How to Fix Recessed Kitchen Lights

How to Fix Recessed Kitchen Lights

Recessed lighting in a kitchen is usually durable enough to provide several years of reliable light, however, it is not impervious to problems. Recessed lights tend to suffer from two common, yet unsightly, troubles – light bulbs that continually blink on and off, along with the eventual sagging light cover or trim. You can fix both of these problems quickly and easily.

Repairing a Sagging Recessed Light Trim or Cover

Turn off the circuit breaker that forces the light circuit and analyze the circuit with a non-contact voltage tester to make certain that the right breaker is off before you work on the light fixture.

Remove the light or trim cover in the recessed light from unhinging the springs that hold the trim or cover set.

Inspect the springs to determine if one or more of them are stretched out. If you notice they are, then remove them and take them with you to the local hardware store to purchase the right sized substitutes.

Install the new springs on the trim or cover and then re-install the trim or cover into the body of this fixture. Employing needle-nose pliers to secure the springs into the inside of the fixture is likely to make the job simpler.

Repairing a Blinking Recessed Light Fixture

Turn off the circuit breaker that forces the lighting circuit and analyze the circuit with a non-contact voltage tester to make certain that the right breaker is off before you work on the fixture.

Climb in the attic or crawlspace above the ceiling where you are able to get the top side of the recessed fixture. Find the thermal protection device. This device is able to look differently depending on the fixture’s producer. Some thermal protectors are thin, black cylinders that are on the wiring junction box on the exterior of the fixture while others are little, silver discs that can be located on the cover of the fixture.

Open the wiring junction box on the fixture and then find the two wires that are connected to the thermal protection device. Disconnect the two wires and remove the thermal protector. Take the thermal guard into the hardware shop so it is possible to purchase the properly-rated replacement.

Install the replacement thermal guard and link the two wires attached to it to the 2 wires that connected the first thermal device. Twist one wire on the thermal device to one of these wires and screw a cable connector over them, then do the same thing with the second set of wires. You don’t have to worry about wiring certain wires together with this gadget.

Replace the junction box cover and restore power to the light circuit.

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