Ceiling light fitting jammed - unable to change lampshade

jamint

Hi all,

So I recently bought a new lampshade for my main and spare bedrooms. Spare bedroom one went on fine, but when it came to change the one in my main bedroom the existing plastic bit just won't unscrew.

Using the guide above, the "C" part should unscrew away from the "B" part, yet for me the "C" part just won't unscrew, instead the "B" part turns and can move up the wire a bit.

Does anyone know what I can do about this? The pink lampshade my ex picked is not quite cutting the mustard for me so I want it off ASAP
Have never meddled with electrics before so a bit out of my depth.

Thanks for any assistance!

jamint

Damn, I can't include the picture because I'm a new user, but basically I'm referring to this pic: i45.tinypic.com/befyhi

(add "http://" and ".jpg" to the start and end!).

Carrot007

B and C are both screwed onto the blakc bit in the middle.

Either unscrews seperately. Hold the middle with a pair of grippers or something.

And indeed it may have been cross threaded and is stuck. in which case break it off and replace.

jamint

Thanks carrot for the speedy help! Any idea on there being an easy way to break it off? It's quite awkward to get to with a big lampshade on it already. Also I assume I wouldn't need much knowledge in fitting/electrics to replace it?

TheCyclingProgrammer

If you want to replace it and it's a normal ceiling rose, turn the power off, unscrew the cover on the ceiling rose and remove the flex (you'll need to unscrew the live/neutral/earth terminals it is connected to). Buy new ceiling rose/pendant kit, keep new ceiling rose as a spare and re-wire flex/pendant as it was before. Make sure all screws are tight, re-fit cover, job done.

sew_what

The bit you want to take off is call the skirt - you can buy replacements for less than a pound.
http://www.wilko.com/electrical-accessories/wilko-short-skirt-for-lampholder-t2/invt/0343675
If it simply won't unscrew, then break it off with a pair of plyers or grips (turn off the power and remove the lightbulb first!) swap the shade and screw the new one in place.

jamint

Apologies for the late update to this thread - just to say, many thanks sew what - I purchased a spare skirt, managed to break off with a hammer the old one (without damaging the wire!) and fitted it all no problems. So many thanks again for everyone's assistance, you rock!

Teapot55

Glad you sorted it okay, OP.

You know how diy jobs always take much, much longer than you expect? :rotfl:

We decided once to replace the light fitting in our living room with the lovely one that had been in my mum & dad's house. We ended up having to lift the floorboards in the bedroom, though, because we discovered the old one was just poked through a hole in the plasterboard ceiling, not fixed to a joist or anything! We had to move furniture so we could roll the carpet back, lift the floorboards & put the correct-sized piece of timber between the joist to cover the hole so we could secure the new fitting safely!

You always get caught out & it's always by other people's previous botch-up jobs. Aaaargh!

Norman_Castle

For future reference, don't over tighten them.

Nilrem

Norman_Castle wrote: »

For future reference, don't over tighten them.

The bigger problem in my experience has been when they've been slightly painted over (especially some of the thinner paints that can sort of seep into a gap in the plastic before setting solid), or a bit of dirt/grit has got caught in the thread

I have not so fond memories of using a stanley blade to very carefully break the paint seals on a a number of ceiling roses going back about 20 years (iirc I'd started replacing the shades at 4pm on a Sunday, and promised to get them done that night for a friend).