How To Remove Ceiling Light With Cover Clips — 11 Easy Steps

Sometimes, the manufacturer’s manual doesn’t make things easy for you. It is possible that you have gone over the light fixture’s manual a zillion times and yet when night comes, your room remains in darkness. And it’s not because you haven’t paid your energy bills, because there’s power in the rest of the house. 

The issue is that you haven’t been able to figure out just how to get the light cover off your light fixture to replace the damaged bulb within. Or maybe, it’s a dead insect that is usually illuminated when you hit the switch to turn the light on. You have not been able to find a way to get rid of the corpse and clean out your light fixture.

In this article, we will show you how to, after the trial and errors carried out by many people. The answer is finally here. By the end of this article, you would have gotten paid for all your hours of hard labor. Let us get right to it.

But first, what is the use of a light cover?

How To Remove Ceiling Light With Cover Clips
Photo by 𝓴𝓘𝓡𝓚 𝕝𝔸𝕀 on Unsplash

The Importance Of A Light Cover

The light cover is the detachable part of light fixtures that encloses the electrical device. It can come in plastic or glass.

It comes in various shapes to improve the décor of the room it is placed in. But more importantly, the light cover ensures that the fixture stays damage-free. 

Besides, these covers are typically waterproof and have airtight rubber seals that prevent moisture from getting into the interior.

The way the cover is fastened determines how they can be removed. It can be fastened with clips or screws.

The Process

1. First, turn off the circuit breaker that powers the light fixture you want to remove.

This is highly important and necessary for your safety as you will be working near the socket. It will help prevent electrocution and some other accident that could occur if any of your tools touched the inside of the socket.

2. Allow the light fixture to cool down before touching it.

It might be extremely difficult for you to handle the light fixture if its cover is burning from the heat of the bulb. If it was recently on, wait until it is cool to the touch. Depending on the bulb type, the waiting period can last between 5 minutes and 10 minutes. Once it cools, you will be able to handle it appropriately. 

3. Clear the surface where you intend to work. 

Place a rubber mat beneath the ceiling light fixture you want to work on. Then place a ladder or stool there if the light fixture is too high for you to reach on your feet. The rubber mat will provide some form of traction and will prevent you from slipping and your ladder from sliding.

4. Find out which of the clips pull back.

Go up to your ladder and find out the situation of things there. Since your light fixture comes with cover clips, it is obvious that the cover comes off through the clips.

However, many usually complain that the clips don’t give at all. That means that not all the light cover clips were designed to be adjustable.

So, to find out which clip pulls back, you need to gently pull on each clip to see which one pulls back about half an inch. The truth is that of all the clips that hold the cover in place, only one is on a spring loaded slider.

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5. Pull back on the clip

Once you have identified which of the clips pull back, keep one hand on the glass cover as you pull back gently. The spring loaded clip will pull back about half of an inch, giving you ample space to dip the rim of the fixture beneath the clip. Allow the clip to gently slide into its designated place.

6. Pull the cover away from the remaining clips.

This may require some extra amount of pressure. But we believe you can handle it. Besides, seeing the desired result of all your labor just within reach will motivate you to go all the way. Now, you have the cover off of your light fixture. You can do what you have always wanted to do.

7. Give your light fixture a much-needed cleaning.

Get rid of whatever debris was resting in the interior part of the light cover and clean the cover with a damp cloth. You can also clean the other parts, including the light bulb.

To be on the safe side, carefully unscrew the bulb, wipe the interior of the recessed area, and wipe down the bulb.

8. Replace the bulb.

If the old bulb still works perfectly, after wiping it down with the cleaning cloth, return it to its place in the bulb holder. However, if the old bulb had burned out or gotten some other form of damage, you will need to replace the bulb before replacing the light cover. 

So, select an appropriate bulb. Make sure it is dimmable using a dimmer switch. The popular choices are halogen and the energy-efficient LED bulbs. Fix the new bulb into the bulb holder by screwing it into place with your fingers.

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9. Test the new bulb.

Confirm that the new bulb works perfectly by turning the light switch back on.

10. Turn off the power and replace the light cover.

Once you have confirmed that the new bulb is working fine, turn off the power to replace the light cover. Gently pull on the initially identified adjustable clip, that is, the spring loaded one. Slip the light cover on the other clips, and release the pulled back, spring loaded clip. Confirm that the cover is secure.

11. Turn on the power.

After confirming that the ceiling light cover is secure, you can turn on the power again to enjoy the brilliance of your restored light.

Final Words

As our mantra goes: safety first. We have shown you how easy it is to remove ceiling lights with cover clips. Still, be sure that you are following the manufacturer’s instructions, the tips contained in this article will help you better grasp the light fixture manufacturer’s manual.

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