.

I can get into the loft but none of the areas I need to get to are boarded, so don't feel too comfortable trying to get them that way, and some of them are positively inaccessible from up there really.

But I'm not getting much further from below either. A few are not perfectly flush with the ceiling so I can get my fingernails in the gap, but there's a fair amount of resistance if I try to prise them out.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks muchly.

brightontraveller · 16 February 2008 at 12:57PM

Not sure If you mean downlights... if its them they have sprung clips on the sides (normally one either side)to keep them flush fitting to ceiling just pull them downwards there will be resistance as the clips are there to keep them tight to ceiling. If they are low voltage types it may be the transformer around £3-5 each to replace

ormus · 16 February 2008 at 1:26PM

my old ones are like this.
http://www.redkiteelectrical.co.uk/images/newdownlighter.jpg

the spring clips pull out with a bit of pulling pressure.

jennifernil · 16 February 2008 at 1:50PM

You should not need to remove the fitting to change the bulb. Changing the bulb would be the first thing I would try. If the bulbs are tricky to remove, you should try a small suction thing, attach it to the bulb and screw it out , or push and turn if it is a BC bulb. We got the little suction devices with the fittings, but anything similar would do.

woj101 · 16 February 2008 at 2:55PM

Yes... they are downlights, non-adjustable. The bulb itself is housed within a unit with a glass face.

If in doubt then, revert to the old adage, if at first you don't succeed, pull harder.

I'll give it a go...

woj101 · 17 February 2008 at 3:05PM

Well I've worked out how the bulbs come out, if I just put both thumbs against the glass plate and apply some twisting force in anti-clockwise direction and they drop out.

But I've removed a 'faulty' one and decided to test the socket was working ok (i.e. to make sure the transformer was ok) by removing a working bulb and putting into the vacant socket. It didn't work, so I thought that must mean it's the transformer (which is beyond annoying because I'm sure the only way to access these is from the loft). So I took the 'good' bulb out again and put it back in it's original socket... and now that's not working!

Any ideas? It's not like I'm bashing them out, so I can't see how it's suddenly failed...

woj101 · 17 February 2008 at 4:24PM

Turns out the bulb must have failed just from being removed, cos I've tried others and got it working. Nipped down shop, bought replacement 'own brand' bulbs, not quite as bright, but do the job.

Thanks for your input everyone.

ormus · 17 February 2008 at 4:28PM

http://www.lamps2udirect.com/pixs/subCats/169.jpg

you must have this type of fitting then?

big_ste · 17 February 2008 at 11:17PM

employ a electrician it will be cheaper in the long run a simple job for a good tradesman.

Removing spotlights from ceiling...

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