Joists, floor boards, or any other combustible material. INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS - 3” REMODEL / NEW. CONSTRUCTION RECESSED LIGHTING KIT.
I bought some Utilitech Pro LED recessed downlight retrofit kits at Lowes but it turns out I'm stuck at step one -- removing the existing trim:
Utilitech Installation Instructions
I thought if I removed the ceramic bulb socket they would be what was holding it in the ceiling. However that didn't work.
I have yanked pretty hard on the trim itself and it didn't budge so I don't think these are held in by friction clips/springs. It looks like they're riveted but that seems awfully permanent for something like this.
I climbed in my attic to see if I could tell what to do from the top. Most of these are not easily accessible - they're buried in loose fill insulation. I am hoping to avoid disturbing it.
Anyone dealt with lights like these before?
Utilitech Recessed Lighting Installation Instructions
To remove your fixture first remove the shade just like you are going to change a bulb, then unscrew the bulb.
Utilitech Led Recessed Lighting Retrofit
Then inspect the fixture base - you will see 2 screws or a center nut.
Loosen then remove these parts, then slowly pull the fixture base down from the ceiling until you can see the wires.
Recessed Lighting Fixtures Installation
You should see 2 or 3 wires running down into the fixture base. One will be black and one will be white. You might also have a bare or green wire. These two wires will be connected to two wires running into the electrical box with wire nuts. Pay close attention to these wires and what connects to what because you will be connecting the new fixture to the same wires in the same way. The connections will be:
White X White & Black X Black
or
White X White & Black X Red
or
White X White & Black X White
Utilitech 3 Inch Recessed Lighting
You'll notice that my fixture the wires are connected White X White & Black X Red and white is a bundle of wires.
How To Install Utilitech Lighting
Remove the wire nuts by twisting them counter clockwise to unscrew them from the wires. It's very important that any wires bundled together, like the white wires in my fixture, stay bundled together.