How to open/ twist off the cover of some really stupid/ awkward/ flush mounted ceiling light dome fittings/ fixtures to replace/ change light bulb

Thanks for this site. I think I will let the wife break it off…

A 12"-14" Drum-style Flush Ceiling Fixture/Heavy Glass purchased at Lowe's 2 yrs ago!!

Needed to replace bulbs! Imagine 3 unknowledgeable sisters & a do anythg for his Nana grandson standing in a chair( very wrong), &1on a step stool trying to take down a fixture that feels like 50 pounds suspended and we all are taking turns holding it up! (Good

I thought to Cut the Power Off!!)

We can't figure out how to get the glass globe off! We end up dismantling the entire fixture because we couldn't leave it hanging TOO Heavy &couldnt line it up with the 2 screws to put it back!!

It was all attached to ceiling by the hot cold &grounding wire & the suspended weight was unbearable.

Once on the counter we're Still unable to budge this globe! We've twisted poked prod NOTHING!

A Sat evening so no maintence crew available &theyre scared they'll break it!I

Googled our dilemma & Your blog popped up!

About to try the pushing up method -whn we figure this out we'll put a 10yr bulb lol before we tackle this again- who are the idiots making this?!

Stay tuned &I'll post a photo…hopefully when all is said & done this will help someone else thank you blogger, these can be extremely helpful especially with photos.

3ladies & aKid

I had a contractor install my bathroom ceiling light. I did not know how to change the light bulb so I went on the internet. I went to the manufacture’s web site and was instructed on how to change every light fixture but the one I purchased. First I had to learn from other sites, that my light was a flush mount dome ceiling light, then I ask the question. How do I change the light bulb on a flush mount dome light? Every dome light website out there came up except the one I have. Thank god your web site was among them. The lightning company has not gone berserk. They know exactly what they are doing and so do I.They have produced these user unfriendly ceiling lights so we have to buy the globe from them if we break it trying to change the light bulb.

I am remodeling a rental and bought 3 used closed dome flush mount style that twist off at the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Now I know why the people that donated them got rid of them. With the fixture sitting on a table I pushed down in the middle as I twisted with all my strength and it would not budge. Because they were not installed yet I was able to gently tap the metal edge on a table repeatedly as I rotated the fixture. That did the trick, but now I am worried that after they are installed in the rental the tenants won’t be able to get them off in the future to replace bulbs. I am hoping for ideas on how to prevent the covers from being jammed so I don’t have to go out and buy new fixtures that don’t twist off.

Happy I found your site! First time I’ve had to change a flush mount ceiling light since moving into this new house. Haven’t attempted it yet but have gathered enough info here to know what to try. So how many homeowners does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb really has to want to change 🙂

No picture of my problem light fixture. It has a slot for the spot light to shine through. Help someone,

Thanks for your site. My dome had 3 meatl prongs inside the globe that held the glass in. It was easy to push up and then twist and pull down. I would of never figured it out. THANKS FOR THE ADVICE

The real helpful hint here was using a broom stick to hold the fixture against the ceiling.
With my wife holding the stick I was easily able to twist off the globe.
thanks.

My ceiling light glass cover is threaded, but its very tight and when I twist it anticlockwise , it does not come out. Any suggestion to help me fix it, I held it up and not using since 2 months :(. Please help

I talked my husband into letting me hold a broom on the metal piece, and it worked! He has been trying to get the glass cover off for a long time.
Thanks,
Sharon

When I tried to turn the globe counter-clockwise, I managed to shear off a metal peg that was holding the whole ceiling fan from turning with my globe efforts. I’m almost afraid to turn the fan on….
Now that I’ve broken it, will I get a refund? This really sucks!

Please help. I bought two of these cos I thought they looked good. Silly me. I know it takes 2 people to access old bulb, but even then I can’t see how it’s done. The hanging metal screws don’t seem to turn, neither does the glass cover. I daren’t push hard as I think I can feel electric wires loosening on the ceiling. I hate these things with a passion. They weren’t cheap; i “treated” myself. Has anyone come across this before, and how to deal with them? (Picture is in website)
http://www.peclights.com/product/plafon-mirror-flush-light

Thank you, thank you. I have the spring loaded type, I was pretty sure that was the way to open it, but it was stubborn that I would not have continued without your help

Your website is remarkably useful. Thank you for maintaining it. Was able to get information on two separate light fixtures that had been giving me fits in this ‘built-in-the-40s-refurbished-in-the-60s-and-again-in-the-70s-and-again-in-each-decade-following’ house we just started renting.

