How do you replace a fan's light bulb?

Answer 1

It depends on the type of fan, whether it is a range hood, bathroom fan, or room ceiling fan. There are several ways they are mounted as explained below. Preferably the power to the fixture in question should be off.

1. If there are thumb screws near the cover (mainly on range hoods and some light only ceiling fixtures), you would remove them. Then you would unscrew the old bulb and screw in the new one. Then you would put the thumb screws back in.

2. This may be just for a light-only fixture, but if the fixture is recessed and the cover is almost completely flush with the ceiling, you would pry it from the ceiling. Then you would replace the bulb. Getting the reataining springs back in may be tricky, and you would need to protect your eyes from debris up in the ceiling.

3. With most bathroom fans that use a square acrylic light cover, you would press into each side and pull it loose. Then you would replace the bulb and snap the cover back on.

4. If you mean a standard ceiling fan, it depends. For most, you would simply unscrew the old bulb and screw a new one in. For others, there are retaining screws holding the globe on, and for a few, the globe unscrews.

5. For a few ceiling fans, you don't replace the bulb, but replace the entire lamp kit. To do that, you remove the 3 screws from the plate above the light kit to drop it down, then disconnect the wiring (cap off the wires from the fan until you are finished), remove the light kit from the plate by loosening the nut. Then follow the instructions with the new light kit and undo the previous steps to reassemble the lower part of the fan with the new light kit.