Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - moving pot lights

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View Full Version : moving pot lights


soosnjim
08-18-08, 08:51 PM
I have two pot lights above my dining table but they are off center. I would like to hang two lights above my table. Is there a way to move the fixtures or is there a kit of some sort that will solve my problem?


John Nelson
08-18-08, 09:07 PM
It's always possible, but there are quite a number of considerations. The best situation is if there is an accessible attic above this room. If so, you can pretty much do anything fairly easily. The second best situation is if the joist cavity that the lights are in is the same joist cavity where you want the new lights, and the cable has sufficient slack to reach the new location (which depends on which direction the cable is coming from.

If there is no accessible attic above this room, I would start by turning off the circuit breaker and removing the cans. This can be done from below without drywall (or any other kind of) damage. Simply remove the screws from the inside of the can and lower the can through the existing hole in the ceiling drywall. This will allow you to see the joist and the cables, and thus allow you to figure out how much work this will be.

If necessary, you could drill a hole in the center of a joist to pass the cable through. The cardinal rule, however, is that all splices must be in boxes and all boxes must be permanently accessible. There also must be at least six inches of wire inside each box to work with. This means that if you need to splice in an extension cable, you will need to install a box with a blank cover plate (visible from below) where the cable ends.