Regarding Angela Poole’s fixture.

Look carefully through the grate. You’ll find two screws. Loosen or remove both, then twist the whole thing, grate and all, counter clockwise and it will come down.

Thanks to your site and so many user comment… that gave me the courage to try and tackle this myself…

Turns out, after I finally got the two spring side clips to unspring… that it was an LED lighting fixture…!!!

And thus my hopes of getting a dimmer to work…. here in the bedroom… were dashed…. :-0

Square ceiling light fixture – just spent two of the most frustrating hours in my old life. Bulbs needed changing and could not for the life of me figure out how to access the bulbs. The person (idiot) who designed it should be locked up. Never have I encountered such a devious mind in designing something that would confound a genius. Last resort decided to try to rip it off the ceiling. In the process discovered it pulled straight down to a point and retained by springs suspending fron the base. What a farce this was. If you have one take a hammer to it like Hillary.

Use re-enforced packing tape (the kind with thread in it) and wrap it around the glass dome cover. Make sure you don’t tape to the chrome base. At about the half way point, create a ‘handle’ by folding the tape to itself and then continue to wrap around the rest of the lamp cover. Wear safety glasses and then slowly turn counter-clockwise (think of unscrewing a light bulb). The make-shift handle will give you better leverage to control and turn the dome cover. Use Vaseline on grooves when putting back together. Better yet, replace the piece of crap with a new lamp fixture with external nut or easier disassembly process.

Thank you! Hopefully this article never gets removed!

I did it!!!!! None of the above seemed to help, so I simply stuck a knife in between the metal and glass … (at the point where I notice a small bump) and slowly pulled it down! Five hours of researching and several hands on attempts later.. IT WORKED ……. I did’nt give up…… BRAVO me! 🙂

Sometimes one just has to praise oneself when there is no one else around to do so ! Hahaha

Thank you! I couldn’t get the one that has the single groove up inside to twist to open – it really helped to see that it was an actual problem and not just me. I was prepared to break the globe to get it down and buy something more user friendly. I got a screwdriver and prodded the edges – I was afraid to squirt liquid at an electrical thing – since others have survived this tactic I will know what to use next time. There was some rust or brown deposit that was sticking the globe to the base and I will put Vaseline or tape on the thread for next time. Your website has saved the life of an endangered glass globe!

Thanks for maintaining this page. I finally found a solution that you may want to share. Ironically, the people tempted to use a hammer in frustration were close — using a hammer gently.

Mine was the type where it seemed the glass dome should unscrew from the metal flange. There didn’t appear to be any internal hinges to let it swing down. But the glass wouldn’t budge. So, it must be some other fastener that I’m missing, right?

Nope. The glass needs to unscrew, and unbudging it is the problem that needs to be solved.

The fix for that is light taps with something rubber. The rubber end of the handle of a hammer, for example. (I started smaller, but the handle of a screwdriver doesn’t have enough mass.) Naturally, you have to proceed carefully, but if you don’t hit it with metal and give it a few light taps all the way around, that unsticks it without breaking the glass.

Then return to the effort of unscrewing the glass. You may still need a helper to hold the metal flange in place if it is loose.

Incidentally, I got this solution from this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol6ikKG8UR4

Page is missing HUGE HUGE fundamental. To take off dome do you move it clockwise or counterclockwise? Thanks.

Anyone figure out how to do the one that Angela Poole posted? I have the same one and I couldn’t figure it out.

Thank you very much for this website. At least I’m not alone. Will send you some pics of the difficulties I’m having with my ceiling light.

If nothing else makes sense, and it is round, concentrate on the glass. You may need rubber gloves to get a grip. It worked on mine. Also, if you know where you got the fixture, check online to find an installation manual.

I have a plastic round cover that goes over 2 round flourescent bulbs. I was able to pull it off and it has 3 metal/aluminum tabs that held it in place. My problem is that I cannot get it back on. None of the 3 appear to be spring loaded. I can put the round cover over 2 of the 3 metal tabs, but cannot get it over the 3rd one. Anybody have that problem?

RECEIVED FROM JACLYN ON 19 MARCH 2015 answer
The large white bulb has scewtread on it! Just turn it a couple of time to detach!

Thank you for this. I had no idea what my light fixture was called and could only get it partially removed. Thanks to what you shared about the flush mount, I was able to finally get to my bulbs inside. I had not idea the center piece would turn. I had tried by hand but it was too tight or stuck so I used a shoe also and then some needle nose pliers to get it to budge a bit then it turned easy by hand, revealing the bolt & washer under it for me to unscrew. Even better was the lights aren’t even burned out, just a little loose.

