Electrician tricks of the trade?
Monday, January 28th, 2008 at
11:14 pm
Angela Avalon asked:
I have a long ***** on a light and I need to ***** it into the ceiling, but I’m having a lot of trouble trying to line it up into the ceiling hole because the light fixture is so big and I cannot see the ceiling unit when the fixture is against the ceiling. There must be trick to this. What do electricians do when this happens?
Tagged with: Ceiling Fixture • Lot • Screw
Filed under: Do It Yourself (DIY)
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brighton electrician
Can you put the ***** all the way through the fixture before it is up against the ceiling? Then you may be able to see around the edge and get it started in the hole. Probably easier with someone helping to take the weight of the fixture. Or get a long thin screwdriver, and use this to locate the hole, get it all lined up and then DON’T move the fixture before putting the ***** in. Good luck!
brighton electrician
Push a match, or some other thin object into the holes in the ceiling, offer up the fitting, then remove one match and replace with the ***** that you have in your mouth. Dont swallow untill you have fit the last *****.
sussex electric
Most ceiling fixtures have a “keyhole” type screw-slot on the base plate, this allows the screws to be installed in the strap or mounting holes of the ceiling box. You can then insert them through the base plate, turn it about 1/4″, and secure the screws.
If this isn’t the case for you, try having someone shine a bright flashlight up at the ceiling, so the light reflects down at the holes (in the plate); you should be able to locate them and get them aligned. Looking around the edge of the mounting plate works, too, as long as the screws are long enough, and the plate is not too big.
When installing any long screws into an electrical box, make sure you have all of the conductors tucked into the box in a location that will not put them in danger of being caught between the ***** and the back of the box as you tighten the *****.