Replace Ceiling Electrical Box

The finished replacement of an old style pancake ceiling electrical box ready for a standard light fixture the box above is ready for a standard light fixture installation.

Replace ceiling electrical box.

Broken plastic electrical box swing clamp supports allowed the box to fall from the ceiling leaving the light fixture hanging by its electrical wires. Most ceiling boxes are large enough. Disconnect the cable from the box. The nec dictates how many wires and clamps you can safely put in an electrical box.

Installing a ceiling fan chandelier or other heavy light fixture in an existing ceiling requires the right junction box j box. Even so you should run through the calculations to be sure. Repair a broken plastic electrical box mounted in a ceiling or wall this article describes how to repair a ceiling light fixture electrical box that was falling out of the ceiling. A square electrical box also known as a double gang box houses two devices.

Remove the old electrical box from the ceiling. Then pry the bar from the joists. Typical 1 1 2 to 2 in. Deep octagonal or round ceiling boxes are quite large and overcrowding is rarely a problem.

We use an old work electrical box to replace a damaged or loose. You also should replace a ceiling box if the existing one is loose or damaged. See the section on calculating box sizes. The round or octagonal box houses lightweight fixtures or safety devices in the ceiling.

If the box has a cable clamp remove the locknut. Pry the tab and pull the cable out. Hold a 1 2 inch thick pancake box against the ceiling centered on a joist and trace around it with a pencil. They ll have a combination outlet switch or a pair of outlets switches inside.

Number 10 x 1 5 sheet metal screws were used to secured the pancake box to the ceiling joist. Having access to your attic is convenient when replacing an electrical box in the ceiling but you also can do the work from inside your room under the ceiling. How to replace electrical box for ceiling light. Pry out the box s mounting nails and pull the box down from the ceiling.

Ceiling light boxes consist of metal or plastic boxes. The family handyman editor in chief gary wentz will show you how to remove an old light and install a ceiling fan brace so you can properly install a new c. If it s suspended from a bar you may have to take off a metal plate to unscrew the box.