Try twisting it clockwise. Mine would not turn counter clockwise. Looking up at it, it looks wrong to turn clockwise but surprisingly it suddenly loosened and easily came off turning it clockwise. Good luck! If I kept trying to force it counter clockwise I probably would have broken the glass globe.

I will add one, a flat ceiling fixture around 12-14 inches in diameter — a frosted glass dish carried by three metal clasps each spaced at 120 degrees apart on the outer rim. The whole thing seems fixed in place with no visible way to service. But it turns out that two clasps are fixed and one can in fact be pulled away from the dish, parallel to the ceiling, to release that corner thus releasing the whole dish. Two 40W bulbs inside. Your site encouraged me to experiment and when I solved it, it opened easily. Thank you.

I would love to hear how to remove this one.
If I can attach a picture.
It’s square with no screws anywhere

Thanks so much. I have the same fitting your correspondent Andy provided the solution to back in January 2018, and it worked perfectly.

It helped me enormously to know:
(i) that you can take the plastic cover off without damaging or unseating it; and
(ii) what the retaining clips look like.

Many thanks to you and Andy!

– Rick from Connecticut

I recently decided to install two ceiling fans in my 16′ x 50′ basement media room. I had earlier purchased a “ceiling brace and box kit”, so used that to install one of the fans. Two problems: 1. They are designed to be attached to 2x floor joists which are at least 16″ on centers. My ceiling joists are engineered beams made of 2x3s with OSB between them. The space between two of these is less than that provided by regular 2x floor joists, so I had to modify the braces. 2. The fan has a lot of “stuff” (brackets, wires, and controller) which must be mounted in or below the box. It was very difficult to make that work, but I finally did.

I still have to mount the second fan. Are brace kits made with larger boxes?, or should I make my own “kit” with a larger metal box mounted to a 2×4? (Actually, as I was composing this, I decided that’s what I should do).

Well, after the first fan was installed, I tried it out and everything seemed to be working. The circuit is a switched circuit, but the fan has its own remote control. I checked out all the functions, and turned it off for the evening. The next day, I turned it back on and increased the brightness with the remote. Then the remote quit working. I couldn’t change anything – fan speed or direction, light brightness. The control box mounted in the ceiling box seems to just remember what it was last set at.

Should I call the dealer or the manufacture’s help line? (The dealer is three time zones later than me, and I don’t know where the mfr is). Or should I open the second fan shipping box and try the other remote (they are identical models)? Or should I assume the fan controller is defective and install the one included with the second fan? Of course, the last two options would be for diagnostics, I would expect the dealer to make good on a defective part.

P.S. added in edit: I’m using the existing basement light circuit. The builder put in plastic side-mount boxes with 12 Ga wire, which comes in to the box, then goes out to the next box. It’s this through-connection, plus the heavy wire which makes the wiring physically difficult. I am using two of the three locations for the fan (I may remove the third, since it’s in the same room). It’s a dedicated 20A circuit! according to https://www.affordablelectricians.com.au/electrician-noosa.html

Bless you Lisa who wrote 14th July 2017 in response to Tom of 24th Feb 2017. I have the exact same old glass light fixture and have spent weeks pulling the metal lever in and out, sliding it right and left and up and down and turning and tugging the fixture everywhichway. I’ve taken photos to a lighting and electrical shop and they’d no idea. I trawled the internet for similar fixtures but saw nothing until I recognised Tom’s photo and the mysterious metal tab. Then I saw your response and it took me all of a minute to get it down. Who’d have guessed slide tab left at the same time as turn fixture right? Thank you!

Thank you very much!

I spent a couple of hours trying to get the dome out of my bathroom
light/fan to replace a light bulb. Some sites suggested putting tape on the
glass dome to unscrew and pull it out. No luck 🙁

Then I saw the part about it being possibly spring loaded.
I grabbed the outer ring and pulled down. Yay- it came down and
I was able to replace the lightbulb! Much appreciated.

I have a oyster ceiling light with a metal ring around it just trying to change the light globe. Googled it but doesn’t help any suggestions rather than call a technician which will cost

We have a bathroom overhead light fixture exactly like the round plastic framed one that holds the translucent light cover. I think it is the one where you state: “This one got solved by Andy who wrote to me on 23 January 2018. ‘My fixture looks identical to one of the unsolved ones on your page. Just pull one side down to access’.”
Actually, I pulled down on both sides once I discovered the one side would pull down. I cannot thank Andy, and your website, for showing me how to solve this possible divorce making problem.