Hi,

I am helping a friend who wants to replace an existing recessed light with a standard lighting fixture. If possible, I want to avoid sheetrock re-texturing, so I want to avoid cutting any holes in the ceiling. As far as I know, there isn't any attic access as the light is on the ceiling of the first floor in a 2 story home. How do I remove the existing recessed lighting fixture? I assume its an original fixture and not a remodel unit.

After I get it removed, I may find that I don't have enough wire to reach the hole where the fixture was, which I would like to use for the location of the new light fixture. If that is the case, can I somehow add a junction box (assuming I can reach the wire) and add a new length of wire to connect to a new electrical box to support the new fixture? I'm not sure what the code has to say about a junction box in a situation like this. Also, if it is legal, does the junction box have to be attached to a joist? If so, any thoughts on how I can do that, given that I will be operating through a small round hole in the sheetrock? Or can the junction box just sit on top of the sheetrock?

As a possible alternative, is it possible to leave the body of the recessed light in place, and essentially use it as the electrical box that supports the new light fixture, or is there some sort of kit to allow you to do this??

Thanks for your help and ideas!

 

Recessed cans can be removed by removing a few screws inside the can which old it to the mounting bracket. These screws are typically located near the bottom of the can. The can can then be lowered through the existing hole. They you can reach up through the hole and detach the bracket from the joists.

Hopefully, the existing wires will be long enough to reach your new fixture, because you are not allowed to make any splices up in the ceiling. If not, figure out which direction the cable comes from, add a new electrical box in the ceiling in that direction, make your splices in that box, and install a blank cover plate over the box. The inside of the box must be accessible when you are all finished by removing the cover plate. The new box can either be an old-work box, attached only to the drywall, or a new-work box attached to a joist.

 

John,

Thanks for your reply. Your comment about not being able to splice wires in the ceiling brings up another question related to a different project. I installed recessed lights, and replaced a single gang switch box with a large two gang box containing a dimmer and a switch. There were too many wires coming into the switch box (the builder had used this as a junction point - I think there were a total of 3-4 cables coming into the box, before I added the cable for the recessed lights and one for an additional outlet), so I installed a junction box nearby inside the wall to reduce the number of wires going into the new switch box. Should I have made the junction box accessible from outside the wall? Its actually mounted in a 2x6 wall, behind a wall intercom unit, and its a metal box so would be safe from nails.

 

Check to see if your recessed is a Progress brand. Progress has several surface mount trims that will install over the recessed without any changes. I believe these are for the P87 series recessed.

 

Yes, you need to make that box accessible.