Changing a recessed halogen bulb

[noviceplumber]

Hi folks. I've got a problem I really hope someone can help me with. I've got some recessed halogen bulbs in the roof of my bathroom (MR16 bulbs). One of them failed so I've been attempting to change it. I've been able to change bulbs elsewhere in my flat easily but have struggled with the sealed (?) units used in the bathroom. After some effort I managed to, by twisting and pulling, get the complete unit out of the roof. However I now cannot work out how to get the bulb out of the unit. I've tried all I can think of. Can anyone help? I've attached a picture of the removed unit so you can see what I'm working with.

Untitled

• noviceplumber
• 23 Nov 2010
• 1

You may also spot that there should be two clips that hold the unit in the roof that are not there. They came off during the removal operation and I think that's a bad thing (I'll struggle to replace the unit in the roof). However, I'll try and deal with changing the bulb first!

Thanks for your help!

 

[Burnerman]

You could well find that the chrome bezel, visible from the ceiling when the lamp is in place, can be unscrewed, allowing access to the bulb itself.
Sometimes they can be rather tight but upwards pressure from the fingers usually gets them turning.
John

 

[noviceplumber]

You could well find that the chrome bezel, visible from the ceiling when the lamp is in place, can be unscrewed, allowing access to the bulb itself.
Sometimes they can be rather tight but upwards pressure from the fingers usually gets them turning.
John

John,

Thanks for the quick reply. That's what I thought might work but try as I might I can't get the visible bezel part (it's actually white in this fitting) to turn - either on the fitting I've removed or on any of the remaining lights that are still in the ceiling (the whole unit just turns and I can hear the metal clips rubbing inside the plasterboard ceiling).

Do you have any other ideas?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[Burnerman]

Hmmm thats a bit of a bore......
The only fittings I've come across have been screwed, circlipped or snap on (removable by strong finger nails). I think you'll just have to get to work on the one fitting that you've removed, to spare the others as you certainly don't want the fitting to turn in the ceiling.
Good luck with it!
John

 

[joinerjohn]

These type of fittings usually have a sort of circlip which holds the bulb into the light fitting. Unclipping this usually allows the bulb to come out of the fitting.
From your pic, it looks like you have taken the complete fitting out of the ceiling. Have a look on the front and see if there is a circlip holding the bulb in.

 

[foxhole]

This type does not use a circlip ,only open fittings use clips, this is a sealed bathroom fitting and has a bezel as mentioned, usually you just push and turn to release or some models you just pull, if overpainted during decoration then this will make opening difficult.

 

[rob5]

These look similar to mine and they should pull down from the ceiling. you have to pull them down both sides together otherwise the retaining clip jams. Once they come down an inch or so you can push the side spring clips in and then they come out completely. You should have the whole unit by then and the new bulb fits in from the top (loft side) by removing the clip. reverse the proceduer to refit but it seems to me that the trick is to keep the light fitting square at all times.
Hope this helps and good luck
Rob

 

[noviceplumber]

Thanks for all your help. However I still can't find any kind of clip to remove or do any twisting, pulling or pushing that opens up the unit. I'll probably take down another unit at the weekend and see if I have any luck with that one.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

A picture of the other side might help a little, but bathroom sealed units normally twist off, make sure your twisting the right part of the fitting.

 

[noviceplumber]

OK - so I just took down a couple more fittings (Rob5 - thanks for the advice on the spring clips - sounds pretty obvious with hindsight but made a big difference in getting them down!). I couldn't do anything with the second fitting but the third unscrewed exactly as described by some of you helpful people. However, even knowing exactly how the units open, I still can't get the one in the the picture open - it just feels jammed in some way. I've squirted in a bit of WD40 so will see if that helps. Otherwise I'm just going to have to buy a replacement. I've found something on the Internet that looks very similar but is 35W vs my units 50W so no exact match yet. I'll keep looking.

 

[foxhole]

Try dipping the rim in boiling water ,may expand enough to loosen.