I want to replace a ceiling fixture. Help!

[politicat]

Replacing the fixture itself is no problem; I've done that a few times. The worst part is getting the ladder out of the shed!

The couple of fixtures we have in the kitchen have a 3 inch screw base, but the fixture I got at the Reuse center has a six inch screw base. (The holes where the screws go to attach it to the ceiling box are three inches apart in the ones we have, but I want to use a fixture that needs the screws to be six inches apart.)

The old fixtures weigh 3 pounds, the "new" one weighs 8 pounds, and the ceiling boxes are rated for 15 pounds.

Do I need a new ceiling box to accommodate the wider screw spacing, or can I just put anchors in the ceiling for the screws to mount it?

[NMDemDist2]

1. I had the same problem and stole the universal mounting plate off

another fixture

it was a steel plate that screwed up into the holes in the box and had other holes to hang the light from

i tried to find a pic on line, but haven't yet

[politicat]

2. I have one of those from another fixture.

I'll give that a shot.

Thanks!!

[NMDemDist2]

3. see if these pictures help

http://doityourself.com/ceiling/h2installafixture.htm

[politicat]

4. There's some racy terminology in electrical work!

Hickeys and nipples... if this thread were in the lounge, it would be deleted!

[NMDemDist2]

5. true,

did you get it up?


:blush:














:rofl:

[politicat]

6. You're bad....

:rofl:

But yes, I finally got it up. And it is never, ever, ever coming down. Ever. Dammit.


Light after mounting


Hey, it works!

Not bad for a free fixture (the reuse center needed to get rid of a lot of things before they broke ground on their new building).

[Warpy]

7. Extenders

are available, and maybe a trip to the electrical department of a hardware store will turn them up. They're steel straps with screw holes in one end and slots in the other. They can be expanded about 3 inches beyond a standard box.

I'd advise against hanging such a heavy fixture from anchors in drywall, even toggle bolts or molly screws won't compensate for the weakness of the material, itself. The fixture will eventually fall, taking part of the ceiling with it.

[politicat]

8. That's what I ended up doing.

It took some longer screws, but it is up there quite firmly, attached to the box.

The boxes are attached to the joists with pretty big bolts (I saw them installed and winced when I wrote the checks). I did the patch jobs myself since most electricians don't know how to deal with plastering.

The ceilings are lathe and plastered, not drywalled. There's not a lot of drywall in the house, only the one wall that was added to cut the dining room into a dining room and a den. (The dining room was big enough for a full party of 12 plus once upon a time.)